1940s 14k
Mid-20th Century Engagement Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Pendant Necklaces
Citrine, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Link Bracelets
Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1940s Retro Charm Bracelets
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Rose Gold, Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s American Retro Retro Bracelets
Citrine, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Retro Link Bracelets
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Stud Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Quartz, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Swiss Retro Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Platinum
Antique Early 19th Century Unknown Art Deco Link Bracelets
Garnet, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Engagement Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1940s Swiss Wrist Watches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Swiss Wrist Watches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Charm Bracelets
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Link Bracelets
Moonstone, Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Art Deco Bridal Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s European Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Swiss Wrist Watches
Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Charm Bracelets
Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Charm Bracelets
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Vintage 1940s Retro Wrist Watches
14k Gold
Vintage 1940s American Modern Band Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Wrist Watches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Clip-on Earrings
Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Art Deco Retro Bracelets
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s American Retro Brooches
14k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Link Bracelets
Amethyst, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Link Necklaces
Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Charm Bracelets
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Vintage 1940s Retro Charm Bracelets
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Vintage 1940s Band Rings
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Dome Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Retro Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Cluster Rings
Moonstone, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Modern Wrist Watches
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Three-Stone Rings
Moonstone, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Cuff Bracelets
Ruby, Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Charm Bracelets
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Vintage 1940s American Retro Link Bracelets
Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Retro Bangles
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s American Retro Bangles
14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Band Rings
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Retro Drop Necklaces
Crystal, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Drop Necklaces
Garnet, White Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Art Deco Band Rings
White Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Drop Necklaces
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Retro Bracelets
Garnet, 14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Wedding Rings
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
14k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Cluster Rings
Moonstone, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Chain Necklaces
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Art Deco Stud Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century American Retro Lever-Back Earrings
Ruby, 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.