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
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$135
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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.
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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
Phone: 505.205.1404
$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
Phone: 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
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$45 SALE
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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 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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Elegant Antique Gold Snap Cufflinks Dated 1922
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Cufflinks and Accessories:
Gold:
Pre 1930 item# 363074
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
$110
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Because the patent date of October 31, 1922 appears on these gorgeous antique snap-together cuff links (along with the brand name STA-LOKT), we can date them precisely to the transitional period (1910-1925) between Edwardian and Art Deco styles. This was a time in which elegant craftsmanship met modern technology and these gold-filled and ornately engraved links are as beautiful and functional as ever, showing only a little age-appropriate surface wear. Provenance is a Missouri estate.
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