1940s 14k
Vintage 1940s Retro Brooches
Moonstone, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Drop Earrings
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century Hungarian Art Deco Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Link Bracelets
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Bangles
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Cuff Bracelets
Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold
Vintage 1930s American Retro Pendant Necklaces
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Retro Band Rings
White Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Art Deco Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Retro Fashion Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Diamond, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Austrian Late Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Jade, Gold, 14k Gold
20th Century American Modern Brooches
Aquamarine, Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
14k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1940s American Retro Band Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Link Bracelets
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro More Jewelry
Moonstone, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Fashion Rings
Diamond, Moonstone, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1940s Unknown Retro Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Zircon, 14k Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1940s Unknown Art Deco Bridal Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Engagement Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Clip-on Earrings
14k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Art Deco Bridal Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Retro Fashion Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Rose Gold, Palladium
14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Link Bracelets
14k Gold
Vintage 1940s American Cufflinks
14k Gold
Vintage 1940s American Cufflinks
14k Gold
Vintage 1940s American Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco More Necklaces
14k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s American Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Wrist Watches
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s American Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Retro Drop Earrings
Diamond, Topaz, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1940s American Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Clip-on Earrings
Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Engagement Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Retro Drop Earrings
Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Dangle Earrings
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Chain Necklaces
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Lever-Back Earrings
Amethyst, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Cluster Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Brooches
Blue Sapphire, Quartz, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Cocktail Rings
Coral, Diamond, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s American Retro Charm Bracelets
14k Gold, Enamel
Vintage 1940s American Retro Link Bracelets
Carnelian, 14k Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Unknown Pendant Necklaces
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Dangle Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1960s Retro Cocktail Rings
Alexandrite, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
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1940s 14k For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 1940s 14k?
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.