Gold Openwork
Vintage 1960s American Retro Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Antique 1790s French Vanity Items
Crystal, Gold
Vintage 1940s Choker Necklaces
Amethyst, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s French Belle Époque Chain Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1920s Art Deco Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Belle Époque Stud Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Clip-on Earrings
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Necklace Enhancers
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Italian Band Rings
White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s American Artisan Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s French Clip-on Earrings
Onyx, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s American Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s French Retro Retro Bracelets
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Gold
Antique 1790s English Vanity Items
Gold
Vintage 1970s French Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s French Retro Dome Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Charm Bracelets
White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century American Necklace Enhancers
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Band Rings
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s French Retro Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Band Rings
14k Gold
1990s Unknown Cluster Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century French Art Nouveau Chain Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Pendant Necklaces
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Modern Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Chain Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1950s French Retro Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1930s Austrian Art Nouveau Link Bracelets
Jade, Yellow Gold
1990s American Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Chain Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Mid-20th Century Band Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold
Antique Early 1900s Italian Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Unknown Modern Drop Earrings
South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
Antique 1820s French Georgian Chandelier Earrings
9k Gold
2010s American Clip-on Earrings
Coral, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s French Retro Pendant Necklaces
Aquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1960s French Retro Beaded Necklaces
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Necklace Enhancers
White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Chain Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s French Retro Pendant Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s French Clip-on Earrings
Emerald, Ruby, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Pendant Necklaces
Opal, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s French Belle Époque Link Bracelets
Ruby, Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century European Cocktail Rings
Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Stud Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Black Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s French Retro Pendant Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
Antique 1860s French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s French Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Platinum, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Retro Cluster Rings
Diamond, Opal, 18k Gold, White Gold
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Gold Openwork For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Gold Openwork?
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.