Catalog (2481)

A beautiful Art Deco green-cut-to-clear decanter designed by Charles Graffart for Val St. Lambert. The pyramidal shape capped by an inverted stopper is very linear and perfectly accents the austere overlay cutting pattern. The base is signed "Val St. Lambert" and the stopper is engraved with a number that matches the number inside the decanter's neck.

Origin: Belgium, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 9-1/8" tall.

A delightful Victorian 10K yellow gold figural ring in the form of a genie. The genie's hands are folded across his chest and grasp a old European cut yellow sapphire. The use of a fancy color sapphire in a piece such as this is quite original. The stone is graded as very light, very slightly grayish Yellow-Green (YG 2/3). The ring's shank is in the form of sinuous snake whose head peers over the genie's shoulder and gazes at the glimmering sapphire. The design is just beautifully thought out and the detailing is excellent. The interior of the shank is marked "10K".

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail; wear consistent with age to the facet junctions on the crown of the sapphire. Finger Size: 8-1/2. Size: 13/16" wide at widest. Weight: 9.1 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 1.53 ct.

A very nice Arts & Crafts bronze round tray with verdigris patina by Carl Sorensen. The surface is decorated in uneven concentric rings of darker and lighter green mottled patination, separated by thin bands of polished bronze. The outer edge is finished with a pair of cast handles in a pattern similar to Georg Jensen's "Blossom" design. Little is known about Sorensen other than that he worked in the Philadelphia area around 1900 and his pieces may have been retailed at Tiffany & Co. The bottom of the tray is marked "Bronze CS" and "Carl Sorensen". The handles are marked "1196".

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, fine original patina. Size: 13" diameter (15" at handles).

A very nice cut crystal cocktail shaker in cobalt blue overlay. The design is a classic pattern of angular mitres emanating from oval printies. The shaker is acid-signed on the bottom "Japan". Cut glass in the Art Deco style was one of the industries established in Japan during the Occupation following World War II, and the products are always of fine quality that easily compete with European products of the same era. The shaker is completed with its original chrome plated top.

Origin: Japan, ca. 1947. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks to the glass or metal. Size: 11" tall.

A nice pair of vintage 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces designed as a pair of discs joined by a diamond-shaped reserve. Each of the discs is engraved in a starburst motif, while the reserves feature oval star sapphire cabochons. The sapphires have good translucency and even, grayish-blue coloring. The stars are very distinct, bright and well-centered. The backs are marked "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-1/4" x 11/16". Weight: 15.1 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 5.75 cts.

A classic pair of mid-century 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces comprising gold space-age swoops cradling oval cabochons of nephrite. The toggles are marked "14K" and have an unidentified maker's mark.

Origin: America, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4" x 9.16". Weight: 12.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 6.38 cts.

Edwardian 18K gold and platinum cufflinks set with diamonds. The front faces are fashioned as spheres, the top half worked in platinum and the lower half in gold. The top of sphere features a bezel-set old European cut diamond. The back faces are designed as a crossbar set with diamonds, the ends terminating in smaller spheres, each set with a diamond. The appearance is very attractive, with a little sparkle but an overall masculine appeal. The backs are marked with unidentified Continental hallmarks.

Origin: Continental Europe, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent. Size: spheres, 3/8" diameter; bars, 3/4" long. Weight: 7.4 gr. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .70 ct.

A beautiful Georgian mourning pin worked in 15K yellow gold with black enamel accents. The domed crystal cover encloses a watercolor on ivory memorial scene highlighted with snippets of hair. The scene depicts a rifle and hunting bag, a dog and a willow tree. The rifle indicates that the brooch was intended to memorialize a gentleman and the willow tree was a symbol of sorrow. The dog waits patiently at attention by his master’s belongings, symbolizing loyalty. The concept of loyalty was an important symbol in Georgian jewelry, but the dog motif is not often encountered. The leaves of the willow tree and the grass on the ground are made from very fine snippets of hair. The design is completed with the monogram “L St.” The brooch retains its original extended pinstem and c-clasp. Tested and guaranteed 15K.

Origin: England, ca. 1790. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-5/32” x 25/32”.

A very fine and extremely rare Art Deco sterling silver cocktail shaker by exclusive Tuttle Silvermsiths. At the end of the Art Deco era, just before modernism began to take a firm hold, a few leading American silver companies started reinterpreting Stuart adn Georgian silver designs for modern purposes. This shaker is just such an example. The urn finial cresting above the everted rosette cap is a new take on late Stuart and early Georgian design, as is the overall severe cylindrical shape and the double-reeded banding. The final look is an extraordinary blending of 17th century design and the "skyscraper" design of the 1920s and 30s. The bottom of the shaker is marked with Tuttle's maker's mark, as well as the retailer's mark for Shreve, Crump & Low. It is also marked "London Reproduction 1660-1684". And finally, it is marked with the monogram for Harry S. Truman with the Roman number I, indicating the that shaker was made during the first Truman administration (1945-49). Tuttle is not a widely-known American silver company precisely because all its products were made entirely by hand and were extremely expensive. It was available only to the elite.

Origin: America, 1945-49. Condition: excellent, a few insignificant waves from "ice cube dings" only visible in strong, raking light. Size: 14-1/2" tall. Weight: 1,106 grams.

Fabulous 1960's David Webb seven-strand emerald bead torsade necklace finished with an 18K yellow gold clasp featuring a cushion-shaped rock crystal plaque centering a oval cabochon emerald flanked at the top and bottom with round brilliant-cut diamonds. This design is so evocative of the classic chunky Webb style, and the workmanship is of the finest quality. The diamonds are F color, VVS2 clarity. The 305 carats of fully-faceted emerald beads are fully faceted and are beautifully matched to the 27.28-carat cabochon emerald in the clasp. The emeralds, graded as "medium, moderately-strong, slightly yellowish green" (slyG 4/4), have a very pleasing and lively appearance. The clasp is signed "Webb" and is marked "18K".

When worn with the clasp, the necklace can be worn with the clasp at the front, back or to the side (our favorite). The torsade may also be worn without the clasp. For an even simpler, more modern look, the clasp may be threaded on a black silk cord as a pendant.

Origin: America, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: overall length, 17-5/8"; clasp, 1-3/8" x 1-3/16". Weight: clasp, 26.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, 1.16 carats; emerald, 332.28 carats.

Interesting vintage pair of 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces set with detailed medallions depicting a Native American above black onyx plaques. The edges are finished in a classic ropetwist motif. The backs are marked "14K."

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: very good, sharp detail; the toggle mechanism on one link is slightly bent, but does not affect functionality and is not visible when being worn. Size: 15/16" diameter. Weight: 20.25 grams.

A fine 18K multicolor gold and diamond gentleman's dress watch by Van Cleef & Arpels. The octagonal face is decorated with finely engraved alternating bands of 18K yellow and white gold in a herringbone pattern. The white gold bezel is pave-set with round brilliant-cut diamonds. The stem is topped with a bezel-set diamond and the lugs are also pave-set. The watch retains its original black silk strap, the gold buckle also set with diamonds. The diamonds are graded as G-H color, VS1 clarity. The back of the case is marked "Van Cleef & Arpels/Quartz/G2294.7/25689". The inside of the strap is tamped "Van Cleef & Arpels". The inside of the buckle is marked "V.C.A./750".

Origin: France, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent working condition; case is virtually mint; silk strap shows some wear at edges. Size: case, 1-1/4" diameter; strap, 8-3/4" long. Weight: 40.5 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 1.75 cts.

A very fine and exceedingly rare mid-17th century low-karat gold “Stuart crystal” memorial slide. Such pieces were secretly worn by loyalists to mourn the deposed and executed King Charles I in 1649. Eventually, they were used to mourn other deaths, as well as to celebrate betrothals and weddings. This is a particularly fine example, combining a crystal-encased miniature portrait of a well-nourished lady, regally dressed in a gown of red velvet with gold embroidery and ermine fur trim. A black mourning veil with a widow’s peak covers her hair. Four rose-cut crystals appear at the corners. Two of them enclose a gold wirework crown over a bed of woven hair, while the other two feature gold wirework entwined “CC” ciphers over a hair background. Slides such as this were threaded onto a wide black ribbon and worn on the wrist. They are generally oval or rectangular with rounded corners, but the addition of the four “jeweled” corners is most unusual. Since the portrait miniature depicts a woman in mourning, it is most likely that the image is of the slide’s owner herself rather than the deceased. The entwined “CC” cipher used in conjunction with the crown imagery suggests that this slide is an early piece that actually commemorated the death of King Charles rather than a later piece memorializing someone in the lady's family. To the casual observer it would have looked only like a miniature portrait with decorative corners, allowing the lady to express her secret grief without unfortunate political consequences for herself.

Origin: England, ca. 1650. Condition: excellent, vivid coloring to the portrait, no losses or water damage to the wirework or hair. Size: 1-1/8” x 1-1/16”.

A truly exceptional example of American Art Nouveau enameled gold jewelry, this pendant features a deeply three-dimensional waterlily enameled in translucent lavender. The blossom is surrounded by bright green leaves and another bud about to open. A pair of baroque freshwater pearls flank the blossom, and the whole is presented against a gold frame incorporating whiplash curves and suspending a freshwater dogtooth pearl. The pearls are of exceptional quality, with bright orient in rainbow colors. The pendant is suspended from a leaf-shape plaque. The depth of the design is amazing. The pendant can be removed from the chain and originally had a removable pinstem mechanism so it could be worn as a brooch. The mechanism is now missing, but could easily be recreated by a competent goldsmith. All in all, this is one of the very best Art Nouveau enameled pendants we’ve owned. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America (probably Newark), ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage. Size: length of pendant from the top of the leaf element to the bottom of the dogtooth pearl, 2”; width of pendant element, 1-3/16”; chain length, 18”. Weight: 8.2 gr.

A handsome pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks, the square faces highlighted with a hammered texture and star-set with very good quality antique cushion-cut diamonds, sapphires and rubies. One pair is diamond and ruby and the other is diamond and sapphire. The stones show no indications of heat treatment. The ruby and sapphire are most likely from Burma and Ceylon, respectively. The use of red, white and blue stones was particularly popular around the time of the American Centennial celebration in 1876. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1876. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1/2” x 1/2”. Weight: 6.7 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .15 ct; ruby, .05 ct; sapphire, .05 ct.

A fine pair of 18K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks set with lapis lazuli and rubies. Each face features a lapis cut to resemble the crown portion of a round brilliant cut diamond with a bezel-set round mixed-cut ruby in the center. The rubies have fine, strongly saturated slightly purplish-red color and medium-dark tone. The lapis is of equally fine quality, with strong color and a nice smattering of glittery pyrite flecks. The heavy settings show very good workmanship. Marked "18K".

Origin: America, ca. 1980. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 9/16" diameter. Weight: 13.5 gr. Approximate Ruby Weight: 1.05 cts.

An extremely heavy pair of double-sided 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the face set with cabochon blue sapphires. Each circular face is fashioned with deeply-incised concentric rings centering the sapphires. The sapphires are of very fine quality, graded as medium-dark vivid blue (B6/7). The connectors are marked for 18K.

Ca. 1970. Condition: excellent. Size: 17/32" diameter. Weight: 18.1 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .60 ct.

Terrific Gorham silverplate figural shot glass in the form of an early American leather fire bucket. The front side is enameled with the emblem of the Chicago Fire Department surrounded with the words “Little Giant Engine Co. 1871”. The back side is modeled to show the leather handle. The bottom is marked “Gorham EP YC3098 CAP 3oz.” Origin: America, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, no dings, minute wear to enamel on word "Fire Dept". Size: 2-3/4” tall.