Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1645)

A handsome pair of early Art Deco double-faced cufflinks in 14K yellow gold enhanced with black champleve enamel. The faces are decorated with engine-turned engraving in a striped pattern surrounded by enameled borders. The faces are attached with bar connectors, stamped with 14K hallmarks for an unidentified maker.

• Origin: America, ca. 1920
• Condition: excellent, no enamel damage or monograms
• Dimensions: faces, 9/16" diameter
• Weight: 8.0 grams

A classic Art Deco 18K white gold Russian braid chain necklace with opal cabochons and faceted onyx beads sandwiched together into egg-shaped stations along the length. The opals have nice play-of-color with a preponderance of blues and greens. Most station chain necklaces are quite long, but the shorter length of this example makes for a very wearable, delicate look. The clasp is stamped with French 18K marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1925
• Condition: very good, two opals have small flakes on the pointed end visible upon very close inspection
• Dimensions: chain length, 17-1/4”; stations, 3/16” diameter
• Weight: 2.8 grams

A stunning heavy 18K gold bracelet enhanced with ornate chased engraving and royal blue champlevé enamel. Each link of the bracelet is hinged for comfortable wear, but the appearance is that of a solid bangle. The arched links are superbly engraved in a floral/foliate pattern that appears to be either mistletoe or myrtle. In the Victorian flower language, mistletoe would have been used to convey the meaning “I surmount all obstacles in the pursuit of love” and myrtle, “Good luck in marriage”. The arched links are finished with enameled borders in a Greek key design. The vertical hinge bars a enhanced with enamel in a checkerboard pattern. The design is so detailed that even the tongue of the concealed clasp, invisible when being worn, is fully engraved. Stamped with a French 18K mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent, three areas (1/4”, 1/8” and 1/16”) of enamel loss along the borders
• Dimensions: 15/16” wide; interior circumference 7-1/4”
• Weight: 50.0 grams

An elegant square locket worked in 14K yellow gold. The locket is simply decorated with an engraved laurel leaf border. The cover is set with four rubies surrounding a demantoid garnet. The bail is placed at a corner, so the locket hangs in a diamond shape. The interior retains the original frame insert. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca 1910
• Condition: very good, a few pinpoint dings to back cover, never monogrammed
• Dimensions: 1” corner to corner
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, .14 carat; demantoid, .08 carat
• Weight: 4.1 grams

A pretty pair of 14K yellow gold earrings in a stylized floral design, each centered with a round opal cabochon. The stones have white body color and a “pinfire” pattern of play-of-color. The shape of the gold setting creates an interesting reflecting pattern with the opals. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca 1930
• Condition: excellent, converted from screwbacks
• Dimensions: 1-1/16” long from top of wire; 5/8” wide
• Approximate Total Opal Weight: 1.2 carats
• Weight: 4.9 grams

An elegant pair of long 18K gold earrings enhanced with floral shaded enamel plaques. The gold surfaces are intricately engraved to add a bit of sparkle. The earrings have nice movement when being worn. Each is stamped with French 18K marks.

• Origin: France, ca 1840
• Dimensions: 2-9/16" long from top of earwire
• Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, replaced earwires
• Weight: 8.3 grams

An elegant Edwardian 14K gold chain comprising bar links engraved in a delicate foliage pattern. The chain is completed with a hidden box clasp. This chain could be worn alone or suspending a single pendant or locket. It would also look fantastic suspending charms between the bar links. Marked 14K.

• Origin: America, ca 1915
• Dimensions: 16 1/2" long
• Condition: excellent
• Weight: 10.8 grams

A classic pair of Art Deco 18K gold and lapis cufflinks by Gaetan de Percin, the jeweler responsible for most of the classic Hermes jewelry designs in the 1930s and 40s. This design is from that era. The ends of the batons are set with lapis cabochons in the deep violet-blue color sometimes referred to as "Afghan". The connectors are slightly arched to draw the cuffs close together. Aside from Hermes, de Percin created jewelry for Carter, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany, Chanel, Dior and Boucheron. The connects are stamped with de Percin's hallmark and the guarantee marks for 18K.

• Origin: France, ca. 1935
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: faces, 13/16" long
• Weight: 13.1 grams.

A very pretty vintage 18K gold fob charm in the Venetian Etruscan style. The sides of the charm are set with a row of oval cut citrines bordered at the top and bottom with rows of pink tourmaline, moonstone, citrine and amethyst cabochons. Exposed areas of the gold surface are enhanced with ornate twisted rope and rosette decoration. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

• Origin: Italy, ca. 1955
• Dimensions: 7/8” wide; 1-1/2” long excluding jump ring
• Weight: 13.5 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 8.4 carats

A handsome pair of 14K gold double-sided cufflinks, the faces set with dark green jasper plaques. The gold has a soft “bloom” sometimes seen on jewels from the late 19th century. The jasper plaques are deeply colored, appearing nearly black except in bright light when the green comes through. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca 1930
• Dimensions: faces, 19/32” x 9/16”
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Weight: 11.8 grams

A wonderful vintage 14K gold acrostic charm using the first letters of each of the gemstones ( Diamond/Emerald/Amethyst/Ruby/Emerald/Sapphire/Topaz) to spell out the secret message “Dearest”. Acrostic jewelry first appeared in the 18th century and remained popular, though somewhat uncommon, throughout the Victorian era. The gold is enhanced with bright-cut engraving a pattern like that seen on sundials. This piece was most likely intended for a charm bracelet, but it could easily be worn as a pendant. The back of the charm is engraved “3-17-59” and is marked “14K”.

• Origin: America, 959
• Dimensions: 1-5/8” corner to corner
• Weight: 7.3 grams

An elegant vintage Tiffany & Co. diamond ring from the "Vannerie" collection. The domed band is worked in a woven motif bisected with a slash of round brilliant cut diamonds. The diamonds are graded G/VVS2. The interior of the shank is marked "Tiffany & Co. 750 1989."

• Origin: America, 1989
• Dimensions: 5/8" wide at front tapering to 1/4" at back
• Finger Size: 8-1/4
• Weight: 13.3 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .75 carat.
• Condition: excellent; typical surface wear at the back of the shank

A stunning pair of Art Nouveau 14K gold cufflinks by Carrington, the faces designed as dolphins stylized as sea monsters. The creatures are beautifully designed with detailed scales, fins and gaping mouths. The eyes are set with G/VS1 old mine cut diamonds. The faces are joined by oval connectors sufficiently long to fit through a thick cuff. The backs are stamped with Carrington’s 14K hallmark.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900
• Dimensions: faces, 3/4" x 7/16”
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail
• Weight: 14.3 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .10 carat

A fine pair of 14K gold cufflinks set with high-domed amethyst cabochons by David-Andersen. The amethysts have deep, rich coloring and excellent clarity. David-Andersen is widely known for its enameled silver jewelry, but also made a very limited number of pieces in gold. Each cufflink is stamped “D-A 585”.

• Origin: Norway, ca. 1965
• Dimensions: faces, 1/2" diameter
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Weight: 11.7 grams
• Approximate Total Amethyst Weight: 21.42 carats

A very attractive pair of Art Deco cufflinks featuring sugarloaf cabochons of moss agate (“dendritic agate”) in simple 14K gold collet settings. The agates have a very nice pattern of wispy green inclusions against a creamy translucent background. The connectors are marked “14K” and have an unidentified maker’s mark.

• Origin: America, ca. 1925
• Dimensions: faces, 9/16” x 9/16”
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Weight: 11.0 grams

A handsome pair of late Victorian cufflinks worked in 18K yellow gold with platinum accents around oval bloodstone cabochons. The combination of metal colors against the deep blackish-green and red of the bloodstone is quite striking. The faces are attached with bar connectors. Tested and guaranteed 18K and platinum.

NOTE: Bloodstone is very difficult to photograph due to its dark coloration. Some of the photos shown here were backlit to show the translucency of the stones, but in normal lighting the appear opaque greenish-black with subtle red mottling.

• Origin: America, ca 1905
• Dimensions: faces, 3/4" x 9/16”
• Weight: 8.8 grams

A large and extremely rare 18K gold scenic locket depicting a detailed image of four passengers in an early automobile waving as an Antoinette monoplane with two passengers flies by. The car's headlights are set with rose cut diamonds. The detailed scene includes a flock of birds dispersed by the airplane, a plume of exhaust smoke behind the car, and another automobile with passengers and a village in the distant background. A female passenger leans from the side of the car, waving her handkerchief at the passing airplane. The bottom edge bears a signature, likely that of Holy Frères, partly hidden by the applied scalloped border. The interior retains the two original photo frames. The back cover is engraved with an ornate three-letter monogram and the date 7-12-1915 (December 7 in the European dating system). The bail is stamped for 18K.

• Origin: France or Switzerland, ca 1915
• Dimensions: 1 9/32" diameter
• Condition: excellent; a pinpoint ding to the back cover
• Weight: 8.4 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond eight: .03 carat

A rare 14K yellow gold Art Nouveau locket, the front cover depicting a Ford Model B automobile (1904-06). The headlights and the center of the grille are set with old mine cut diamonds sparkling as if truly lit up. The car is very finely detailed with excellent depth to the design, clearly showing the early right-hand drive and the fluted sides of the engine compartment. The back bears an ornate period three-letter monogram. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1905
• Dimensions: 1" diameter
• Condition: excellent; sharp detail; a couple of pinpoint dings to the back cover hidden among the monogram
• Weight: 5.0 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .05 carat.