Catalog: Estate Jewelry (461)

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.

Delicately engraved with flowers and stylized ruffles at the rims, this sterling silver bangle bears the hallmarks for Birmingham, 1884, and a maker’s mark of WH (or HM). It has a safety chain to which a larger link has been added. The tongue-and-groove clasp is very secure, and snaps together tightly. The hinge is in excellent working condition. There are minor surface scratches. The bangle is an oval, measuring 2 3/8 inches by 1 7/8 inches inside; interior circumference is about 7 inches. The bracelet is 3/4 inch wide. Gross weight: 21.9 grams

This sterling silver link bracelet is set with six-sided pieces of green glass. The glass is bezel-mounted and secured with strap work; four leaf-shaped pillows surround the glass on each pane. Save for a small dent in one pillow (see Photo #5, center panel), the bracelet looks hardly worn. It is marked on the tongue with ‘Mexico’ in script and sterling under it. The clasp is very secure. The bracelet measures about 7 inches long (the panels are curved) and a little over 1/2 inch wide. Gross weight: 26.5 grams

This pair of 14kt gold, oval, two-sided cuff links is a very fine example of early 20th-century American jewelry-making. They are mounted with discs of mother-of-pearl, and each side is set with a tiny seed pearl. The edges are intricately engraved with geometric designs; the cuff links show hardly any signs of wear. The secure connecting figure-eight bars bear the maker’s mark of Larter & Sons, of Newark, NJ. They measure 5/8 inch long by a little over 3/8 inch wide.

The clasp on this sterling silver bracelet is fashioned as a buckle, with a hinged bar that closes over the end of the ‘belt’ to secure it. The bracelet is constructed as three hinged pieces, with bands of chain work applied to the outside. It is marked 925 Mexico on the inside of the securing bar. The bracelet measures 1 inch wide at the buckle; the band measures 1/2 inch wide. The bracelet, when closed, measures 2 1/2 inches across the opening and has an internal circumference of 7 inches. It is not adjustable. Weight: 56.9 grams

Elaborate wirework is the defining feature of these distinctive cuff links, which are unmarked but test as silver. They are gilded, including the wirework, and are enhanced with maroon enamel. The buttons are attached to silver gilt bars by chains. They come in a small box with the name of a jeweler in Lisbon, Portugal. The buttons measure a little over 5/8 inch in diameter.

Formed as palm fronds, with one folded toward the back, this simple pin was designed by Gertrud Engel for Anton Michelsen. It bears the ‘Rougie’ mark on the back, which likely refers to the design or the collection line. Engel specialized in naturalistic designs based on Danish coastal flora. This pin has a secure rollover clasp and measures 2 1/8 inches long by 1 inch wide. An identical pin is pictured in Ginger Moro's book "European Designer Jewelry." Weight: 5.3 grams

These 9kt gold cuff links are beautifully engraved with foliate designs, and offer a full set of English hallmarks. They are oblong, engraved on each side, with each side attached to the other by a strong chain. The cuff links are of hollow construction. The hallmarks, located on the back of each button, indicate they were assayed in Chester, in 1890, for 9kt gold. The maker’s mark of C&A stands for Candelent & Adams, of Birmingham. Each button measures 3/4 inch long by 3/8 inch wide. Weight: 4.9 grams

This bracelet is unmarked, but tests as silver, probably .800. It is a very high quality early marcasite and silver piece, set with amethysts and dated conservatively from the 1930s. All marcasites are intact and the faceted amethysts show no wear or damage. The bracelet has a secure tongue and groove clasp; the silver safety chain is also very secure, with an unusual S-hook closure. The bracelet measures 8 1/4 inches long by a little over 1/2 inch wide. Gross weight: 26.9 grams

This sterling silver tie bar features a finely cast Viking ship, a signature Georg Jensen motif. It appears hardly used, and the Jensen marks are well struck, including the post-1945 maker's mark as well as marks for sterling, Denmark, and the design number of 50. It measures 2 1/8 inches long by 3/4 inch wide at the disk. Weight: 10.8 grams

This simple handmade sterling silver pin features a golf club applied to a rectangular panel; a 1941 penny is set from the back within a horseshoe-shaped frame. Two beads at the ends of the setting prevent the penny from falling out. The back bears the sterling mark and the unidentified maker’s initials of KLE. It measures 1 5/8 inches long by 1 inch wide.

This highly decorated bracelet features a strong repoussée design of flowers and scrolls, on backgrounds of white and black enamel. Inside is the mark for Norway silver, and the maker’s mark of Andresen & Scheinpflug of Oslo. The bracelet is secured by a rod that slides into a cylinder, attached to a chain. The enamel is intact save for a tiny area of impact near the edge (see Photo 1, lower edge of bracelet, and Photo 5 for detail). The hinge and clasp are in good working order. The bracelet measures 1 1/8 inches wide; when closed, the open area measures about 2 1/2 inches across, with an interior circumference of about 7 inches. Similar bracelet pictured in "Antique Enameled Jewelry," p. 48, by Dale Reeves Nicholls.

This bracelet is constructed of brass and glass but has the look and heft of a quality piece of precious jewelry. It has a machine-age design of hinged semi-circular pieces connected with concealed pins, allowing it to comfortably hug the wrist without separating. It is set with square-cut pieces of yellow glass resembling citrines; one of the prongs shows some tool marks and looks to have been tightened, but all ‘stones’ are secure. The glass pieces show a few minor scratches. The tongue-and-groove clasp is in good working order, and is reinforced with copper underneath. The original safety chain is attached. The bracelet measures about 7 1/2 inches long and just under 1 inch wide. It is marked ‘Made in France’ on the tongue. Weight: 101.5 grams

For those who view jewelry as works of art, here is a pin with strong sculptural elements, set with what looks to be a reddish-pink tourmaline, or rubellite. It features a quirky yet thoughtful construction, composed of a layered disc with an exposed middle area into which is set the irregular-shaped and polished stone with the matrix showing through the back. The stone is cleverly secured by curling silver wires. The back sports a rollover clasp in good working order. The pin probably dates from the 1960s; it measures 2 inches in diameter, and about 1 inch deep. It is unmarked, but clearly the work of a very talented jeweler/designer. Gross weight: 36 grams

This handmade clip exhibits a strong arts and crafts influence with a nod toward modernism. It features a hand-wrought leaf with incised veins and circular tool marks around the edges. A band of silver is applied at the top in a rough pinwheel design. A clip mechanism is attached to the back; it shows a patent number that dates to 1932. Also on the back is the impressed name of Margaret Moore, as well as the sterling mark. The pin measures 1 1/2 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide. Gross weight: 9.8 grams

VikingCraft was a line of jewelry produced by Albert Horwig, New York, to satisfy the demand for scandinavian-style jewelry during the 1940s and 1950s. This pin is well made, evoking movement with elongated, stylized leaves. It is marked on the back VikingCraft and sterling, and has a secure rollover clasp. It measures 3 1/4 inches long by 1 1/4 inches at its widest point. Weight: 24.8 grams

This late 19th-century English sterling brooch features a circular design enhanced with twisted silver wires and silver beads, surrounding a globular center. The surface has a beautiful, warm patina and is in lovely condition. It has a secure C-clasp and hinge; the hinge shows a bit of metal stress, but is in good working order. The locket glass and silver frame are still intact. The brooch appears to be unmarked; it is possible it could be marked under the locket back. There is a tiny scratch on the edge of the front. It measures a little over 1 1/2 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch deep. Gross weight: 13.9 grams

This silver pin has an intriguing, dynamic design of overlapping hollow half-moons. The asymmetrical feature of the design is sophisticated, and the piece is well constructed with a substantial feel. It has a secure rollover clasp and is marked Industria Argentina on the back. There is also a code that looks to be U51 and a partial silver mark in a diamond reserve, most likely .900. The pin measures 2 1/8 inches long by 1 1/4 inches at its widest part. Gross weight: 16.7 grams