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Exquisite Antique Victorian Enameled MOP Cufflinks
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Pre 1900 item# 1007944
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
Sold; thank you! $235.
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I don't know what's more astounding about these cufflinks -- their sheer beauty or the superb condition of such delicate surfaces after more than 100 years. You'll be equally amazed by both attributes, when you see these rare and gorgeous links in person. The sumptuous hand-enameled pattern suggesta Kashmir shawl, and that effect was no doubt intended, since the Victorians were so enchanted by those exotic, luxurious fabrics. Adding even more delight, the underlying mother-of-pearl iridesces beneath the paintwork for a lovely glow.
The octagonal faces measure 7/8" x 5/8" and the torpedo-shaped backs 7/8" long are attached by chains, a fastening system that's quintessentially Victorian. Provenance is a Midwestern estate.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping (with an equivalent discount for international delivery) and gift-wrap is always free on request. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Spectacular Vintage Pencil on a Chain Necklace
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Pre 1930 item# 1007871
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$40 SALE. Was $55.
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Can't find a pencil when you need one? Try wearing it, as hard-working ladies often did in the Art Deco era!
This beautiful mechanical pencil has the look of patterned rosewood and it still works beautifully, too. Although it became separated at some time from its original chain, we found a lovely replacement -- possibly not as old as the pencil, which is now antique by American 75-year standards, but certainly vintage.
The chain measures about 24 inches long, so will slide easily over your head, and comes from a New England estate. The pencil, about 4 inches long, was a Texas estate find.
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Victorian Malachite Pearl Rose Gold Cufflinks by Owen
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Gold:
Pre 1900 item# 938651
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
On hold; sale pending. $135 SALE. Was $185.
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From the Late Victorian era, these spectacular antique Art Nouveau cufflinks feature undulant scrolled frames still crisply detailed after more than a hundred years. They're ovals about 3/4" long, each inset with a slice of variegated green malachite (a great pretender, if it's celluloid) and centered with a gray faux pearl. The 7/8" engraved backs are of the early "torpedo" form, a sure indication of great age. The rosy gold metal is gilded, but it takes magnification to notice surface wear, except to the reverses. Rose gold was a great favorite in the 1890s, as it is again today, so the cufflinks most likely date from that decade.
Each link is stamped QUIKFIXR on both portions, which lets us identify the maker as Harry Owen and Sons of Birmingham, England. They were noted for quality and innovation in cufflinks, collar studs and other men's jewelry items, holding numerous patents and exhibiting at major shows. These stunning examples of their work reached us from an estate in the Carolinas.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Antique Art Deco Enamel Cufflinks Vivid Blue and Gold
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Silver:
Pre 1930 item# 703274
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$285. On hold; sale pending.
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These antique doubled-faced cufflinks couldn't be more Art Deco -- or more spectacular -- and, beyond the immediate impact of strong color contrast and pure geometry, a lot more is going on, too. Arts and Crafts influence becomes apparent as you look closely through the translucent guilloché enamels at the intricate engraving beneath. Those shimmering golden diamonds are crossed by a zigzag motif that, in the Celtic design vocabulary so important to the Arts and Crafts movement, symbolizes thunderbolts or streaks of lightning -- which in turn portend an encounter with the transcendent. Circling these, the rounds of rich cobalt blue feature a tracery of swirls, mysterious and very ancient forms suggesting paths of energy; you might see them as waves, curling flames, roots or tendrils. Obviously this is very different guilloché work than the usual, and it may well have been engraved by hand, rather than machine.
These beauties reached us from a Chicago estate and probably were made there, where many skilled and innovative jewelers were based during the early 20th century. Unfortunately there isn't a signature, nor is the metal marked. I expect it's either silver of a sturdier grade than sterling or one of those hard-wearing cousins of platinum (chromium or rhodium). It's much lighter and brighter in person than in the photograph. Mountings, connectors and the enamelwork are in lovely condition, showing only slight wear. Size is 9/16" round.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail erinharris@comcast.net to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Art Nouveau Comb and 4 More Vintage Hair Accents
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Pre 1950 item# 691488
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
On hold. $55
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Here's a great group of vintage hair accessories from the mid-20th century and earlier. The star is the 3.5-inch French hairpin of mock tortoiseshell, crowned by an Art Nouveau medallion of silver metal worked in repousse. The comb, marked France, is of a type used from the 1920s, but the dual portrait medallion is from around 1900. I'm sure it began life in another form, possibly as a button top. At some point these were glued together and the result is remarkably beautiful.
Rounding out the collection are three combs and a ponytail holder from the 1940s, also of faux tortoise. Two are blonde tortoise, with a lot of color contrast, measuring about 3 inches wide. The others, similar in size, are auburn-toned. One blonde comb is missing an outer tooth, but that wouldn't be seen in use.
The group has been assembled from various estate collections. These accessories will be perfect with the Retro-inspired hairstyles so fashionable this season.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Antique Victorian Enamel and Gold Alpine Cufflinks
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Gold:
Pre 1900 item# 687173
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$225 SALE. Was $295.
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Among the most exciting and truly unusual cufflinks that I've seen anywhere in the world, these were discovered in Paris and could conceivably be French or Swiss. However, my top guess for point of origin is Scandinavia, due to the marvelously stylized design. The enamelwork looks almost modernist and yet these cufflinks are of a type made only in the 19th century. The torpedo-shaped backs with chains are quintessentially Victorian. Perhaps a Scandinavian jeweler came to Scotland, no great distance, and adapted to the craze for Highland items that began after Queen Victoria acquired Balmoral Castle in 1848. Motifs like this mountain goat (or deer) -- along with Highland Stags, Celtic designs and "pebble" jewelry -- became wildly popular, as Vicky's courtiers and other subjects laced on their boots and took to hiking the Cairngorms.
These cufflinks were certainly regarded as special even by their original owner, because their condition is exceptionally fine. The torpedoes and chain gleam like new and only slight surface wear can be observed with high magnification on the enamel plaques and their reverses. The colorful tops pack buckets of style into their 1/2" by 1/4" area; the chains are about 3/4" long and the torpedoes, which feature sparkling bright-cut detail at the back, are about 7/8" long. Since enamelwork is typically done on silver, I expect its edges and reverse are vermeil (gold-washed sterling). The torpedoes and chains may well be be carat gold; at the very least, they're gold-filled, which means any underlying metal is encased in so much gold that the finish almost never wears out.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Victorian Arts and Crafts Moonstone Cufflinks Orig Box
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Gold:
Pre 1900 item# 620541
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$125 SALE
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These gorgeous antique cuff links show strong Arts & Crafts influence in the cabochon cut of the luminous blue-white moonstones, their bezel settings with handsomely detailed frames and the overall quality of hand-workmanship. They also have the characteristically Victorian "bean" backs that indicate 19th century origin.
The faces measure 3/4 inches long, so these are very good-sized moonstones. The metal appears to be rolled gold, thus much more durable than plating. Making these even more collectible (and giftable), they still have what appears to be their original box of issue. Provenance is a Pennsylvania estate and most likely dating is circa 1890. Under magnification, age-appropriate surface wear is naturally present. I should mention also that one moonstone is a bit thicker at one end than the other, unless it's slipped to a slight tilt within the mounting.
Other antique moonstone cufflink sets I've seen online are commanding prices between $400 and $800, so these are a wonderful bargain -- especially while on sale.
There's no charge for insured U.S. Priority shipping and gift wrap is also free if desired. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Lovely Antique Art Deco Rhinestone Fan Shoe Clips
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Gold:
Pre 1940 item# 587919
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$45 SALE. Was $60.
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These spectacular shoe clips are of heavy gilt brass, formed in ovals with fans set in the centers. Each fan is crowned with six glorious diamond rhinestones so vividly prismic that I thought at first they were aurora borealis. Since the chemical treatment that produces those weren't developed until around 1950 and this is definitely NOT a 1950s style, I examined them more closely and found they're just incredibly good crystals: top-of-the-line faceted glass from Czechoslovakia or Austria.
The rose gold gilding is wonderful, too. Look how well it's held up through all these years. It takes high magnification to notice any wear, except on the reverses. Look also at how the thick and sturdy the folding clips in back are. They simply haven't been made this well since the Art Deco era. These aren't at all the flimsy type of shoe clip that came along later.
Dating from between 1925 and 1935, they're antique or within a few years of it, by American 75-year standards. Size is 1 3/4" by 7/8" and provenance is a West Coast estate.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping (with an equivalent discount on international delivery) and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Estate Diamond Case Gruen Precision Quartz Watch
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Pre 1980 item# 517442
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$225.
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Layaway Terms Available
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If you want a vintage watch that's as dainty as possible, while also being highly accurate and luxuriously set with diamonds, this could be the one for you. Measuring 6 1/4" long (with the clasp now set at about 6"), it's perfect for a petite woman who prefers the white metals. Its case measures just 3/8" wide by 7/8" long and the band width is about 1/4". The quartz wristwatch revolution that began in 1969 reached its peak of achievement around 1980, when this lovely ladies' watch was crafted. The thinness of a quartz movement inspired and enabled designers to create sleek ultra-feminine styles that were never seen before and seldom seen after.
Despite its tiny size, this watch is elegantly detailed. The 10 diamonds around the dial alternate with squares of faceted metal; the enamel face has a subtle texture; and the integral band is patterned like snakeskin (and very flexible). Hands are black-enameled and, instead of numerals, streamlined strips of white metal mark the hours.
The clasp reads "Italy" on reverse and the dial reads "Gruen Precision Quartz." On the back of the case are the words, "Gruen Since 1874" and "Stainless Steel Base Metal Bezel." I haven't been able to find any other metal marks, which possibly were on the length of band removed at one end when it was resized. Probably there's white gold at least around the diamonds, but I can't make that claim firmly and am pricing the watch as if made of chromium, rhodium or the like. It certainly has a wonderful, bright surface that will go beautifully with your white gold, platinum and sterling jewelry.
Condition of this watch is marvelous; it can't have been worn much. Even the crystal shows no signs of wear except under very high magnification. We've treated it to a new battery and it's running fine.
There's no charge for U.S. shipping. Gift wrap is also free whenever desired and layaway terms are available for all items worth $150 or more. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Extremely Rare Edwardian Beaded Bag, Comet Motif
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Pre 1910 item# 403110
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
Sold; thank you!
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Layaway terms are available for this purse and for any item priced over $150.
Halley's Comet put on a particularly bright show in 1910, inspiring a craze for comet jewelry (as happened also in 1835). Comet brooches are rare and highly collectible, but this purse is even more unusual. In fact, I've never seen any other beaded bag of this type! While the "British Made" tag tells us it's a manufactured purse, rather than a personal original, there can't have been many of them. Actually this has been a star of my personal evening purse collection for about 20 years, since I acquired it in London. Now that I'm in New Mexico, there's much less occasion to take it out on the town, so someone who can use and enjoy it should own it.
As you see, comet heads and their tails blaze in clear and gold crystal across the front of this bag, against a night-sky background of fine black beads. The reverse is also beaded all over in black and each end has two ribboning trails of clear and gold. Side edges are beaded, as well. The shape, an envelope, was introduced in the Victorian era and in this case it's very spacious. Overall size is about 9 1/2 by 5 inches, so there's loads of room for your essentials. A built-in coin purse is present, as was usual in this period, and there's a mirror compartment. Condition is truly remarkable, given that this bag is nearly 100 years old. VERY few beads are loose or lost and the only damage to the silk is wear at the edge of the coin purse. Tucked inside the side compartment is a little fabric strap, which was used for some purpose unknown to me; at one end this shows traces of a white substance (perhaps glue residue). The snap closure, marked "Made in England", is a little wavy but secure.
Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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