Chain Cufflinks

[jgmounts]

Benson and Clegg.Good selection and value.

[Cufflink79]

Dear Clemens:

I agree with you on the look of the cuff links you posted.

What I've found is hunting is half the fun.

This includes ebay and antique shops.

One place I know that has classic styled cuff links is Longmire on Bury St. in London. But they are very $$$$$ .

I'm sure London is filled with antique shops with the type of cuff links you're looking for.

Also, if you're interested you might like to join the National Cuff Link Association.

http://www.intercufflinkassoc.com/

Good luck on your hunt.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[Jordan Marc]

Clemens:

You want to start haunting flea markets, estate sales, antique dealers, auctions, and collectors who no longer wear cuff jewellery. That's your best bet for finding topnotch cufflinks. Bypass the big name merchant jewellers; there's nothing of interest in the likes of Cartier and Tiffany, unless ho-hum lacklustre designs appeal to you. Be adventuresome when you travel. Americans prefer single-sided cufflinks with toggle backs that always remind me of the superstructure on the underside of suspension bridges. Double-sided links are next to impossible to sell stateside. Vintage double-sided cufflinks are better understood in the rest of the world, though modern makes leave a lot to be desired and Faberge examples are to be avoided altogether. Russian jewellers are very adept at faking the treasures of the Romanovs, so steer clear of them. Wherever you travel set aside some time to wander down sidestreets and alleys, on the off-chance you will find a dropdead gorgeous pair of links beckoning to you from behind a dusty window. Don't be afraid to haggle over the price, but do so with the understanding that dealers in souks have been haggling with customers for centuries. If you insult them, they'll turn a cold shoulder to you. Easy does it.

JMB

[Simon A]

http://shop.edeandravenscroft.co.uk/pro ... -cufflinks

They have both gold-plated base metal and gold-plated silver. The finish is pretty good for a budget item.

[Costi]

I bought this lovelay pair of 18k gold cufflinks which I would love to wear daily but which I can not since I can not get the engraving replaced.

Clemens, you remind me of the joke with the gentleman who fell overboard at sea and, threatened by a shark, pulled out a knife to defend himself but before he could stab the attacker he remembered that one never puts knife to fish...
I'd say wear your cufflinks to which you are not entitled because you obviously liked them when you bought them. If anyone asks what the engraving means, ask them if they know how it can be deleted - there is more of a chance to find a solution this way.

[Costi]

Who are the people that would KNOW they are not your arms without asking - the subjects?!
You might then wear them as a shameful reminder never to buy someone else's cufflinks again. Clemens, please relax...

[Jordan Marc]

Clemens:

Regarding your pair of Victorian engraved gold cufflinks, there are two possibilities worth considering.
First, any good metalsmith who works with platinum, gold and silver should be able to copy the links
easily using the technique of lost wax casting. Linking both sides with a bit of chain is simple; although
merchant jewellers prefer to buy spools of the stuff in various sizes for their needs, most smiths prefer to make their own jumprings and know how to solder them properly. Once made, they can be sent to an engraver to add your initials in whatever style you like.

By the way, platinum is the only precious metal that is welded. Gold and silver are merely soldered.

Second, since you already have the antique pair of links in hand, why not have some fun about their
'supposed' provenance. Create a yarn about an ancestor who was inordinately fond of you and willed
you his lucky links so that you might prosper as he did. The trick of a good yarn is to make it both outrageous and just plausible enough to be believed. If you can keep a deadpan expression while
telling the tale to friends at dinner, all the better. It worked for Mark Twain.

JMB

[sartorius]

There is a large antique marketplace in Holborn called The Silver Vaults which has hundreds of antique cufflinks (all of them silver of course). There is also an antiques market a stone's throw from Bond Street tube but I'm afraid the name has slipped my mind.

[Concordia]

These are available for sale in the West End and should be easily engraved once the enamel is removed:

http://richardogden.com/jewellery/item.php?i=1797

[Jordan Marc]

Clemens:

As of Saturday, 1 May 2010, an ounce of pure gold sells for about $1180 to $1234, depending upon where you buy it. What an ounce will sell for on 3 May 2010 is anyone's guess. The amount of gold needed to
make the cufflinks will probably fall between 1-1 1/2 ounces. Add to that the cost of labor for the
metalsmith and the engraver. Rather dear, don't you think?

There is something that needs to be said about the current lust for gold to stave off failing economies
round the world. In times of fear and war, goldbugs figure vault boxes filled with pure gold is the only
way to survive impending doom. Trouble is, the hard times eventually ease up and the price of gold
drops drastically, leaving the hoarders with vault boxes groaning under the weight of yellow stuff that
is worth no more than $200-300 per ounce. Not what you would call a prudent investment, is it?

Jewellers and metalsmiths alike are well-acquainted with the schitzophrenic history of gold in good times and bad times and will bow out of the market if gold rises above $300. They work on tight margins and can't really afford to hoard the stuff at the current prices, so they wait patiently for the plunge and try to keep their heads above water by working in silver, mokume gane and even copper. Bad times bring out the best in creativity.

The lust for all things golden belongs to India and China. The wealthy citizens of Asia adore the stuff. And should the price of gold drop a few sheckles next week, you can be damn sure the Indians and Chinese will prop it back up within a day.

Wait a bit before commissioning those cufflinks.

JMB

[Simon A]

In China, gold is still seen as a portable form of wealth. Given China's traumatic history over the past 160 years, it was often necessary for families to pack their bags and run from invading armies or political campaigns at short notice, so chains around the neck and wrists of the wife were a useful means of moving savings across provincial or national borders in an emergency.

Pure gold is still used for wedding gold (the familes of the bride and groom give the bride heavy pure gold bangles as a wedding gift) and most jewellers have a gold trading desk, where they will buy back pure gold jewellery at a small discount to their market rate. Almost every retail bank account you open in Hong Kong has the option of a physical gold account attached, such is the traditional appeal of this commodity.

[sartorius]

Clemens, The Silver Vaults may have some gold pieces avaialblable - it an old vault with lots of individual traders who rent a vault from which to operate. Regardless, it's quite an experience wandering round for a couple of hours or over lunchtime if you work in the City.

[A.Hacking]

I suspect Sartorius was referring to Grays. http://www.graysantiques.com

[SMCK]

Methinks not, rather: www.thelondonsilvervaults.co.uk
Chancery lane.

The most amazing place and best suited to a fat wallet

[JDelage]

I like this place below. They are very classic, fairly priced, and feel very nice:

http://www.englishcufflinks.com/domed%20ovals.htm

They have a large selection of styles and shape and can do engraving.