Bling from the 19th century

By: opendoor Mood: Date: 08/12/2010 05:01:55 Music: None

Byline: Don Rodgers

UNTIL the late 18th century, it was quite common for men to wear as much jewellery as women.

Surprisingly, it was the well-known Regency dandy, Beau Brummell, who initiated the 19th century trend towards greater simplicity in men's dress, leaving only cufflinks, tiepins, signet rings and fobs as significant items of men's jewellery.

Tiepins were used for fastening neckties or cravats. Late 18th century examples are usually shorter than their 19th century counterparts and feature a zigzag section in the middle to keep the pin secure - Victorian examples tend to have a spiral groove which serves the same purpose.

Tiepins became increasingly elaborate as the 19th century progressed and novelty Victorian pins can be very collectable today, particularly if they employ popular motifs, like sport.

Other sought-after examples include those made from high-quality materials, such as gold and gemstones, or items by well-known makers.

Signet rings and fobs worn from watch chains were both originally used for the same purpose: impressing one's personal seal on wax when sealing letters.

The seal was usually cut into a hardstone, such as agate, although from the late 19th century, simple gold signet rings engraved with a monogram came to predominate.

Nowadays, the only item of men's jewellery still worn with any degree of frequency is cufflinks.

Although cufflinks were made in the 18th century, it was only with the fashion for double French cuffs, which began around 1840, that they became truly popular.

They were often sold with matching buttons and press studs with such sets selling for a premium today.

The heyday for the cufflink was the 1960s, when one manufacturer alone was making 12 million a year, but some men still like them, especially with more formal dress shirts.

The oldest examples shown here are the silver cufflinks with the lion rampant design.

Hallmarked for Chester 1936, they came in a rather natty little box from Goodyers of Regent Street.

The two pairs of enamel cufflinks both feature famous names. The white enamel pair were made by the Norwegian firm of David Andersen while the red and blue ones bear the magic name of Asprey's of New Bond Street, makers and retailers of luxury goods since 1781.

The Asprey cufflinks cost pounds 25, the others cost pounds 18 from an antiques fair in Brecon.

These were all good buys as the three pairs are together worth around pounds 100.

CAPTION(S):

DECORATIVE: A pair of silver cufflinks from Goodyers of Regent St; MATCHED: These enamel cufflinks were a bargain