Catalog: Estate Jewelry (468)

This graceful necklace was made by the California firm of Renoir, which specialized in copper jewelry. It has a secure hook clasp, with the Renoir signature on the hook. It measures 18 3/4 inches long, including the chain.

Mounted in a round, beaded silver gilt setting, the amber cabochons in these cuff links exhibit with a vivid honey color and some cloudiness. The cuff links bear the Soviet marks for .875 silver, as well as the town mark for Riga and an unidentified maker’s mark accompanied by the mark for 1957. They are securely hinged at one end of the bridge bar. The button portions measure 5/8 inch in diameter.

This .830 silver bracelet is made of five delicate, decorative chains that hang comfortably around the wrist. It is secured by a tongue-and-groove clasp that bears an unidentified maker’s mark of M.S. with a triangular mark, as well as the mark 830 S, possibly for Norway. The bracelet measures about 7 inches long and ¾ inch wide. Weight: 17.4 grams

These earrings are made of roughly cast concave oval discs. Each drop hangs from a rosette-shaped top and swings freely. Due to the casting process, there are slight differences in darkness among the pieces: The tops exhibit darker oxidation than the drops, and there is a slight difference in shade between the earrings in general. The surface has a brushed finish. The screw backs are marked S835, with an unidentified maker’s mark of what looks like I.Bh. They are probably Norwegian. Each earring measures a little over 2 1/4 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Weight: 10.9 grams

The pendant is composed of hollow construction, with a sharply molded flower border and hammered center. It is probably Danish, made in the 1940s-1950s, and is marked 800 on the back to indicate silver content. There is a tiny hole in one of the flower centers, as shown in the photos. The pendant measures 2 inches long, not including the bale, and 1 ½ inches wide. Weight: 9.1 grams

This sterling silver ring features a ‘taco’-like folded design with a zigzag band inside sitting on its edge. The inside of the folded piece has been deeply oxidized with a translucent finish. The ring exhibits various kinds of tool marks. The ring is possibly Norwegian, with a mark of 925S inside the band; there are also maker’s initials of JPC, possibly for Danish silversmith Jens Peter Clausen of Copenhagen (1973-1981). Weight: 9.3 grams

Formed as a stylized flower and decorated with purple enamel surrounded by embedded sterling frames. It is hallmarked Edinburgh and bears the date mark for 1972. The pin has a secure rollover clasp, and measures about 1 ½ inches long by 1 3/8 inches at its widest area. Gross weight: 9.1 grams

This lovely sterling silver pin is a classic example of the Japanisme influence popular during the Aesthetic Movement of the late 19th century. It features embossed images of a dragonfly and two delicate plants as well as tiny marks emulating Asian characters, all on an irregular-shaped disk. Made by George W. Shiebler of New York City, the molding is sharp and detailed; it does appear to have a secure rollover clasp that would have replaced the original C-clasp. Besides the Shiebler mark, the reverse is marked for sterling silver and exhibits the number 1410. The pin measures 1 5/8 inches across. Weight: 17.2 grams

This late 19th century sterling silver bar pin features suspended medallions of classical profiles and other similar elements, exemplifying the iconic design of George W. Shiebler of New York. This piece was part of Shiebler's Etruscan or Homeric line. It has a secure modified C-clasp on the back as well as the maker’s mark of a winged S, and a design number of 590. It is also marked sterling. The pin measures 3 inches wide by a little over 1 1/2 inches at its longest drop. Weight: 20.9 grams

This double-hinged bangle, a mid-century design by Sigfredo Pineda, features a central oval amethyst cabochon, framed in sterling silver and highly polished. It is surrounded by two sets of slender sterling silver bands enclosing it like fingers. The bracelets band is in three sections, with a soft patina from age, and the two hinge pins are very secure. The push-down clasp is in good working order, and there is a long, delicate safety chain attached by soldered rings. The inner band exhibits the Sigi mark, Eagle 3, a circular country mark and the design mark of 257. The bracelet has a 6 ½-inch inner circumference; the stone measures 1 inch by ¾ in. The band measures 5/8 inch wide.

This openwork, rectangular ring of organic form is set with a highly polished chrysoprase bead. It is unmarked, but is clearly the work of a studio jeweler. It tests as silver, and has a rough, unfinished feel but is well constructed. The setting measures about 1 inch by 5/8 inch; the ring is sized at about a 6 1/4. Gross weightL 12 grams

This whimsical silver pin, possibly formed as a French horn, features a bell made of amber. The amber is in very nice condition, without scratches or wear. There are silver marks on the pin stem that look to be Russian, but they aren’t clear enough for a definite identification. The rollover clasp is very secure, and tests for silver, as does the pin stem. The pin measures about 2 inches long, from the mouthpiece to the bell, and 1 1/8 inches wide. Gross weight: 11 grams

Mounted with an oval banded carnelian cabochon, the pin is marked 800 to indicate silver content. It could be European, but has Asian elements to it as well. The rollover clasp is an older style but very secure, with a sturdy pin stem. The design features applied wirework and beading, and rough, scalloped edges trimmed in twisted wire. There are two larger silver half-beads, one at each side; one exhibits a small dent, as shown in Photo 5. The pin measures 1 5/8 inches across.

This silver pendant has a delicate, organic quality enhanced by dark-green enameled discs and small orbs that read as stylized buds or sprouts. The silver frame could be sterling, and is coated in some sort of translucent acrylic lacquer. The pendant is unmarked, but definitely hand made. It measures about 1 1/2 inches long by 1 inch wide. Weight: 8.3 grams

Round two-sided cuff links ringed with inlaid cobalt blue enamel in a scalloped decoration and a central engraved grid pattern. They are well made with a nice heft; connecting rings and bridge bars are secure. Some of the grid pattern has worn off, as shown in the photos. Each button measures 5/8 inch in diameter. There appear to be worn marks on the connecting rings; the bridge bars are marked 800 to indicate silver content. Weight: 8.9 grams total

A colorful studio piece molded as an abstract, modified circle and enameled in browns and blues. The back bears a secure rollover clasp on one side and a pendant bale on the other. The piece works best, however, as a pin. There are some illegible marks on the back; although the pin does not indicate silver, it does test definitively as silver, but not sterling. It measures 2 inches by 1 ¾ inches. Weight: 11.9 grams

This silver pin evokes the late Arts and Crafts era with its hammered-look surface and serpentine vines, though it is definitely later. The applied coral-colored glass bead centers offer a nice splash of color. The hooded clasp completes the artisan look. The piece was probably made during the late 1950s-1960s to imitate the popular Scandinavian aesthetic of the time. It tests for silver, but not definitively for sterling, so could be European in origin. It is unmarked. The pin measures 2 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches. Gross weight: 18.2 grams

A hand-assembled chain necklace composed of tiger’s eye beads and silver rope chain, beads and cylinders. The tiger’s eye beads are secured by wound wire links; the other elements are connected by securely soldered rings. The spring-ring clasp is in good working order and is original to the piece. It is a very solidly made piece. It is unmarked, but all main metal elements test strongly for silver. Doubled, the chain measures 17.5 inches.