Tiger Eye and Gold Cufflinks

These cufflinks are an elegant example of the "spool" design of cufflinks favored in the 1920s.  The two tiger eye ends are set in sturdy gold bezels connected by a straight, rigid post.  The rigidity of the design helps assure the cufflinks remain safely on the cuff when worn while also easing their passage through a buttonhole.

During the early decades of the 20th century, Sansbury & Nellis was a specialist in beautiful gemstones and created elegant cufflinks and stickpins showcasing the gems.  The firm's mark ("S-N") is stamped on the inside of the cufflinks along with "14-K" for the purity of the gold.

Name:  Tiger Eye Spools

Cost: $785

Measurements:  These 14kt gold cufflinks weigh a total of 8.3 grams.  The tops are 1/2" in diameter and the length of the cufflinks is 7/8".

The decades around 1900 were a period of invention and innovation for the makers of fine cufflinks.  Cufflink makers strove to create elegant cuff jewels that could be easily passed through a buttonhole but would also remain safely in place through the vicissitudes of daily wear.  The "spool" was an elegant design that briefly gained popularity during the early 20th century.  With its identical, usually gem-set, ends connected by a rigid straight or curved post the design offered an elegant balance between securing the cufflinks and making it easy to put them on.