The Back Story - Radiant Jazz Cufflinks

Radiant Jazz Art Deco cufflink.

The imagination and creativity of the cufflink makers of the late 19th and early 20th century is undoubted.  A quick scan of the Antique Cufflink Gallery is all that is needed to confirm.  What may be lesser known is that the same level of inventiveness and artistry is often evident in the linkages devised to hold the fronts and backs of the cufflinks together.

A hundred years ago cufflinks makers wrestled with two challenges:  to create cufflinks that could be easily put on a cuff and that would also remain safely in place when worn.  The inventive spirit of the age was brought to bear on this issue and a great variety of linkage designs and mechanisms was created.  The striking Art Deco cufflink pictured offers an interesting example of linkage design.  It was created around 1925 by the Richardson Manufacturing Co.

Reverse of Art Deco cufflink.

The linkage features a dramatically cut-out bridge that is hinged at one end and rigidly attached at the other. The hinged end allows the top of the cufflink to lie flush against the bridge as it passes through a button hole and the rigid end serves as a "push plate" allowing the wearer's thumb to help ease the cufflink through the cuff. As more angular, sometimes geometrically complex cufflinks came into fashion during the Art Deco era a little encouragement of the cufflink through the cuff was sometimes needed.

Once the front of the cufflink passed through the button hole, the top opened and lay flat against the cuff securely anchoring the cufflink in place. The design is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The same careful thought that was applied to the design and crafting of the finely decorated tops was also applied to the linkages.

More examples of fine antique cufflinks can be found

in the Antique Cufflink Gallery.

New in the Gallery - Cufflinks and Tuxedo Sets

Recent additions to the Antique Cufflink Gallery include mesmerizing moss agate cufflinks from the venerable Richardson workshop, striking Art Deco cufflinks created by Jacob Hookaylo and elegant laurel wreath cufflinks from the early 1900s.

Moss Agates  Mesmerizing moss agates swirl with green inclusions reminiscent of seaweed floating in filtered sunlight along the bottom of the sea.   Elegant cufflinks created by Richardson Co. in 14kt gold,  circa 1920.    Cost:  Sold

Garlands and Swags  Elegant Art Deco cufflinks with golden garlands and swags surrounded by bold white gold borders decorated with geometric and palmette motifs.  Created by Jacob Hookaylo in 14kt white and yellow gold,  circa 1925.    Cost:  $875

Laurels to the Victor!  Since ancient times laurel wreathes have been a symbol of achievement and victory.  These elegant gold cufflinks tastefully announce that the wearer is a winner!  Crafted in 10kt gold,  circa 1900.    Cost:  Sold

In the Antique Dress Set Gallery recent additions include a full dress set creature by Sansbury & Nellis with vibrant citrines set in gold.

Citrine and Gold  A beautifully crafted and designed dress set with citrine cabochons set in yellow gold.  The honey-amber color of the citrine plays beautifully against the warm tones of the gold settings. Crafted in 14kt gold,  circa 1925.    Cost:  $1,875

These and other fine jewels from the past can be found in
the Antique and Estate Jewelry Galleries

Recent Additions - Cufflinks and Stickpins

Recent additions to the Antique Cufflink Gallery include Krementz Lions with amethysts, Art Deco Sapphire and Diamond cufflinks and elegant Carrington Onyx and Platinum cufflinks.

Lions and Amethysts  A roaring lion grasps a deep purple amethyst in his mouth as he announces his authority over the windblown grasses of the savanna.  Crafted in 14kt gold, circa 1900.    Cost:  Sold

Sapphires and Diamonds  Bright blue sapphires and sparkling diamonds set amid finely engraved, intertwining foliage.  Elegant scroll-and-volute borders in the early Art Deco taste decorate the edges.  Crafted in 14kt gold,  circa 1925.    Cost:  Sold

Black and Gold  Dramatic cufflinks with intricate scroll and geometric designs highlighted with black enamel accents.  The interplay of the rich designs, hexagonal shape and black enamel tracery give these cufflinks a regal, jazzy elegance.  Crafted in 10kt gold,  circa 1920.    Cost:  $575

Radiant Zigzags  Finely engraved zigzags radiate in cascading waves toward white gold borders embellished with geometric and stylized floral motifs.  The shimmering centers and bold borders contrast with perfect Art Deco elegance.  Crafted in 14kt gold,  circa 1925.    Cost:  $1,125

Sapphire Jazz  Bright blue sapphires sparkle amid a cascade of finely engraved lines.  The mesmerizing centers are surrounded by borders of alternating scroll and floral (or dragonfly) motifs.  Crafted in 14kt gold, circa 1925.   Cost:  $925

Carrington Onyx  The elegant contrast of brilliant, white platinum with the dark reflections of polished onyx.   Finely engraved zigzags on the platinum borders add a final touch of elegance.  Crafted in platinum and 14kt gold,  circa 1925.    Cost:  $885

Recent additions to the Antique Stickpin Gallery feature a Winged Lion and pearl stickpin and a Hans Brassler radiant triangle stickpin.

Winged Lion  A fantastic creature with the head of a lion, wings of an eagle and sinuous body of a serpent.  A striking example of the Victorian fascination with mythological creatures.  Crafted in 14kt gold,  circa 1890.   Cost:  $375

Pearl Triangle  A rounded triangle set with a luminous pearl.  Golden bridges rise from the corners to cradle the pearl at their apex.  Created by Hans Brassler in 14kt gold, circa 1910.    Cost:  $475

These and other fine jewels from the past can be found in
the Antique and Estate Jewelry Galleries

Jazz in White and Gold

Jazzy two-tone cufflinks, circa 1930.

In 1920, David Belais of Belais Bros., a jewelry manufacturer based in New York, received a patent for a gold alloy that was a frosty white. He hoped that the new white metal would be a remedy to the high cost and scarcity of platinum caused in part by shortages during the first World War.

Although Belais did not invent white gold (Tiffany & Company had used white gold in a limited way as early as the 1880s), the firm's successful introduction and promotion of the new precious metal led to a blizzard of frosty jewels during the 1920s and 1930s. Among the best of these were jazzy Art Deco cufflinks wedding white and yellow gold.

Elegant pinstripe cufflinks, circa 1930.

The white and yellow gold cufflinks ran the gamut of Art Deco design from the intricate, busy "complications" of the early 1920s to the simpler, geometric designs of the late 1920s and 1930s. This elegant pair of pinstripe cufflinks illustrates the stark, linear designs of the later Art Deco period. The white gold bands are polished to a mirror-like finish which contrasts nicely with the warmer tones of the yellow gold pinstripes and borders. Created my Richardson Manufacturing Company in 14kt gold around 1930.

Ziething two-tone complications, circa 1925.

Earlier in the Art Deco era busier designs, sometimes referred to as "complications," were in favor. Frequent readers are aware of the attraction these intricately, almost obsessively embellished cuff jewels hold for me. The level of detail and number of design elements Jazz Age cufflink makers were able to harmoniously place in the small space afforded by the top of a cufflink is astounding. This lively two-tone pair created by Ziething & Company is a wonderful example.

Krementz white and gold cufflinks, circa 1930.

Art Deco jewels often featured stark, vibrant colors arrayed in patterns of striking contrast. The white and gold cufflinks somewhat softened this trend. They offered engaging contrasts, but in a subtler way.

The emphasis was not on bold, arresting colors, but on the play between the cool brilliance of the white gold and radiant, warm tones of the yellow. The above pair of cufflinks by Krementz & Company nicely illustrates the manner in which light dances across the varied textures of the white and yellow gold surfaces.

Strobell & Crane Art Moderne cufflinks, circa 1930.

In the latter part of the Art Deco period starkly dramatic designs reflected the prevailing fascination with speed, industrial design and the forward march of technology. A precursor to mid-century Modernism, the style was referred to as Art Moderne.

This dramatic pair of cufflinks created by Strobell & Crane features yellow gold centers crossed by stark bands of white gold, all surrounded by white gold borders engraved in classic Art Deco fashion with a zig-zagging geometric pattern. An elegant expression of the Machine Age chic of the 1930s.

Frank Krementz two-tone cufflinks, circa 1925.

Finally, one last pair of Art Deco complications. In this pair mirrored rising sun motifs are surrounded by radiating bands of yellow gold and bisected by a strip of black enamel. A border of repeated sunrise or floral motifs in white gold completes the striking design.

Frank Krementz and Ziething & Company were among the makers creating these intricate, richly detailed cuff jewels. For more about the makers of these intricate masterpieces, please visit my earlier post Art Deco - Cufflink Complications.

These and other fine cufflinks from the past can be found
in the Antique Cufflink Gallery.