A Parade of Colorful Cufflinks

Summer is here! White clouds are floating across the blue sky, the garden is abloom with flowers, and brightly colored towels and umbrellas decorate the beach. What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with a parade of colorful cufflinks. And, since Independence Day is just around the corner, we will start the parade with some red, white and blue fireworks.

William Huger carnelian cufflinks.

Arresting, sultry red carnelians set in bright yellow gold. The striking contrast of the red carnelian and yellow gold settings reflects the bold colors and contrasts favored during the Art Deco era. Created by Wm. Huger & Co. in 14kt gold, circa 1925.

Sansbury & Nellis white chalcedony cufflinks.

Translucent, foggy white chalcedony (a fine grained variety of quartz) set in rose gold. The luminous chalcedonies brings to mind early morning fog burning off with the first rays of the sun. A nice example of the striking white jewels of the late Art Deco period. Crafted in 14kt rose gold, circa 1930.

George Street lapis lazuli cufflinks.

Regal blue lapis lazuli wedded with the warmth of antique gold. The interplay of the rich blue of the gemstones and warm yellow of the gold speaks of the elegance of the past. Created by George O. Street & Sons in 14kt gold, circa 1900.

Sansbury & Nellis bloodstone cufflinks.

Heliotrope, more commonly known as "bloodstone," is a beautiful gemstone with bright red spots set in dark green jasper. The finest examples have the mesmerizing appearance of fiery embers smoldering in a dark bed of ashes. These Art Deco cufflinks feature elongated oval heliotropes set in bright yellow gold. Crafted in 14kt gold, circa 1920.

Lapis lazuli and gold cufflinks.

During the Art Deco era the passion for bold, dramatic colors found ready expression in lapis lazuli. The rich blue of the lapis set in these cufflinks is accented with small bits of pyrite (fools gold) that shimmer and sparkle like golden confetti falling in the midnight sky. These elegant cufflinks capture the festive, raucous spirit of the Jazz Age. Crafted in 14kt gold, circa 1925.

Victorian moss agate sleeve buttons.

Victorian sleeve buttons with mesmerizing moss agates. The moss agates feature a swirling tangle of green inclusions that glow like seaweed floating in filtered sunlight above the ocean floor. The gemstones are set in gold frames with richly engraved leaves and scrolls. Crafted in 10kt gold, circa 1900.

Larter & Sons hawk's eye tuxedo set.

An elegant tuxedo set with hawk's eyes in yellow gold. Hawk's Eye is a striking variety of quartz with deep blue edges shading into a glowing, bluish-gray "cat's eye" across the middle. The shimmering cat's eye effect (or "chatoyancy") and color of the gemstones plays beautifully against the warm tones of the yellow gold. This dress set was created by Larter & Sons in 14kt gold, circa 1950.

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

Tiffany Cameo Portrait Cuff Buttons

With the summer temperatures moderating and the usual mid-summer lull in the gallery, I am taking a brief break.  So, while I am off hiking in the mountains I will leave you with photos of one of the more interesting pairs of cuff buttons I have had the opportunity to work with this year.

This wonderful pair of Victorian cuff buttons features beautifully carved hardstone (sardonyx) cameos. The cuff buttons were custom created for a gentleman in the decades around 1870. The portrait cameos likely represent the wearer's daughters or wife and daughter. Although, several clients have suggested more risque interpretations.

The cuff buttons were created by Tiffany & Company. They rest in their original fitted case with a regal reddish-purple silk and velvet interior. The silk lining beneath the lid is signed "Tiffany & Co./New York" in gold letters. For me these beautiful cuff buttons embody the three elements that define all fine antique cufflinks - beauty, history and craftsmanship.

I hope everybody is enjoying a wonderful summer! I will be back next month to write about some mesmerizing cufflinks from Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss.

Please visit the Antique Cufflink Gallery to view these
and many other fine cufflinks for the past

Elegant Cufflinks and Striking Gemstones

Charles Keller carnelian set cufflinks, circa 1925.

In the jewelry trade there is an ugly expression, "semi-precious gemstone".  The dismissive adjective "semi-precious" is used to denote gemstone varieties perceived to be of lesser value or prestige, much like the term "B list" denotes celebrities of lower calibre or lesser status.  In the past any gemstone other than the traditional "Big 4" - diamonds, sapphires rubies and emeralds - could be mislabeled as semi-precious.

While diamonds, rubies and sapphires glitter and sparkle, the so-called "semi-precious gems" offer virtues all their own.  Not the least of which is a nearly limitless variety of beautiful hues and rich color patterns.  These underappreciated gemstones found enthusiastic supporters among the cufflink makers and wearers of the late Victorian era and early 20th century.  Here are a few colorful examples from the Antique Cufflink Gallery.

Charles Keller sodalite cufflinks, circa 1925.

Charles Keller & Company was a prolific maker of fine cufflinks from about 1890 to 1930.  This pair of Keller cufflinks is set with dark blue sodalites accented with cloud-like wisps of white calcite.  The gemstones bring to mind a night sky with a few wispy clouds illuminated by moonlight. Sodalite, along with lapis lazuli, was favored during the Art Deco period for its rich blue color. Charles Keller & Company also created the sultry red Carnelian cufflinks pictured at the top of this post.

Victorian cufflinks set with bloodstones, circa 1900.

If sodalite can be likened to a moonlit midnight sky, the fine bloodstones set in these late Victorian cufflinks are aptly described as glowing, hot embers flowing amid dark, cooling lava. Bloodstone is a captivating variety of the mineral quartz with a dark green, sometimes almost black, background and red flecks of iron oxide.  These beautiful bloodstones are set in oval gold frames and secured by fleur-de-lys prongs. Created by George  O. Street & Sons in 14kt gold, circa 1900.

Sansbury & Nellis tiger eye cufflinks, circa 1925.

Many decorative varieties of quartz were favored in gentlemen's jewelry. This pair of curved spool cufflinks by Sansbury & Nellis are set with dark brown and honey colored tiger eye's.  The dramatic, rich tones of the gemstones are heightened by the rose gold setting.  Tiger eye, like the bloodstones illustrated above, is a variety of quartz.  A few more examples of quartz set cufflinks are illustrated below.

Art Deco white chalcedony cufflinks, circa 1925.

Sansbury & Nellis also created these dazzling white cufflinks from the Art Deco era.  The gemstones are chalcedonies (pronounced "cal-said-knees"), a fine grained variety of quartz.  Fine chalcedony appears to glow with an otherworldly light.  The white chalcedonies set in these cufflinks have a billowy luminance reminiscent of a white fog bank just before it burns off in the morning sun.  Sansbury & Nellis was one of the premier makers of fine gem-set cufflinks in the decades around 1920.

Carrington abalone and pearl cufflinks, circa 1925.

Carrington cufflinks with carved abalone dishes set with glistening white pearls.  Although abalone shell is technically not a gemstone, the iridescent beauty of this "semi-precious" material didn't escape cufflink makers and connoisseurs.  In this pair the dark abalone creates a striking contrast with the platinum borders and center pearls.  A beautiful example of the elegant, stark designs favored in the later Art Deco period. Once again confirming that Carrington & Company was the master of understated elegance.

Tiffany sardonyx cameo cuff button, circa 1870.

This pair of Victorian cuff buttons with cameo portraits (one shown) was created by Tiffany & Co. around 1875.  The cameos are carved in sardonyx, a lovely banded variety of quartz with alternating layers of dark red carnelian and white or colored onyx.  The cameos are set in a border of alternating rose gold and platinum dots. These cuff buttons were likely custom created for a well-healed gentleman wishing to always have a portrait of his wife and/or daughters near at hand.

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

Recent Additions

Antique Cufflinks

Recent additions to the Antique Cufflink Gallery include an elegant pair of cameo portrait cuff buttons created by Tiffany & Co., golden pinstripe cufflinks from Carrington & Company, a striking pair of Art Deco cufflinks with zigzag borders, and dramatic fraternal cufflinks of an elk crashing through the tops.

Tiffany Cameos Wealthy Victorians often shared cameo portraits with family members and close friends as tokens of endearment. This pair of elegant cuff buttons created by Tiffany & Co. is a wonderful example. Crafted in 18kt rose gold and platinum, circa 1870.

Golden Pinstripes Elegant pinstripe cufflinks created by Carrington & Company. The pinstripe motif rose in popularity with the simpler, linear designs of the late Art Deco period. Crafted in 14kt gold, circa 1930.

Deco Zigzag Elegant Art Deco cufflinks with jazzy zigzag enamel borders surrounding mesmerizing centers of concentric circles. Created by Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss in 14kt gold, circa 1930.

Elk A seven-point elk crashes through the front of these intriguing, wonderfully sculpted cufflinks. These dramatic cufflinks were likely owned by a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Beautifully crafted in 10kt gold, circa 1900.

Estate Jewelry

Recent additions to the Antique and Estate Jewelry Gallery include two beautiful Edwardian jewels - a richly enameled stickpin and an elegant brooch set with an Old European Cut diamond.

Edwardian Stickpin A white enamel border with gold fleur-de-lys accents surrounds a beautifully guilloched, blue enamel center with a rosy pearl is set in the middle. An elegant stickpin from the Edwardian era. Crafted in 14kt gold circa 1910.

Edwardian Elegance An elegant Edwardian bar pin set with a sparkling Old European Cut diamond. Lace in precious metal. Crafted in 18kt gold, circa 1920.

The above cufflinks and other fine jewels from the past,
can be found in the Antique Cufflink Gallery
and the Estate Jewelry Gallery