Catalog (525)

This whimsical pea pod pin is handcrafted and decorated with a curling vine, the peas made of graduated malachite beads strung on a wire. The rollover clasp is secure, and the pin is well balanced when worn. It measures 2 ½ inches long by ¾ inches wide. It is conservatively dated at 1960s, and could be older. The pin is marked sterling.

Here are a pair of late 19th-century oval cuff buttons decorated with horseshoes of inlaid dyed black onyx. They are probably American; the round backs show a sterling mark and possible maker’s mark for Ludwig, Redlich & Co. of New York. The surface exhibits the warm patina of considerable age, but the inlay shows no loss. The backs are well soldered and secure. Each oval button measures about ¾ inch long by ½ inch wide. Weight: 5.2 grams total

Formed in the shape of coral-like branches and set with what appears to be a gray pearl, this delicate sterling silver pin was made by Otto Robert Bade of New Hope, PA. Bade was a prominent designer for Francisco Rebajes, and purchased the company in 1958 from. Bade renamed the firm Orb, which ended production in 1971. The pin is marked ‘Orb’ on the reverse and is secured with a safety clasp. It measures 2 inches long by 1 1/4 inches wide.

Topped with concentric disks, each earring hoop has a graduated width. The hoops are each set with five polished rutilated quartz cabochons, with the largest in the middle. The unidentified maker’s mark appears to be a conjoined JA or possibly a V. Gross weight: 20 grams total. Each earring measures 2 inches long by 1 ½ inches wide. New clutches come with the earrings.

A charming set of substantial feel and festive look. All pieces are formed as swimming fish decorated with bright pink rhinestones along the belly and amethyst glass cabochons for eyes. The pieces are cast, and have their original rollover clasp and clip backs; dating is likely 1930-1950. The pin is marked only with two capital Bs on the back; the earrings each exhibit an impressed M and clip backs marked sterling. The pin measures about 2 3/8 inches long by about 1 ¼ inches wide; the earrings measure 1 inch by ¾ inch. Gross weight: 18.6 grams and 10.9 grams

This triangular pin features a cabochon pink quartz set in a recessed bezel mount. It bears the mark of Danish maker N.E. From and the sterling mark. Deep patination on the front enhances the stone. The rollover clasp is very secure. The pin has a small nick to the edge on the back, shown in the detail photo; it is not viewable from the front. Each side of the pin measures 1 ½ inches long.

Here is a bold, mid-century modernist money clip. It's composed of a flexible but sturdy forged-wire frame, with an applied mounted piece of rosewood in a trapezoidal shape. A silver half-bead is applied to a crossbar near the top. The wood has a polished surface and shows no damage or cracking. The clip is unmarked, but tests as sterling. It measures 2 ½ inches long by ¾ inch wide.

A thin bangle with textured surface is set with four faceted natural rubies. They are bezel mounted with open backs, securely soldered to the bangle. The rubies are highly included and probably untreated; one has slight surface abrasions. The bangle has a 2 ½-inch internal diameter, and an inner circumference of about 8 inches. Each setting measures about ½ inch by 3/8 inch. The bangle is 1/16 inch wide. It is marked 925 for sterling silver.

This smart bar pin features loops on either side of an oval cabochon chrysoprase. It has a nice heft, and the stone is securely bezel-mounted. The back shows a sterling mark, as well as an unidentified maker’s mark of T&B or K&B. The rollover clasp is in good working order, and the stone is very slightly scratched. A well-constructed lapel or shoulder pin of clean, simple design, it measures 2 1/4 inches long by just under 1 inch wide at the center.

An impressive, wide, handmade cuff bracelet of ethnic design. The textured band features an applied wavy line of silver on either side of three diamond-shaped reserves of an unidentified amber-colored stone that looks to have been crushed and resin-set. The inside of the bracelet is signed Lillo with possibly the word Creation underneath; it is also marked 925 for sterling. An online source describes Lillo as an Israeli studio that produced handmade jewelry imported to American gift shops and boutiques during the 1960s and 1970s. The cuff has retained its shape and the stones show no signs of damage or wear. It measures 1 ¾ inches wide and has an inside circumference of about 7 ½ inches. Gross weight: 51.4 grams

A colorful, bold link bracelet of sterling silver and scarabs of carnelian, rock crystal, agate, amethyst and rose quartz. The stones are bezel-mounted on openwork panels, and the panels are connected by double ribbons of silver with applied curling motifs. The bracelet is handmade and is marked sterling, with an unidentified maker’s mark of Denise; it probably is from the 1980s. It measures 7 ¼ inches long by 7/8 inch wide.

Composed of filigreed sterling silver panels, this bracelet is reminiscent of Chinese wirework, but it is American-made. The back of one panel is marked Jordan, for the R.M. Jordan Co. of Providence, RI, which produced a line of Russian- and Chinese-inspired jewelry during World War II, called its “United Nations” line. (A short write-up on p. 53 in the Sept. 18, 1943, issue of Billboard magazine announces the release of this production line.) The bracelet is marked 925 on the original spring-ring clasp, and the panels test definitively for sterling silver. The bracelet measures just under 8 inches long by 7/8 inch wide. Gross weight: 36.6 grams

The clean design of this ring focuses on two sterling straps that secure a rectangular bar of tiger’s eye. The stone is in very nice condition with no chips or visible scratches; a tiny bit of adhesive on the mount provides it some extra security. The ring, which dates most likely from the 1970s to early 1980s, is marked sterling inside the plain molded band. It is a size 6.

This sterling silver pendant has an arts and crafts feel. It features a central polished turquoise marbled with matrix that appears to be quite stable. It has an angular starburst design with a wide bail that bears a 925 mark as well as Hebrew markings. The .835 silver chain is not original to the piece, but is of the period. It is probably Austrian or Polish and measures 18 inches long unclasped. The pendant measures 1 ½ inches by 1 1/8 inches. Gross weight of pendant: 7.1 grams

This sterling silver and enamel bracelet has a Scandinavian feel but no definitive marks. It has five curved panels decorated with abstract sterling designs that are probably raised and surrounded by dotted white enamel. The enamel is in beautiful condition, and the tongue-and-groove clasp is in very good working order. The clasp is marked S.G.M. and sterling. The bracelet measures a little over 6 inches long by 1/2 inch wide.

This pendant was constructed by a studio jeweler in the Brutalist style. It is composed of a rounded plaque with organic, coral-like protrusions applied to an oxidized surface. The tip of one branch is set with a white sapphire. The bail is very sturdy; the back shows a distinctive but unidentified maker’s mark. The pendant measures a little over 1 ½ inches long (the bail adds another 1/4 inch) and 1 ½ inches at its widest point. It comes with a vintage 20-inch sterling snake chain. Gross weight (pendant only): 25.9 grams

These salad servers comprise a fork and spoon with rosewood handles and hand-wrought sterling silver tines and bowl. Each is decorated with three simple applied beads at the collar that wraps around the handles. The backs bear the mark of Taxco silversmith Bernice Goodspeed as well as sterling marks. Both are securely attached to the handles, although the spoon is a bit loose. The wood is in very nice shape, and the silver shows much oxidation but little wear. The spoon measures 10 ½ inches long; the fork, about 11 inches long.

Made of interlocking solid box links, this sterling silver chain has a sturdy feel and appears to have been hand-assembled. It has a novel W-shaped clasp. It is unmarked, but tests as sterling silver. The links are well designed and have a smooth, snake-like movement. The chain measures 26 ½ inches long, unclasped. The links measure about 1/8 inch thick. Weight: 28.1 grams