Jul1
Hi friend,
I thought these two cufflinks are simple in design and your dad would love to have them as gift.
Use your imagination and I am sure you will be able to come up with unique gift.
[Cufflinks.com] Number 7 Cufflinks ($50)
A great alternative to engraved cufflinks. Personalized cufflinks without the wait. Number cufflinks are made in a shiny rhodium plated silver finish. Sold in pairs. Select the second letter from the drop down above. Click here for all other N… Price: $50
[Cufflinks.com] Letter R Initial Cufflinks ($50)
A great alternative to engraved cufflinks. Personalized cufflinks without the wait. Alphabet cufflinks are made in a shiny rhodium plated silver finish. Sold in pairs. Select the second letter from the drop down above…. Price: $50
Nov22
Sam Kramer’s Cuff links
Sam Kramer was an offbeat Greenwich Village silversmith from 1939 through 1964. He was known for eclectic silver jewelry that started to blur the line between fine art and decorative art which continues today with many studio gold / silversmiths. He even made cuff links!
It has been said that some of his designs have influenced science fiction writers. To give an insight into his personality, you don’t need to go farther than to examine the maker’s mark he employed — a circle with mouse ears on top and a mushroom inside.
Whether it is the art of assemblage (incorporating non-jewelry materials into the piece) or the use of multiple layers of differing designs to end up with wonderful abstract designs, Kramer concocted
unusual pieces that are generally noticed when being worn.
Cufflinks by Sam Kramer, ca. 1950, stamped “sterling”,bearing the familiar mushroom logo, and true to the surrealist creations that make him well known. The irregular shaped biomorphic link has an applied plaque and a dotted bead surrounded by stamped dots. The ends are joined by an oval link. These cufflinks are pictured on page 168 of Warman’s Jewelry, 2nd Edition, by Christie Romero. 1″ x 1/2″
Personal thought: This type of craftmanship seems to focus on the free form of cufflinks and the wearer must be bold enough to accept the type of irregular shape design. I would think ladies might be more interested in this form of cufflinks.
Another consideration is the price of the cufflinks.
Oct23
Mexican silver cuff links
Mexican Overview
An American architecture professor is responsible for what we hold today to be Mexican silver jewelry. He opened a shop in Taxco, Mexico in 1929 that specialized in hand crafted Mexican arts and crafts (possibly to avoid writing the book he had planned to write) which included silver pieces expressly made for the shop. That professor was William Spratling who originally focused on using Aztec and pre-Columbian designs in his work. His later work was simple and stylized a marked changed from the earlier works focused on the ancients of the area. The silversmiths in his shop were the best in Mexico and can be compared quite favorably with the best in the world. Spratling’s works are quite expensive, highly collected and often faked, so if you want a Spratling piece you need to go to a reliable Mexican silver dealer or spend a lot of time researching his work so you can avoid the fakes.
Coming out of the Spratling workroom were several top silversmiths that produced a variety of great cuff links. Antonio Pineda (crown Antonio mark)
Is know for stone work, http://pages.captainhucksbooty.com/3559/PictPage/1920704050.html for the best knot (both in silver or silver and gold) cuff links and the fact that he only worked in 970 silver, which he believed was easier to work with and produced cleaner lines than sterling. Los Castillo was started by four brothers and is primarily known today because: 1) their mixed metal works are among the finest made anywhere, http://pages.captainhucksbooty.com/3559/PictPage/1922143880.html and; 2) some of their early designs were created by Margot van Voorhries Carr who opened the Margot workroom following her divorce from one of the brothers. Prior to starting his own smithy Enrique Ledesma worked first for Spratling and then for Los Castillos. Ledesma is best known for his curves and swirls and the way he utilized specially shaped stones, http://pages.captainhucksbooty.com/3559/PictPage/1922143881.html
I certainly would not limit the wearing of Mexican silver cuff links to the known top makers. There are many whimsical pieces, such as what I call “peeking around the corner,” http://pages.captainhucksbooty.com/3559/PictPage/1922143882.html which only bears maker’s initials that are probably only found in the books kept by the Mexican government. I’m always happy to wear a well-made fun piece, even if I do not know who actually made it. The best wearing value is found in the well made fun pieces that cannot be traced to a major designer as they are priced accordingly and can bring you, and others, a smile.
Well, there are certainly more silver craftman but this is a master you should avoid missing
