Vintage Sugarloaf Cut Amethyst Cufflinks in Gold, Vienna, c. 1950s

The forerunners of today's shirts, whose sleeves could be tied together with a silk ribbon, were created as early as the 16th century. Although silk cuff bands remained popular until the 19th century, from the time of Louis XIV onwards, sleeves were increasingly fastened with 'boutons de manchette', i.e. cufflinks, which at that time were typically pairs of coloured glass buttons connected by a short chain. Over the course of the 18th century, these glass buttons were replaced by elaborately painted pieces or pairs set with precious stones. At this time, cufflinks were very much a luxury item, especially in aristocratic circles. However, these cufflinks date from a time when the cufflink was already an integral part of the refined wardrobe of the bourgeois man. They feature four intensely coloured amethysts in simple gold settings. The gemstones are cut into high cushions and combined to form identical showpieces. Narrow, restrained gold frames frame the stones. Simple gold clasps hold the four identical sides together. The cufflinks bear the gold hallmarks of Vienna, which were used between 1925 and 2001. We date the buttons to the 1950s. They are in perfect condition and came to us from Vienna.

Estimate:$1,900.47

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