Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1615)

A lovely Victorian 10K yellow gold locket, the front cover decorated with an embossed lion’s head. The lions mouth grasps an old mine cut diamond and the eyes are set with bright demantoid garnets. The small diamond is nice quality with bright color and good clarity. Demantoids were only discovered in Russian in 1868, so it was still a fairly novel gemstone when this locket was created. The interior retains the original frames and glass covers. Tested and guaranteed 10K.

Origin: America, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, all original, no dings or monograms. Dimensions: 1†diameter. Weight: 5.0 grams.

An outstanding, oversized pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks fashioned as lengths of bamboo by Cartier. The surfaces are worked in the Florentine finish popular in mid-century jewelry. The "notches" in the bamboo are polished for nice contrast. The back faces are hinged. The cufflinks are marked "Cartier/18K/Italy" and have the serial number "26464".

Origin: Italy, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent. Size: front faces, 1-5/16" x 5/8"; back faces, 15/16" x 5/16". Weight: 23.3 grams.

A stunning pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks by one of Italy's greatest 20th century jewelry artists, Nino D'Antonio Germano. Germano was born into an important family of Roman jewelers in 1926 and came of age during World War II. He was inspired by designs from antiquity, and his pieces often feature ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan grotesques, masks and other elements. He was principally a sculptor, but made a very small amount of jewelry using the lost wax method of casting. This process is self-destructive and assures that every piece is nearly unique. Original pencil sketches of his jewelry designs are included in the artist's catalogue raisonne "Nino D'Antonio Germano Studio Catalogue Book" (transl, S. Brecker). The quality of the design and its execution is first-rate. The gold surfaces are acid washed to achieve the softly bloomed texture found in ancient jewels. The backs are signed "Germano" and are marked "750" for 18K gold.

Origin: Italy, ca. 1960s. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4" diameter. Weight: 11.8 grams.

A fine modernist pendant designed as an 18K yellow gold frame enclosing a square plaque of smoky quartz with beveled edges. The front side of the gold frame has two geometric insets, a large square that occupies a fourth of the surface and a small quarter-circle at the opposite corner. This asymmetrical use of complimentary symmetrical shapes is reminiscent of the Mondrian paintings that inspired Yves Saint-Laurent’s 1965/66 couture collection. The pendant retains its original jump ring, stamped with the unidentified master goldsmith’s mark “JG.” The frame is also fully hallmarked.

Origin: France, ca. 1965. Condition: the quartz has small flakes at its corners (they are only visible upon very close inspection and could be removed by having the quartz re-beveled); all original. Dimensions: 32mm x 32mm (1-1/4 x 1-1/4 in) (excluding bail and jump ring). Weight: 18.8 gr.

A beautiful and very heavy 18K yellow gold bracelet set with blue sapphires by Tiffany & Co. Each link is designed as a pair of ropetwist arches joined by a prong-set round sapphire. The links are hinged, so the bracelet is flexible and comfortable to wear. The sapphires are medium dark blue with moderately strong saturation, and show no indications of heat treatment. This classic design would look good with a business suit, a cocktail dress or jeans. The box clasp is marked “18” and “Tiffany & Co.”.

Origin: America, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 7-1/2” long; 1/2" wide. Weight: 56.0 grams. Approximate Total Sapphire Weight: 1.6 carats.

Classic pair of double-sided Edwardian cufflinks in 14K yellow gold. The octagonal faces are engraved with concentric circles and bordered with a notched border. The faces are joined by bar connectors. The backs are marked “14K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 17/32” diameter. Weight: 5.0 grams.

A heavy 18K yellow gold ovoid fob charm decorated with ornate beading and twisted wirework in the Victorian Etruscan Revival style. The fob features oval and round mixed-cut citrines in fluted collet settings. The stones along the sides are in a medium honey color, while the bottom stone is deep amber. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Italy, ca. 1960. Size: 1-3/8” long. Weight: 15.2 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 32.2 carats.

A beautifully-designed Victorian ball locket enhanced with rose-cut diamonds. The two strap-like decorative elements on either side of the locket lift away, allowing the sphere to be unfolded into a locket accommodating six photos. The sphere is bisected by a band of rose-cut diamonds enhanced with engraving on either side. The original bail is set with rose-cut diamonds. As is typical of French jewels of the period, the diamonds are set in silver over the gold. Ball lockets with multiple panels are extremely rare, and this example is of particularly fine quality. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: France, ca. 1870. Dimensions: 7/8” diameter (excluding bail). Weight: 15.0 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .33 ct.

A wonderfully naughty Art Nouveau 18K yellow gold ring depicting a couple engaged in mutual oral stimulation. Victorian and Edwardian erotic jewelry is extremely rare, having been made only for the daring few who were willing to wear such things in public. Like other pieces of erotica, the designer was charged with making the object look as innocent as possible, only revealing its true nature upon very careful and prolonged inspection. Upon first examination, this ring appears to be a typical sinuous floral Art Nouveau design. Looking closely however, the design reveals a man and woman amorously entwined. Even the back of the shank is decorated with a pair of somewhat cleverly concealed penises. The ring is marked with French hallmarks for 18K gold.

Origin: France, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, very little wear. Size: 1/2" wide. Finger Size: 8-3/4. Weight: 7.5 grams.

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 lovely, heavy 18K yellow gold fancy cable chain necklace, with alternating double and beaded links. The chain is ornate enough to be worn simply as a necklace, but is sturdy enough so support a heavy pendant or multiple charms. The spring clasp is stamped with partially obscured French hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 21-3/4" long. Weight: 10.9 gr.

A very handsome pair of Art Deco 14K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks, the faces set with garnets. The design is completely reversible so the cufflinks can be worn with either the rectangular plaques or the navette cabochons facing forward. The connectors are stamps that were used in Prague before 1921. There is also an unidentified maker's mark.

Origin: Czech Republic, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: plaques, 5/8"x 3/8"; navettes, 3/4" x 1/4". Weight: 11.0 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 28.1 cts.

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 nice vintage H. Stern style "Sputnik" charm or pendant worked in 18K yellow gold and collet-set with a variety of colorful gemstones including amethyst, citrine, aquamarine, pink tourmaline and green tourmaline. This design was popularized by Stern, the world's largest source of colored gemstones, to show off the range of colored stones available from Brazilian mines. The pointy design was reminiscent of the first Soviet satellite and was nicknamed "Sputnik". A variety of pieces were made in this style, but charms and pendants are among the most difficult to find. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 7/8" diameter (excluding jump ring). Weight: 5.2 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 6.07 cts.

A very fine dress set comprising a pair of double-sided cufflinks and four shirt studs. The faces are worked as star-cut frosted rock crystal discs set in platinum borders with engine-turned engraving and centering French-cut blue sapphires. The connectors and stud findings are in 14K yellow gold. The sapphires have fine, vivid coloring and excellent clarity. The connectors are stamped with Krementz's hallmark and "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: cufflinks, 9/16" diameter; studs, 5/16" diameter. Weight: 13.6 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: sapphire, .78 carat.

A stunning Art Nouveau 14K yellow gold pansy pin enameled in rich shades of dark plum, violet, cream and saffron. The jeweler used a matte enamel to suggest the velvety texture of pansy petals. The flower is centered with a prong-set round cut diamond that adds a nice sparkle against the matte enamel. The back of the pin is marked for 14K and also has a maker's mark that we've not seen before. The pansy is most definitely a Newark or New York piece and is very similar to pansies by Hedges and Larter. Unlike most other pansies, the pin has rather substantial weight. The pansy was a popular flower for jewelry and in the Victorian language of flowers, it signified remembrance.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original, no enamel damage. Size: 1-1/4" x 1-1/4". Weight: 12.3 grams. Approximate Diamond Weight: .09 ct.

A handsome pair of Art Deco 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces collet-set with jasper chalcedony cabochons. The stones display a nice variety of swirling colors in hues of rust, grayish-green and cream. The figure-eight connectors are marked “14K” and have Larter’s hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1/2" diameter. Weight: 8.5 grams.

An elegant pair of French Art Nouveau 18K yellow gold earrings designed in a openwork pattern of irises. The flowers and foliage are highlighted with delicate engraving. The gold surfaces are enhanced with the soft matte texture typical of French jewels of the period. The wires appear to be replacements and are stamped with French 18K marks.

Origin: France, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 3/4" 3/4". Weight: 4.7 grams.