Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1628)

A very attractive pair of double-sided 14K yellow gold Victorian cufflinks, the faces set with oval garnet cabochons. Cufflinks of the kind are usually made with a simple bezel setting, but this pair has a double border of gold around the garnets, giving them a more substantial look. The garnets are very fine, with vivid red coloring. Each cufflink is marked "14K" and is signed wtih the maker's mark for Sansbury & Nellis.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 9/16" x 7/16". Weight: 9.3 grams. Approximate Total Garnet Weight: 10.84 carats.

A heavy 18K yellow gold egg-shaped fob charm decorated with ornate beading and twisted wirework in the Victorian Etruscan Revival style. The fob is further enhanced with oval and round coral cabochons. The coral is the intense orangey-red shade displayed by coral along the Mediterranean coast. Unlike most fob charms of this type, this example is hinged and opens to serve as a small container. In Victorian times, such a container would have held a small pad soaked in perfume so a lady wouldn't have to endure the smells on the streets. Marked “750” for 18K gold.

Origin: Italy, ca. 1960. Size: 1-3/8” long (excluding jump ring). Weight: 13.6 grams.

A very fine pair of double-sided cufflinks by Seaman Schepps. Each of the faces is made from a single blue sapphire that has been tumbled rather than faceted, and then set in a framework of curling gold wirework. The setting is substantial, yet its delicacy allows the rich violet-blue color and internal characteristics of the sapphires to take center stage. Schepps was among the earliest of American jewelry designers to use cabochon and tumbled stones as primary gemstones. Even after 50 years, his colorful designs still seem completely contemporary. Each cufflinks is marked for 18K gold, is signed with Schepps’ hallmark and has the design serial number. These links originally retailed for $5,500.

Origin: America, ca. 2005. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: faces approximately, 5/8” x 1/2”. Weight: 12.6 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 34.0 carats.

A handsome pair of reversible heavy 18K yellow gold flip-up cufflinks. One side of each end is finished smooth, while the reverse side is engraved in a zigzag pattern. The flip-up style was popularized by Cartier in the 1930s and continued to be popular in France through the mid-century. Each cufflink is fully hallmarked with the “tete d’aigle” stamp for 18K gold and with an unidentified maker’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent. Size: 1/2” x 1/2”. Weight: 11.6 grams.

Exquisite Victorian sticking fashioned from 12K yellow gold, the head in the shape of a horseshoe prong-set with a double row of graduated rose-cut diamonds and cabochon rubies. One of the rubies is an old mine-cut and another is a rectangular cushion-cut. In both cases, the stones appear to be original, as the setting fits them perfectly. Perhaps the jeweler was more interested in matching color than specific cuts. This was not an uncommon practice in the era. Tested and guaranteed 12K gold.

Origin: probably England, circa 1880. Condition: very good, with wear to some of the outer prongs. Size: head, 5/8” x 9/16”, overall length, 2-7/16”. Weight: 2.5 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .3 carat; ruby .5 carat.

An extremely heavy pair of 14K yellow gold double-faced cufflinks made by Louis Tamis & Sons and retailed by Tiffany & Co. The round faces are simply decorated with parallel ribbed surfaces. The faces are joined by solid hinged connectors. The cufflinks are very heavy and have a classic, masculine appeal. Tamis was one of New York’s most important goldsmiths and supplied goods to Tiffany, Cartier and Verdura among others. Each cufflink is marked “14K” and has Tamis’ maker’s mark and Tiffany’s retailer mark.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent. Size: 9/16” diameter. Weight: 21.6 grams.

A very handsome pair of double-faced late Victorian cufflinks by Newark jeweler Bippart, Griscomb & Osborn. The faces are worked in 14K yellow gold and are decorated with engine-turned engraving in several motifs. The front face on each cufflink is set with a high-domed cabochon blue sapphire. The back faces match the engraved decoration of the fronts. The connectors are hallmarked for Bippart, Griscomb and Osborn, one of the leading Newark jewelers at the turn of the century.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 9/16” diameter. Weight: 11.7 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 1.1 carats.

A nice pair of sterling silver stirrup cufflinks, the ends set with black onyx sugarloaf cabochons. This style of cufflink was popularized by Cartier. The cufflinks bear Swiss import marks used until 1934 and are stamped "935", indicating that they have a slightly higher pure silver content than sterling silver.

Origin: Continental Europe, probably France, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: faces, 9/16" diameter. Weight: 8.7 gr.

A rare pair of 18K yellow gold earclips in the Sputnik style by H Stern. The domes are bezel-set with round amethysts, citrines, aquamarines, green and pink tourmalines, and garnets. This design was created in the 1950s to highlight the range of colored gemstones available from the mines of Stern's native Brazil. It later came to be called "Sputnik" for its resemblance to the spiky Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each piece has a unique appearance that relies on the particularly selection and placement of the gemstones for its overall look. This pair has strong, saturated colors in the stones. Each earring is marked for 18K and also has the early maker's mark for H Stern.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: no dings or chips to stones. Dimensions: 11/16" diameter. Weight: 6.5 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 4.86 cts.

A very pretty pair of Shakudo earrings in the form of partially folded fans. The dark metal surfaces are delicately enhanced with silver cranes amid gold plum blossoms, rocks and tree stumps. The crane was used in Japanese art to symbolize longevity. The fans are suspended from 18K rose gold wires. After the collapse of the feudal system in Japan, the artists who created elaborately decorated swords turned to jewelry as a way to express their creativity. Sometimes shakudo pieces were turned into jewelry with the addition of later mountings, but in this case the earring fittings appear to be original. It is also rather unusual for shakudo jewelry to have gold findings rather than silver.

Origin: Japan, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: maximum width 11/16”; 1-11/16” long to top of earwire.

A very wearable pair of 18K yellow gold earrings by Tiffany & Co. The classic design resembles bundles of rushes laid across one another and is suitable for daily wear. The quality of the finishing is very fine, as would be expected. The earrings retain their original omega clips, and posts could easily be added. The earrings are signed “Tiffany & Co. 750”.

Origin: America, ca. 1990. Condition: excellent. Size: 15/16” x 11/16”. Weight: 16.5 grams.

A striking 1950s extra-large bracelet charm by Van Cleef & Arpels. The charm is a fully-functional roulette wheel studded along the edge with collet-set round cut sapphires and emeralds. Under crystal dome, a tiny ruby bead serves as the marble. The moveable handle spins the dial, causing the ruby to skip along until if falls into one of the depressions on the wheel. Instead of numbers, however, the wheel is engraved “Je t’aime” (I love you…)/”Un Peu” (…a little)/”Beacoup” (…a lot)/”Passion” (…passionately)/”A La Folie” (…crazily)/”Pas Du Tout” (…not at all). The gemstones, as would be expected, are of the finest quality. A plain roulette wheel charm, without gemstones and engraved only with numbers, appears in a 1955 VCA print advertisement. The back is marked “Van Cleef et Arpels”, “Made In France” and has the serial number “16V507”. The maker’s mark appears on the bale. This piece can be worn on a heavy bracelet, but would be even more spectacular worn as a necklace.

Origin: France, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1-7/16” diameter. Weight: 22.7 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: sapphire, 1.0 ct; emerald, .35 ct; ruby, .1 ct.

Exquisite pair of Second Empire (Napoleon III) French 18K yellow gold earrings in the girandole style. The surmounts, each set with a single slightly flattened coral bead, suspend gold central elements, which suspend a fringe of coral, pearl and onyx beads. The earrings are marked with French 18K hallmarks.

Origin: Paris, circa 1850. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 2-7/32" long. Weight: 6.0 grams.

A fine Victorian 14K gold fob locket, the front cover worked in a deeply three dimensional design of a rose gold owl perched on a green gold branch. The eyes are set with garnet cabochons. The back cover has an engraved shield design that was never monogrammed. The hinged bail is engraved in a complimentary design. The interior of the locket retains its original frame and glass insert.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 7/8" x 1-3/8" (not including jump ring). Weight: 13.7 grams.

A very handsome pair of Victorian cufflinks, the faces fashioned from carved bloodstone discs centered with gold fox’s heads. The bloodstone, carved with a concave surface, is finely colored in a strong green with noticeable red flecks. The fox heads are beautifully detailed. The faces are connected with chains to decorative torpedo backs. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: very good, each bloodstone disc has a small rim nick visible under magnification, but not visible during normal wear. Size: 9/16” diameter. Weight: 6.8 grams.

A stunning pair of 18K yellow gold earrings in the "Heliocoidal" pattern by lauded designed Michael Good. The earrings are constructed in the anticlastic raising technique in with the piece is formed from a sheet of gold and then twisted along all three dimensions to create an organic shape that Good refers to as "molten energy." Each piece is created entirely by hand and does not employ any machine made parts such as earwires or clasps. Older examples of Good's jewelry is difficult to find. Each earring is marked "750 M Good".

Origin: America, ca. 1987. Size: 2-7/8" long. Weight: 8.2 gr.

A nice vintage tie bar in a bamboo pattern by Tiffany & Co. The bar is worked in 14K yellow gold, and each end features a blue sapphire cabochon collet set in platinum. The small amount of platinum contrasts nicely with the deep blue of the sapphires. The bamboo design was reworked in the 1960's and became one of Tiffany's most successful sterling silver flatware designs. Its use in jewelry, however, is uncommon. The relatively short length works perfectly with the narrow width of today's ties. The back is marked "Tiffany & Co. 14K."

Origin: America, ca. 1945. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-15/16" long. Weight: 6.1 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .34 ct.

An interesting pair of American sterling silver Art Deco cufflinks, each face featuring a stylized leaf. The design has a deeply three-dimensional sculptural quality. The design appears to be in the Skonvirke style--the Scandinavian expression of Art Nouveau, but the cufflinks are definitely American. The back of each face is signed "NAE" or "MAE" and the toggles are marked "Sterling".

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 13/16" diameter. Weight: 12.1 grams.