Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Silver (346)

This Victorian revival sterling silver cuff is elaborately decorated with repousse flowers and leaves, with a scrolled reserve at each end. It was made by Kirk & Son of Baltimore, MD, as part of a line of 19th-century-inspired jewelry, some made of pewter. This is one of the larger and more elaborate designs. The sterling and maker’s marks are inside the bracelet. Circumference is about 8 inches, including the 1/2-inch opening; the bracelet is slightly over 1 1/4 inches wide. Weight: 41.8 grams (1.34 t oz.)

This impressive sterling silver pin features a decoration of detailed engraved flowers and latticework. It was made by the LaPierre Mfg. Co. of Newark, NJ, and New York City, and bears the maker’s mark on the back, as well as the sterling mark. It has a very secure C-clasp and tube hinge typical of the period. The brooch measures 2 7/8 inches by 2 3/8 inches.

This realistically modeled sterling pin was made by JewelArt. It features deep ridges enhanced by oxidation, and a stylized curled stem that ends in a bead of silver. It is of good quality with a secure safety clasp and the maker’s mark on the back. It measures 2 1/4 inches long by a little over 1 1/4 inches wide.

This substantial, silver link bracelet is reminiscent of ornate Renaissance jewelry. It is sharply molded with flowers, leaves, vines and beading in openwork panels linked with bars. The largest center panel features a securely prong-set amethyst. The bracelet has a fold-over clasp in good working order. It is a nice quality piece, probably European .800 silver. The bracelet measures a little over 7 inches long; the largest panel in the center measures 7/8 inch wide. Gross weight: 24.5 grams

Completely handmade, this sterling silver pin is formed similar to a stylized sprig of lily-of-the-valley. It also bears an engraved inscription on the back that reads: “Anna F. Davies/The College Settlement of Philadelphia/1898-1941.” Davies was a founder of the settlement movement, and ran this settlement house during those years. The pin is also marked sterling and has a secure safety catch. It measures 3 1/8 inches long by about 1 inch wide. Weight: 19.5 grams

This charming pin, made of .800 silver, is formed as a spray of delicate flowers within a wide vertical leaf. The leaf is enhanced with a textured surface. The pin is possibly Russian-made, based on the maker’s mark on the S-clasp; there is an .800 mark on the pin stem as well as what could be an Eastern European import mark. It measures 3 1/8 inches long by 5/8 inch at its widest part.

This pin handmade silver pin, probably .800 silver, is formed as three stylized flowers constructed on three flat shaped panels. The piece has an arts and crafts feel, with a tiny bit of porosity in the silver. It is quite substantial, with a secure safety clasp. It measures about 3 inches by 1 inch.

This late 19th-century sterling silver bar pin is formed as four graduated medallions with classical military profiles. It was made by the Frank M. Whiting Co. of North Attleboro, MA, and bears the maker’s mark on the back. The features of the faces are sharply molded and detailed. There is a modified C-clasp on the back. The pin measures 2 1/4 inches long and about 3/4 inch at its widest part.

Here is a sterling silver pin formed as stylized flowers and stems, set with teardrop-shaped pieces of obsidian. The partial marks are from a silversmith unidentified but known for the initials AE inside a heart-shaped M. It is a substantial piece, with the prong-set pieces of obsidian riveted to the oval backs. It has a secure safety clasp. The pin measures about 2 1/2 inches at its widest point, and 3 inches at its longest.

Designed in the pre-Columbian style, this sterling silver bracelet is composed of curved openwork panels connected with small pins. It bears the mark of J.N. Jacopo, for the Jacopo brothers of Mexico City and Taxco; it also bears the eagle mark with the number 3. The bracelet has a nice, hefty feel and is of good quality. There is a minor area of metal stress at one link (see Photo #4). The tongue and groove clasp is in good working order, and the safety chain appears to be original to the bracelet. The bracelet measures 7 inches long and 5/8 inch wide. Weight: 39.8 grams

Here is a sterling silver pin of signature design by the Danish maker Niels Erik From. It is composed of stylized rounded leaves and berries on a stem, enhanced by applied patination, and is secured by a rollover safety clasp. The maker’s mark is impressed on the back. The pin measures 2 1/8 inches long by 1 inch wide.

Made from colorful Scottish chalcedonies and set with a warm, orange-brown Scottish citrine, this late 19th-century brooch typifies a design that was extremely fashionable during the Victorian era. All the stones are in lovely condition and securely set; the faceted cairngorm, or citrine, is held in place by sterling silver engraved straps. The red chalcedonies are sharply cut into pyramids, alternating with inset green triangular pieces of agate that look to be bloodstone. The stones show no serious wear such as scratching, chips or cracks. Two of the triangular agates show minor loss along one edge. The C-clasp bears the original solder and is very secure. The brooch is unmarked and measures 1 7/8 inches in diameter.

Constructed of a single strand of solid, chromium-plated white metal, this bangle bracelet is a marvel of modern design and could date as early as the 1930s. The flexible metal allows each end to be folded over the other three rings, secured by balls at each end, and enables the bracelet to expand or contract as the wearer desires. There is some surface wear that is hard to see when the bracelet is worn. It is designed for a very comfortable fit. The bangle is not marked, but most likely is a studio piece. Interior circumference is about 8 inches; bracelet diameter is about 3 inches.

This sturdy, nicely made sterling silver bracelet is composed of incised openwork sections securely linked by small rods. The tongue and groove clasp, with push-button release, is in good working order; the safety chain appears to be original. The marks are well struck, and possibly indicate the work of the Taxco maker Beto. The bracelet measures about 7 1/2 inches long (excluding clasp) by 3/4 inch wide. Weight: 50.9 grams

Here are two charming sterling silver scatter pins formed as ladies’ heads complete with bonnets and flowing hair. They are typical of the highly detailed cast work of Unger Bros., of Newark, NJ, during the Art Nouveau period. Both have secure C-clasps; one looks to have been replaced, perhaps during the 1920s. The fine features are intact and the maker’s mark well struck. Each pin measures 3/4 inch long by 5/8 inch wide. 4.4 grams total

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.

This sterling silver pin is formed as a Mexican peasant lugging a large basket of fruit on his back. It is deeply molded and enhanced with oxidation and of hollow construction. The sturdy clasp features a machine-age look, and the pin stem has a lever that causes it to spring open when released. The pin dates from 1950 through the 1930s and is marked Silver/Mexico on the reverse. It measures 2 inches long by 1 1/4 inches at its widest part. Weight: 12.6 grams

These handmade, two-sided cufflinks each feature a square piece with an incised geometrical design connected by a figure-8 to a dome-shaped piece. The links are very securely soldered to each side; there is a tiny ‘ding’ to one dome. The squares measure about 5/8 inch and are marked Sterling and Taxco. Weight: 8.1 grams total