Featured Difficulty identifying sterling silver/guilloché cufflinks

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by .Julia, Sep 26, 2018.

  1. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    I have a pair of cufflinks that are proving difficult to identify and price. I've been trying to find the designer/maker and cufflinks with a similar design/pattern but I'm not having much luck. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

    Details:
    • Shape: square with slightly rounded corners, approximately 15mm × 15mm
    • Design: Split into four squares— royal blue wavy etch/texture (teal gradient in inner corner); rectilinear golden foil shapes over black background; crimson red wavy etch/texture (dark violet gradient in outer corner); diagonal golden foil lines over black background
    • Design material: unsure, possibly guilloché enamel?
    • Cufflink metal: sterling silver(?), 925 mark with unknown symbol
    • Designer: having difficulty reading the signature, possibly R. Fink but searches are flooded with Rat Fink stuff or jewelry shops with related names.

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  2. gregsglass

    gregsglass Well-Known Member

    Hi,
    I think the name is done by the owner using an electric etching pen. Has nothing to do with the manufacturer. The maker mark appears right before the 925.
    greg
     
  3. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    Thank you so much! I'm not knowledgeable at all about maker marks, is there a way to easily identify it? I've been looking through a few different databases and it's a bit of information overload, I feel like an idiot :banghead:
     
    judy likes this.
  4. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    Many findings companies mark their products with metal content and trademark with no connection with who actually made the item.I.E. the swivel back was made by a findings company and the top silver and enamel was made by the metal smith.
     
  5. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    Thank you for the information! That's a little disheartening, would my best bet then be to take them to a jeweler to ascertain their value and/or provenance?
     
  6. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    Unless you can figure out who made them...there are too many possibilities, they could be made by a hobbyist or a class project.
     
    judy likes this.
  7. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    Ahh alright...sigh. Is there a term to describe the shape by the 925 stamp? I've been mentally referring to it as a sectioned orange
     
    judy and Aquitaine like this.
  8. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Exactly. Those swivel thingies were made by one factory and someone named R Fink ... I think (which rhymes unfortunately) did the enamel bits. They're worth metal weight plus whatever someone will pay for the design. I'd call it "mock heraldic"; a lot of heraldic-style designs were used in jewelry for both men and women in the 1960s and well into the 70s.
     
  9. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    It's a waste of time and effort to track down a findings manufacture company, they come and go quite often and has no bearing on who made the piece.
     
    judy, Christmasjoy and .Julia like this.
  10. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    Thank you!
     
    judy and Christmasjoy like this.
  11. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    Thank you! Even though the cufflinks remain a mystery, the responses from everyone have been quite helpful and informative!
     
    Jivvy and judy like this.
  12. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    I think they're probably dichroic glass, just to add a bit in.
     
    judy and .Julia like this.
  13. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    Hi and WELCOME .Julia, to Antiquers!!! We LOVE mysteries, although not ALWAYS able to solve them!!!! But there are some pretty darn good "detectives" here, so keep posting when you have something!!!!:):):)
     
    .Julia, judy and i need help like this.
  14. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

    Welcome to the Forum, .julia! :)
    Yes, please do keep posting. You give great descriptions and photos!
     
    .Julia and judy like this.
  15. terry5732

    terry5732 Well-Known Member

    Not Bernard Weber but similar mark
     
    judy likes this.
  16. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    Mainz city mark
     
    .Julia likes this.
  17. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the forum, .Julia.

    I'm with Fid, the mark of Mainz, a well-known German silver manufacturing town. Precious metal objects made in Mainz, including jewellery, are usually marked with the 'Mainz Wheel' town mark.
    I like sectioned orange btw.;)
    In Germany the silver content .925, sterling silver, was mostly used from the 1960s onwards, although it is sometimes seen on older pieces. But I agree with evelyb, the style is 1960s-70s.
     
    .Julia, Figtree3 and judy like this.
  18. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    Thank you!
     
    i need help likes this.
  19. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    Thank you very much! Y'all are incredible!
     
    Christmasjoy, komokwa and Any Jewelry like this.
  20. .Julia

    .Julia New Member

    Thank you! I'll get around to doing an introduction post at some point

    I really appreciate the feedback! I buy and sell antique and vintage items online, as many of y'all probably do! As a customer I have always appreciated when a seller has multiple, clear shots of an item along with relevant descriptive details...as a seller I try to do the same. I figured it would be a waste of everyone's time and kinda rude if I didn't attempt to give as much information as possible, you know?
     
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