Very Rare cufflink set from the 1880s with Ambrotype portraits. (Ambrotypes (or collodoin positives) were a type of photograph where an image was created under clear glass. The proccess is intriquing. If you are interested you can read about it on Wickipedia.) I see brooches like this from time to time but this is the first cuff link set I have ever found of it's kind. The cuff links are rose gold in color and I am assuming they are plated because I see no hallmarks to indicate other wise. The photographed portraits are of two different young women and judging by the hairstyles I am placing the date in the early 1880s. I believe the women were sisters, that is what the original owner told me. Each portrait is circled in a decorative wire frame. They measure just about 1" across and have a fixed back closure. If you are a cufflink collector these beauties would be a wondeful antique addition for you but they are also perfectly funtional and could be worn by a man or a woman.

Rose Gold and Coral deco era cocktail ring circa 1932. This exquisite ring is designed with a high,open cutwork dome, set with three orange coral beads. Each bead is fixed into place with a gold pin. According to the hallmarks it is from Warsaw, Poland circa 1932. The gold content is .585 approx 14K. Rose gold has a distinct pink cast to it which sets off the melon color of the coral beautifully. The coral is perfectly uniform in color, giving it a higher value. The design is very unique and the size impressive without being difficult to wear. It's sure to be noticed (and envied!) by anyone who is attracted to good vintage jewelry. The dome portion measures just about 7/8" across and it stands just under 1/2" high The ring size is 7, but you can have that changed by a jeweler.

Dainty 1940s (or earlier) deco style, vermeil and paste, link bracelet .

 The bracelet is comprised of six open oval links with bezel set amethyst paste stones. It has a fold over clasp and is sterling silver with a heavy gold filled overlay. The clasp is stamped 1/20th 12K GF on Sterling and the word Sturdy . I believe thats the makers name but I've never seen this mark before. A  colleague of mine Linn, of Linn's Collection, from the Vintage Fasion Guild looked up the name for me and found other 1940s jewelry with the same mark. The gold has a sight rose cast to it, very pretty with the amethyst/paste stones. According to Linn "1/20th 10 and 12 kt. gold-filled plating over Sterling was a result of the WWII restrictions on base metals. Rose gold was a popular finish in the '40's".  Amethyst has always  been a popular stone. In Victorian times just prior to the 20s, the amethyst symbolized devotion. it was also used along with peridot in Suffrage jewelry.

According to my Thames and Hudson, Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, paste is the true name for glass used to simulate real gems. When I looked up rhinestone to see what the difference was, they said that true rhinestones are rock crystal not glass and that the term is widely misused.... Well, I'm not about to try and correct the rest of the world for "mis-using" the word rhinestone but I do like the word paste when I describe older jewelry. It has such a nice nostalgic sound, don't you agree?

.... no matter what words we use this is a lovely vintage bracelet in beautiful condition. Some of the stones show slight wear but there are no cracks.... the gold finish is still bright. It's a good size measuring 7 1/4" and can be made smaller by removing a link. If you do have it sized have a proffesional jeweler do it and make sure you ask them to save all of the parts for you. They could come in handy some day, should the bracelet ever need repair.

Beautiful hand wrought sterling silver brooch by Guglielmo Cini. Cini was a highly skilled Italian jewler who specialized in intricate silver work. According to the Cini website he came to the US from Italy in 1922 where his work became highly prized. Cini founded his business in Boston Ma., 35 years later he relocated to Florida where he continued designing silver jewelry until 1979. This makers signiature is from the Boston years and judging by the design I am putting it in the early 1950s. It could be earlier.

 The design is a highly detailed portrait of Bacchus the Roman god of wine. As with every Cini piece I have seen, the lines are flowing and sensuous. It is solid, cast sterling silver with a beautiful applied patina to bring out the details. From all that I have read, Cini's work was the finest and his designs pure art, that never changed. In a world of mass production he held to these standards which is what makes his work so very desirable today. The Cini company has been re-opened by family members who continue this tradition from the original molds.

The size of the brooch is just under 2" across.

14K gold, vintage cocktail watch with jewel encrusted, spring hinged cover by Lucien Piccard.

 This lovely, bejeweled watch is from the late 1950s - early 60s. This era was a golden time for many. The US economy had made it's recovery from the Great Depression and the restrictions brought on by  WW11. Jobs were plentiful and home ownership was easier than ever before. It was not unusual for the upper middle class to indulge in luxuries, that in prior times, had only been available to the wealthy. Mink coats, nice cars, modest summer homes and, of course, fine jewelry. Economically fortunate couples danced and dined and attended lots of formal cocktail parties. Everyone wore a watch but everyday watches tended to be simple, sturdy affairs. It is no surprise that a demand for dressy timepieces blossomed. The elegant diamond watch had been the standard in the past, reserved for the wealthy few. During the 50s and 6os, however, fine jewelry watches were being created from precious metals and colored gemstones with interesting designs to look more like fashion jewelry.  Lucien Piccard, a highly reputable name in fine watches since the 1920s, did this beautifully.

Our watch is done in 14K yellow gold and has a hinged, oval dome cover, encrusted in sapphire cabachons topped with a single cut diamond (4mm across). The dome is framed by a twisted band of gold. There are 28 sapphires which vary in size ftom 2mm to 4mm across. Beneath the cover the watch face is white. The 14K gold band has graduated segments with brushed gold sides and smooth raised center. It is adjustable to from 6 1/2" to 6 3/4". The dome of the watch measures 5/8" by 13/16"

It has a fine  17 jewel (ruby) Swiss movement which runs well. It has been cleaned and is in excellent condition, no sctratches or dents. Two of the sapphire stones show a little surface wear (but NO cracks). This is visible if you look under a 10x loop. You can't see this with the naked eye.

The yellow gold and sapphire combination is lovely, my photos do not do justice to the deep blue of the stones. A lovely piece, that will be treasured from one generation to the next.

All the sensuous charm of the Art Nouveau era in this Victorian Sash pin from the turn of the century. Art Nouveau was at it's peak when this lovely piece was made by the Fishel Nessler company. Swirling lines and floral accents are cast in gilded metal with an oval faceted amethyst paste stone as the focal point. Tiny amethyst pastes flank either side . The piece has the early Shield mark with FN&Co. It has the typical C clasp and a warm patina. The brooch is large but not huge and it measures 2 1/4" across the widest dimension.

These old sash pins are lovely on their own pinned to a garment or scarf but they also can be used as a pendant which is a great way to show them off. In the photos I pinned this one to a wide piece of black velvet ribbon which I tied at the back of the neck. (ribbon not included) It made a stunning choker. You can also hang it from the clasp on a wider chain. If you do this I would put a small piece of adhesive tape in the back over the clasp to make sure it does not come open and fall off. I have been wearing my antique sash pins and over sized dress clips like this for years and I ALWAYS get compliments.

Over 100 years old and in Excellent Condition

Early Art Deco, white gold ring with diamond and emerald accents.

Beautiful estate piece from the 1920s...the setting is exquisitely hand chased 18K white gold and set with three small European cut diamonds approx .07carat each. There are two small trapezoid emerald stones on either site. The shape is oblong measuring just under an inch long.

The size is around a 5 1/2 but you can easily have it sized.

Excellent Condition

1930s sterling silver brooch.

This Pre-Retro brooch dates to the 1930s. It is done in heavy sterling silver with a slight golden patina. This is not a vermeil, just  a patina that gives the silver a warm glow. The silver work is beautifully finished, a nice quality piece without a makers mark. It has an open swirling design with a solitary teardrop stone...faceted paste in pale green, open in the back. The stone is presented like the bud of a flower from a fleur-de-lis receptacle.

The fleur-de-lis (or fleur de lys), depicts a stylized iris or lily and has been used for symbolic or decorative reasons for many hundreds of years by many cultures. Although it has a number of meanings, purity seems to be a common one. These 1930s as well as similar 1940s brooches are favorites of mine. Slightly overszed and artistically designed,  they make a statement. They can be worn with almost anything and go from casual to dressy. I like to wear them as closures for sweaters and capes or shawls.

Large in size it measures just under 3" from end to end.

 

Excellent Condition

 

In your wildest dreams....

Where to begin...the era is around the later 1800s when Victorian earrings were substantial in size and dangled away from the ear so they could be seen against the voluminous hairdo's and hats of the day. They have Etruscan Revival elements with hand applied filigree and gold bead work.

The earrings are pendant style with gold ear wires. They are hinged and have nice movement. The pendant half of each, houses a swinging .25 c bezel set diamond of good quality. It is impossible to give an exact rating on a diamond unless you remove it from the setting but under a 10X loupe I could not see any inclusions, they have beautiful sparkle and are clear in color.  The diamonds are not original to the earrings. I was told the original stones were pale blue sapphires but the most recent heir had them replaced with diamonds. The gold mark is not clear but they test out at 14 Karat gold.

The size of each earring is a generous  1 3/4" long (from top of ear wire) and 3/4" at the widest point. Together they contain 10.8 grams of 14 Karat gold and the total carat weight of the diamonds is .50.

Between the incredible design and workmanship, the gold weight and fine stones...these earrings rival anything you would find in the most prestigious of modern jewelry houses, at a fraction of the price. Fine estate jewelry is not inexpensive but it is a real bargain if you compare it to modern fine jewelry.... PLUS it's unique and often one of a kind.

Treat yourself or ask pretty please, but if these are the earrings you have dreamed about don't let them get away :)

Excellent condition

Note: Due to the value of this item we will be adding insurance and require signature shipping. We will cover any extra cost for that but  please be prepared to sign for the package. If your shipping address is home and you are away at work you may need to pick it up at the post office. E-mail me if you have questions.