Gold Rush Cufflinks

Victorian quartz-in-gold cuff buttons, circa 1860.

One of the earliest distinctly American styles of jewelry was inspired by the discovery of gold in California in 1849. Enterprising San Francisco jewelers, among them Barrett & Sherwood and George Shreve & Company, worked with small pieces of quartz laced with veins of gold to create striking rings, watch cases, brooches and other jewels.

Gold veined quartz set in gold cuff buttons.

In 1853, Barrett & Sherwood displayed these "gold quartz" jewels at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in New York. The sparkling creations garnered great interest and gold-in-quartz jewelry evolved from a regional novelty to a national enthusiasm.

The Victorian cuff buttons pictured above are a wonderful example. Each cuff button features two small rectangles of gold-bearing quartz set at an angle like the covers of an open book. Bold golden domes engraved with radiating lines and repeated chevrons form the ends. The cufflinks were crafted in 14kt gold, circa 1860.

Beautifully crafted reverse of gold-in-quartz cufflinks.

Prior to 1900 cufflinks were often described as cuff or sleeve buttons. The cufflinks attached to the cuff with fixed posts and round button-like backs. Inventive jewelers often set the button backs on hinges so they could be more easily inserted through the cuff. This style of cufflink was largely superseded by various "bean back" designs and British double-sided links that became increasingly popular around the turn of the century.

The reverse of these gold-in-quartz cufflinks illustrates the care with which they were crafted. The backs are closed with a gold plate that protects the gold-in-quartz specimens and adds strength to the design. The surfaces are beautifully polished and finished. Often with antique cufflinks the backs are as interesting as the fronts!

To view these and other cufflinks from the past,
please visit our Antique Cufflinks Gallery.

Carrington & Company Platinum and Pearl Shirt Studs, circa 1925.

The Mystery of the Missing Shirt Stud

Antique dress sets often have only two or three shirt studs. In contrast, modern dress sets usually include four studs. The natural question is "What happened to the missing shirt studs?"

Undoubtedly some shirt studs have been lost over the years, others damaged and maybe some even repurposed as earrings. But the mystery of the missing shirt stud is best explained by the evolution of the dress shirt over the past century and a half.

Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss Shirt Stud, circa 1925.

During the Victorian era dress shirts were a pullover style - somewhat like a golf or rugby shirt without an attached collar. The shirts did not have fully buttoned fronts, but instead were closed with just one or two buttons near the neck. As a result only two shirt studs are often found in 19th century dress sets. Of course, the Victorians had other bits of paraphernalia to worry about, like collar buttons.

Carrington & Co. Sapphire and Gold Shirt Studs, circa 1945.

With the dawn of the 20th century fully buttoned dress shirts became the fashion and additional shirt studs were needed. During the first half of the century formal dress included a waistcoat (vest) or, after its introduction by British military officers returning from India, a cummerbund. Three shirt studs sufficed to close the shirt front. During the first half of the century most dress sets included this number. The stud sets illustrated in this note are largely from this period.

Carter, Howe Enamel and Gold Shirt Studs, circa 1910.

After World War II, the definition of formal attire continued to evolve. With changing times and social customs tuxedos were increasingly worn without a waistcoat or cummerbund. The more fully exposed shirt front resulted in an additional stud being needed. Thus, contemporary dress sets usually include four shirts studs.

Larter & Sons Dark Abalone and Gold Shirt Studs, circa 1925.

Having addressed the mystery of the "missing" shirt stud, the question remains "How do you wear an antique dress set with a modern dress shirt?" There are several workable solutions.

1. Employ a discreet mother of pearl or white silk shirt stud to secure the lowest button hole of the shirt and, of course, keep your jacket buttoned.

2. Have a dress shirt custom made to accept three shirt studs. Not a bad way to complement your investment in an antique dress set.

3. Adopt either of the above solutions and wear a waistcoat or cummerbund. Being somewhat of a traditionalist this is my preferred approach.

Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss Sapphire Dress Set, circa 1925.

To view antique cufflinks and dress sets from the past,
please visit our Antique Cufflinks Gallery.

Antique Dress Sets

Carrington Onyx and Pearl Dress Set, circa 1925.

In 1946 Fred Astaire performed Irving Berlin's classic tune "Puttin' on the Ritz" in the movie "Blue Skies." The performance beautifully captured the elegant fashion sense of the times and was an instant hit. Who can resist singing along to:

Dressed up like a million dollar trouper
Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper
Super duper!

This enthusiastic sense of style is reflected in the elegant dress sets and cufflinks of the period.

The Carrington black-and-white dress set pictured above is a good example. It radiates sophisticated elegance. The black Onyx tops are set with small white Pearls and surrounded by richly engraved platinum borders. Created around 1925, the set was originally purchased at Tiffany's.

Carrington Mother-of-Pear and Pearl Dress Set, circa 1930.

Carrington & Company was a maker of beautiful cufflinks, dress sets and other fine jewels during the first half of the 20th century. These white-on-white cufflinks feature Mother-of-Pearl centered with a small white Pearl. The platinum borders are embellished with a repeated geometric pattern in the Art Deco style. Another example of Carrington's elegant, sophisticated designs. The cufflinks were sold en suite with a matching set of shirt studs.

Garrigus Onyx and Pearl Dress Set, circa 1930.

This pair of Onyx and Pearl cufflinks exemplifies the simple elegance of Art Deco design. With matching shirt studs and vest buttons, the elegant ensemble is perfect for a night at the opera. Crafted in platinum and gold, the dress set was created by L.E. Garrigus & Company around 1930.

During the early 20th century, dress sets often followed the etiquette of black and white tie attire. Black Onyx or creamy white Mother-of-Pearl were often accented with small pearls or diamonds. The preferred precious metals were platinum and yellow gold.

Carter, Howe Moss Agate Dress Set, circa 1900.

But, dress sets were not just a matter of black and white. The cufflinks above are from a full dress set created by the jewelry firm Carter, Howe & Company in the early 1900s. The set features beautiful Moss Agates set in bright yellow gold. Carter, Howe created arresting dress sets and cufflinks with unusual gemstones, enamel accents and striking designs. While Carrington dress sets exude formal elegance, Carter, Howe dress sets embrace elegance with a little pizazz.

Carter, Howe Enamel and Gold Cufflinks, circa 1910.

Another example of Carter, Howe design. These cuff links and matching shirt studs (see photograph below) feature Mother-of-Pearl centers and dramatic borders of white enamel and yellow gold. Carter, Howe and the successor firm Carter, Gough excelled at creating imaginative designs and worked in a multitude of styles that appeal to both the collector and admirer of estate cufflinks and dress sets. What better way to look just like Gary Cooper. Super duper!

Carter, Howe Enamel and Gold Shirt Studs, circa 1910.

To view these and other dress sets from the past,
please visit our Antique Cufflinks Gallery.

Antique Diamond Cufflinks

Carrington sparkling diamond cufflinks, circa 1920.

In 1922 Emily Post, the Empress of Etiquette, advised aspiring gentlemen to "let diamonds be conspicuous by their absence." She went on to admonish that "Nothing is more vulgar than a display of 'ice' on a man’s shirt front, or on his fingers." While the excesses of Diamond Jim Brady might best be avoided, Mrs. Post's writings largely reflected the sensibilities of an earlier age.

Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss gold and diamond cufflinks, circa 1920.

During the 1920s, cufflink makers and their fashionable clients ignored Mrs. Post's advice. We are lucky they did. Some of the finest cufflinks and dress sets from the period were set with sparkling diamonds. Pictured above are examples from Carrington & Company and Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss.

Jazzy Art Deco cufflinks with diamonds, circa 1925.

Diamonds were often paired with platinum or white gold. The above jazzy cufflinks are a nice example of the bold, energetic designs embraced in the Art Deco period. They are crafted in white gold with radiating, engine-turned centers and bold, geometric Art Deco borders. Each cufflink sparkles with a small diamond set on one side.

These cufflinks were created during the 1920s or 1930s by an unknown maker. The mystery jeweler has been dubbed the "Winged Bridge Maker" because of the distinctive flared bridges employed to connect the two sides of the cufflinks. For more about this mystery maker and other examples of his work, see my posts from July of last year.

Diamond and Sapphire cufflinks in platinum and gold, circa 1920.

A colorful variation on the theme of diamond cufflinks were cufflinks set with diamonds on one side and sapphires on the other. Sometimes called "Night and Day" cufflinks, these two-sided cuff jewels were perhaps a nod to the Victorian ritual of wearing diamonds only after dark. The two-sided cufflinks allowed a wearer to display sapphires during the day and diamonds at night.

In the Roaring Twenties, as social customs evolved, these versatile cufflinks more likely allowed the wearer to jazz up their wardrobe with either diamonds or sapphires during the day at work, in the evening at the theater, and even into the early morning hours at the local speakeasy. They nicely illustrate the phrase "Putting on the Ritz."

"Night and Day" cufflinks, circa 1925.

To view other exceptional cufflinks from the past,
please visit our Antique Cufflink Gallery.

Platinum and Gold Cufflinks

Carrington Platinum and Pearl Dress Set, circa 1925.

Platinum is a magical metal. It beautifully holds intricate engravings, can be polished to a mirror-like finish and attains a shimmering, frosty patina over time. And, because of its purity, platinum does not tarnish like white gold and silver.

When first encountered by Europeans in the 1500s, platinum was discarded as "unripened silver." Platinum melts at a much higher temperature than gold or silver. As a result, it was a difficult metal for jewelers and creators of objet d'art to work with. During the Victorian era technological advances, like the high-heat oxyhydrogen blow pipe, made working with platinum more feasible. By the early 1900s the brilliance of platinum had captivated the jewelry world. The brilliant white metal became almost de rigueur for fashionable cufflinks and other fine jewels. In my opinion some of the finest platinum cufflinks were created during the early 1900s, culminating with the Jazz Age of the 1920s. The Carrington pearl and platinum cufflinks pictured above nicely capture the elegance and style of the age.

Frosty platinum and gold cufflinks, circa 1920.

One of the appealing qualities of platinum is the rich patina it takes on over time. In winter we occasionally get a snow shower mixed with fine particles of ice. At night, especially under a full moon, the freshly fallen snow and ice crystals shimmer and sparkle with a magical glow.

Antique platinum often has a similar appearance. Platinum does not tarnish, but over the years platinum cufflinks can accumulate microscopic scratches and abrasions that give the metal a shimmering, magical glow. The effect is sometimes called "Platinum Frost". The frosty platinum cufflinks pictured above are a striking example.

Beautifully engraved platinum and gold cufflinks, circa 1920.

The increasing demand for and limited supply of platinum resulted by the early 1920s in platinum costing eight to ten times as much as gold. Although occasionally you will come across a beautiful pair of solid platinum cufflinks from the early 1900s, most often platinum was combined with gold to create richly engraved cufflinks with platinum tops and gold backs. The pair pictured above feature geometric Art Deco borders which perfectly complement the richly engraved centers. I suspect many platinum cufflinks were patriotically sacrificed during World War I and II when the precious metal was needed for strategic purposes.

Carter, Gough platinum and gold cufflinks, circa 1920.

A beautiful variation on the platinum and gold theme are elegant two-tone cufflinks. Striking two-tone cufflinks from the 1920s add elegant pizzazz to any cuff. The Carter, Gough cufflinks pictured above feature platinum borders embellished with "C" scrolls and intricately engraved yellow gold centers. Carter, Gough and its predecessor firms created beautiful gold and platinum cufflinks and jewels from the mid 1800s to the early 1930s.

Below is a slightly earlier pair of platinum and gold cufflinks from Durand & Company, another maker of exceptional cufflinks during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. As a bit of cufflink trivia, the founders of Durand & Company, were cousins of the Hudson River school painter Asher B. Durand. I have always wondered if the artistic pursuits of the jewelers and painter ever influenced each other.

Durand & Co. platinum and gold cufflinks, circa 1910.

For additional views of the cufflinks pictured above,
please click the pictures.

To view these and other fine cufflinks from the past,
please visit our Antique Cufflink Gallery.

William Huger blue guilloche enamel and gold cufflinks, circa 1920.

William Huger Cufflinks

William Huger & Company was not as large or prolific as some of the other fine cufflink makers of the early 20th century (e.g., Carrington and Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss). But what it lacked in size and numbers, the firm made up for with the beauty and craftsmanship of its cufflinks. William Huger cufflinks are sought both for their great beauty and rarity.

William Huger & Co. gold cufflinks, circa 1900.

The story of William Huger & Company is yet to be fully told: the historical record is sparse. The firm was based in Newark, New Jersey and appears to have created fine gold cufflinks and other jewels for only a few decades from the late 1890s until the early 1930s. Like many fine jewelry makers based in Newark, William Huger & Co. ceased operations during the economic turmoil of the Great Depression.

Wm. Huger & Company gold cufflinks, circa 1920.

The greatest source of information about the firm are the cufflinks, themselves. William Huger embraced the best of late Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco design. The cufflinks usually feature bold, arresting centers surrounded by refined, exquisitely detailed borders. The cufflinks were crafted in 14kt gold and often accented with enamels (like the beautiful cufflinks featuring blue guilloche enamel pictured at the top of this post) or gemstones.

William Huger Onyx and gold Art Deco cufflinks, circa 1930.

Elegant simplicity defines Huger cufflinks during the Art Deco period. The cufflinks above feature gently domed black Onyx centers surrounded by rich 14kt gold borders of geometric Art Deco motifs and reeded sections. William Huger excelled at combining the boldness of Art Deco design with the firm's high craftsmanship and attention to small details.

"Architectural Elegance" by William Huger, circa 1930.

We have nicknamed this particular Huger design "Architectural Elegance." It is reminiscent of the Chrysler Building and other architectural icons of the Art Deco era. Relative to other Huger cufflinks, this design is not quite as rare. I suspect it was one of Huger's more popular cufflink designs during the 1920s and 30s. Crafted in 14kt white gold, circa 1930.

William Huger & Co. maker's mark.

The maker's mark for William Huger & Company is an "H" with curling edges. The mark is found on the reverse of cufflinks to the right of the precious metal mark ("14" for 14kt gold). The Huger mark is sometimes misread as a fancy "K" or the somewhat similar maker's mark of the Clark Ring Company. At times the Huger mark may be partially obscured because of wear.

To view these and other fine cufflinks from the past,
please visit our Antique Cufflink Gallery.

Charles Keller platinum and gold Cufflinks, circa 1920.

Snowflakes on the Cuff

Yesterday afternoon we had the first snowfall of the season. Although not exactly a blizzard, there was enough snow to cover everything in luminous, shimmering white. With this first sign of winter, it seems like a good time to talk about Snowflakes.

In decades around 1920, a great variety of cufflinks were created. Among the popular styles were white gold and platinum cufflinks with beautifully engraved centers. The cufflinks often featured radiant stars or stylized flower designs surrounded by bold, geometric borders. These lacy, white jewels have become known as "Snowflakes".

Platinum and Gold engraved "Snowflake" cufflinks, circa 1925.

Here are an elegantly engraved pair of cufflinks that are a nice example of the Snowflake style. The centers feature stylized flower motifs surrounded by elegant Chinese key borders. These cufflinks nicely illustrate the light, floating feel of the Snowflake style, as well as the diverse influences that contributed to Art Deco design. Crafted in gold and platinum, circa 1925.

Ziething Sapphire and Gold cufflinks, circa 1925.

Radiant star bursts set with rich blue man-made Sapphires brighten these Ziething cufflinks. Ziething & Company was a maker of fine cufflinks during the early decades of the last century. The firm excelled at brightly engraved cufflnks which beautifully sparkle and dance in the light. Crafted in 10kt white gold, circa 1925.

Frosty platinum and gold cufflinks, circa 1920.

Snowflake cufflinks are usually beautifully designed and well crafted. However, they present two challenges. First, Snowflakes tend to get lost against a white shirt cuff. These white gold and platinum cufflinks are best appreciated against a darker or patterned background.

Second, although Snowflake cufflinks are well crafted, they tend to be lighter in weight. Thus, they are ideal for special occasions, but may not take well to daily wear. As always, closely examine the backs of Snowflakes (and other cufflinks) to assure that the links and brackets are in accord with the intended wear.

For additional views of the cufflinks shown above, please click the pictures.

A flurry of Snowflakes and other fine cufflinks can be found
in our Antique Cufflink Gallery.