Vintage Pearl Opal
20th Century American Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Pearl, White Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Pearl, Platinum
Late 20th Century Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s American Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Jade, Pearl, 18k Gold
1970s English Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Pearl, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century English Edwardian Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Pearl, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
1980s Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Pearl, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Pearl, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, Silver
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Modernist Vintage Pearl Opal
Jade, Opal, Pearl, Sterling Silver
20th Century Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Yellow Gold, 9k Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
Emerald, Opal, Pearl, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Retro Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Retro Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Emerald, Opal, Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Pearl Opal
Agate, Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwate...
1960s Victorian Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, White Diamond, Opal, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Pearl Opal
Agate, Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Opal, Pearl, Cultured Pea...
Late 20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Pearl Opal
Agate, Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Opal, Pearl, Cultured Pea...
1980s Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Gold, 18k Gold
1960s American Vintage Pearl Opal
Sapphire, Ruby, Pearl, Opal, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Swiss Artist Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century Vintage Pearl Opal
Onyx, Gold
20th Century Vintage Pearl Opal
Multi-gemstone, Gold
1990s American Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Oriental Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Contemporary Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, Cultured Pearl, Black Opal, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Y...
1970s Vintage Pearl Opal
Murano Glass
1990s North American Vintage Pearl Opal
Malachite, Onyx, Opal, Blue Topaz, Black Opal, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s French Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal
1960s Taiwanese Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
Jade, Opal, Pearl, Tourmaline, Peridot, Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s German Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Opal, 14k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Yellow Gold
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
Plywood
Late 20th Century American Modernist Vintage Pearl Opal
Blue Sapphire, Opal, White Diamond, 18k Gold
1960s Unknown Retro Vintage Pearl Opal
Carnelian, Citrine, Opal, Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Swiss Vintage Pearl Opal
Amethyst, Chrysophrase, Garnet, Opal, Cultured Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Top...
1980s American Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
1990s American Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
1980s French Gothic Revival Vintage Pearl Opal
Gilt Metal
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
Metal
1940s Vintage Pearl Opal
Multi-gemstone, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Artist Vintage Pearl Opal
18k Gold
20th Century Unknown Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Modernist Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Pearl, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Jade, Opal, Pearl, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Vintage Pearl Opal
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Contemporary Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Pearl, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Chinese Modern Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Pearl
1970s Vintage Pearl Opal
Opal, Pearl, 10k Gold
1980s Contemporary Vintage Pearl Opal
Diamond, Freshwater Pearl, Opal, 14k Gold
20th Century Vintage Pearl Opal
Freshwater Pearl, Opal, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
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Vintage Pearl Opal For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Vintage Pearl Opal?
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Vintage Mikimoto pearls are set with cream or white pearls. Colored pearls are a modern addition. All Mikimoto pearl jewelry includes marks on the back or inside of the piece that is either the Mikimoto name, an “M” logo or the outline of an oyster. In addition, strands of pearls will have a dangling “M” charm. Mikimoto stores and authorized retailers will also appraise and issue a certificate of valuation for any Mikimoto piece. Find a variety of expertly vetted Mikimoto pearl jewelry on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022To determine whether a pearl necklace is modern or vintage, first look for signs of wear, such as blunted edges on the prongs. The pearls will likely have dull spots where they came into contact with skin. The clasp can clue you in, too. Lobster clasps appeared in the 1970s, while early 20th century clasps were generally safety-pin style or C-clasps. Modern necklaces typically have a spring-loaded clasp. Shop a selection of vintage pearl jewelry on 1stDibs.