18k Gold Opal Antique Ring
Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Nouveau Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1930s Swedish Jugendstil Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1930s Swedish Retro Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1920s Danish Art Nouveau Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Antique 1860s Swedish Empire Dangle Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1920s European Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1930s Swedish Retro Dangle Earrings
Spinel, 18k Gold
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Lever-Back Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1920s European Renaissance Revival Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Silver
Vintage 1920s Greek Greek Revival Pendant Necklaces
Pearl, Enamel, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s German Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1930s Swedish Jugendstil Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1920s European Art Deco Dangle Earrings
Chalcedony, 18k Gold
Vintage 1910s European Art Nouveau Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Mid-20th Century European Retro Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
Antique 1870s Swedish Arts and Crafts Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Antique Early 1900s Swedish Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Enamel
Antique 1870s Swedish Empire Dangle Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Lever-Back Earrings
Emerald, Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Lever-Back Earrings
Emerald, Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s German Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1870s Swedish Arts and Crafts Stud Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold
Antique 1860s Unknown Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Opal, Silver
Antique 1850s French Arts and Crafts Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, 22k Gold
Vintage 1920s Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Opal, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1910s Swedish Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Enamel
Antique 1860s Swedish Arts and Crafts Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Nouveau Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1930s German Art Deco Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1930s German Art Deco Dangle Earrings
Aquamarine, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Peridot, 18k Gold, 14k Gold, Silver
Antique 1890s Swedish Empire Dangle Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1910s European Baroque Revival Brooches
Carnelian, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Antique 1890s Austrian Renaissance Flatware and Serving Pieces
Garnet, Turquoise, Silver, 18k Gold, Gold-filled
Early 20th Century European Jugendstil Dangle Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Antique Mid-19th Century European Arts and Crafts Dangle Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Renaissance Revival Link Necklaces
Pearl, Citrine, 18k Gold, Silver
Antique Early 1900s European Art Nouveau Link Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Stud Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Silver
Antique Early 1900s European Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Enamel
Antique 1890s French Arts and Crafts Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold
Antique Early 1900s Swedish Renaissance Revival Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Antique Early 1900s Swedish Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century Swedish Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Citrine, Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s German Art Deco Link Bracelets
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1930s French Greek Revival Pendant Necklaces
Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1930s German Art Nouveau Link Bracelets
Aquamarine, 18k Gold
Antique Early 19th Century European Renaissance Revival Dangle Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Vintage 1930s European Retro Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Antique Early 1900s European Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Platinum, Silver
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Citrine, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s German Retro Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold
Vintage 1930s German Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold
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18k Gold Opal Antique Ring For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 18k Gold Opal Antique Ring?
Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
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