Photo Credit: Luvmydiamond
Antique 14 Karat Gold Art Nouveau Diamond Cufflinks
Buy It Now Price: $1,799 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This is an elegant pair of solid 14 karat yellow gold Art Nouveau diamond cufflinks, circa 1900. They sport a lovely grape cluster motif that reflects the pinnacle of the naturalistic, fin de siècle style.
-These Art Nouveau diamond cufflinks measure 19 mm (0.75 inches) long by 13.7 mm (0.54 inches) wide and weigh a substantial 16.2 grams (0.5208 troy ounces). This is very heavy for a pair of solid gold cufflinks, which is a sign of high quality construction.
-They are set with four old European cut diamonds that weigh 6 points each for a total carat weight of 0.24 carats. The seller claims the diamonds have VS-2 clarity and H color. Although this cannot be verified with the resolution of photos provided, the diamonds appear to be of good quality. There is no reason to doubt the seller’s assessment of diamond quality.
-The quality of the goldwork on these Art Nouveau diamond cufflinks is truly outstanding. The delicate rendering of the plump grapes and sinuous vines combines with the frosted texturing of the gold to extraordinary effect. It is immediately obvious, even to a casual observer, that a master jeweler made these cufflinks.
-With the sheer volume of gold jewelry available in the world, you might think that good gold work is common. You would be wrong. Very fine, superlative gold jewelry is incredibly rare. But these cufflinks are among the best of the best, helping to justify the premium price of $1,799.
Cons:
-These Art Nouveau diamond cufflinks are very expensive relative to their intrinsic value. The diamonds are worth at most $72 at $300 per carat while the gold melt value is about $344 at the current spot price of $1,132 per troy ounce. This means the cufflink’s asking price is over four times their total intrinsic value of $416. This jewelry is definitely selling based on its value as a work of art and not on its intrinsic value.
-The intrinsic value of the piece and, by extension, its desirability would be higher if the diamonds were even modestly larger, say 8 to 10 points each. Any larger than this and the diamonds would begin to overwhelm the design, however.
