Miscellaneous

Photo Credit: bigsmile_treasures

14K Gold & Bakelite Art Deco Cigar Holder

Buy It Now Price: $395 (price as of 2019; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Sumptuous 14 karat gold and amber-yellow Bakelite seamlessly blend in this chic 1920s Art Deco cigar holder and case combination.

-The case measures 45 mm (1.77 inches) long (including the bail) and weighs a substantial 8.5 grams (excluding the cigar holder).

–Vintage cigar holders were important fashion accessories during the early to mid 20th century.  But they also served two practical purposes.  They prevented nicotine staining of the fingers and kept smoke out of the user’s face.

-Patented in 1909, Bakelite was the world’s first synthetic plastic.  For the first few decades after its invention, Bakelite was considered a premium luxury material appropriate for use in high value objects like jewelry.  In this Art Deco cigar holder, Bakelite is being used to imitate amber – a popular material for high end cigar holders of the time.

-The bail at the bottom of this Art Deco cigar holder’s case indicates that it was probably intended to be hung from a woman’s neck as a pendant.

-My best guess is that this Art Deco cigar holder and case contain around 0.16 troy ounces (5 grams) of pure gold.  With the price of gold trading near $1,314, this gives the piece a scrap value close to $210 – a premium of only 88% over melt.  Although you would never want to scrap such a beautiful piece, the low premium over melt clearly limits investment risk.

-Smoking was a way for women in the 1920s to signal their independence and avant-garde social outlook.  But what’s interesting about this piece is that I believe it was intended for a female cigar smoker.  Why is this meaningful?  In the Roaring 20s, bad girls smoked cigarettes, but really bad girls smoked cigars!

-I love the linear pin-stripe decoration on this vintage gold cigar case.  It is quintessentially Art Deco and perfectly reflects the zeitgeist of the age.  Combine that with the item’s excellent condition and you have yourself an investment grade antique!

–Tobacciana is a burgeoning niche in the world of antiques, and this superlative Art Deco cigar holder and case duo are about as good as it gets.

-I find the buy-it-now price of $395 for this vintage Art Deco cigar holder to be extremely compelling.  However, you can always make the seller a lower offer if you want to take a chance on getting this treasure for an even better price.

Cons:

-Unless you are a cigar smoker, this item is purely a curio or objet d’art.  Honestly, I find this to be a very minor drawback, but worth mentioning nonetheless.

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Photo Credit: CoopsRetroBar

French Belle Époque Cherry Amber Cigar Holder

Asking Price: $47.87 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This amber cigar holder from the French Belle Époque era is a tobacconist’s dream, with its translucent cherry red amber and rich gold trim.

-This antique amber cigar holder measures 3.25 inches (8.3 cm) long by 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) in diameter, which is a typical size for a pre-World War I cigar holder.

-Cigar holders were widely used by discerning gentleman smokers in late 19th century men’s clubs, bars and billiard rooms.  This indispensable smoking paraphernalia fulfilled two main purposes; it prevented nicotine staining of the fingers and kept second hand smoke from wafting into the smoker’s face.

–The Bell Époque refers to the unprecedented period of peace and prosperity in France that ran from 1871 until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.  While it is not possible to date this French cigar holder with complete precision, it is certain that it hails from sometime during the late 19th or early 20th century – solidly during the glorious Bell Époque.

–Amber is fossilized tree resin – or, more accurately, the partially oxidized, polymerized resin of certain species of ancient, extinct trees. This particular cigar holder is a made from scarce and desirable red amber, otherwise known as cherry amber.

-This antique amber cigar holder comes in what is almost certainly its original fitted case made from leather, silk and velvet.  In addition, the case has the French term “Or Contrôlé” printed inside it, which roughly translates as “assayed gold” or “inspected gold “.  This indicates that the item inside was tested for its gold purity by a French assay office.

-This French cherry amber cigar holder has two pieces of gold trim: a gold ring at its tip and a plain, decorative gold cartouche halfway down its length.  According to the seller and the photos, there are two hallmarks on the gold cartouche, although these are indecipherable.  In light of the overall quality of this piece and the fact that the case has the words “Or Contrôlé” printed on it, I find it highly improbably that the trim is anything other than 18K (.750 fine) solid gold.

-Both the case and the cigar holder are in superb condition.  It is quite common for antique cigar holders to have tooth marks or chips near the mouthpiece.  But this specimen appears to be absolutely pristine, indicating that it might be unused – a term called “unsmoked” among tobacconists.

-At only $48, the price of this Belle Époque cherry amber cigar holder is ridiculously low!  If we assume the gold trim is 18K and weighs about 1 gram, then the piece contains around $30 worth of gold (at a spot price of $1,230 an ounce).  This means there is almost no downside risk to buying this investment quality antique!

Cons:

-Because this amber cigar holder originates from the United Kingdom, shipping costs might be uncomfortably high for U.S. buyers.  Etsy estimated a cost of $15.25 – nearly 1/3 of the purchase price – to send this treasure across the pond to my little corner of the United States.

-The indistinct hallmarks prevent definitive determination of the gold content in the metal trim.  As I state above, I do believe it is 18K gold, but confirmation from the French hallmarks would have been ideal.

-The asking price is so low on this piece that I am really grasping at straws to come up with any substantive cons.  I would normally expect an amber cigar holder of this caliber to easily sell for $150 or $200.

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Photo Credit: Relic-Island

Art Nouveau Gilt Bronze Tiffany Desk Blotter Ends

Buy It Now Price: $369.99 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-These attractive Art Nouveau gilt bronze Tiffany desk blotter ends were made by the famous American luxury house of Tiffany Studios in the early decades of the 20th century, between about 1900 and 1918.

-These Tiffany desk blotter ends measure 12.25 inches (31.1 cm) long by 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) wide.  Each one is stamped “TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 1153” on the side.  1153 is an inventory number that denotes both the type of item (a desk blotter end) and the design (Abalone in this case).

-A desk blotter is a flat pad or sheet that is placed on the surface of a desk to protect it from damage due to ink spills or pen indentations.  They were traditionally made from leather, although synthetic plastic desk blotters are fairly commonplace today.  Desk blotter ends were placed on either edge of a desk blotter in order to help hold it in place.

-There are over 20 known patterns for Tiffany Studios desk sets.  The beautifully interwoven vine and leaf design shown above is known as “Abalone” due to the use of iridescent mother of pearl elements.  Abalone is one of the more commonly encountered Tiffany desk set designs.

-Art Nouveau was a naturalistic art style that was extremely popular between 1890 and 1910, although it persisted slightly longer in the U.S.  It typically featured women, flowers, insects or other nature themes, often in flowing, languid poses.

-The typical Tiffany Studios desk set had 6 pieces, including a letter rack, ink stand and desk blotter ends.  Other possible elements were a letter opener, box, calendar holder, ink blotter or pen tray, among others.

–The zeitgeist of these Tiffany desk blotter ends is off the charts!  They personify the flowing, naturalistic sensibilities of Art Nouveau style that was so popular before World War I.

-These Tiffany desk blotter ends are in remarkably good condition for being at least a century old.  The gilding is largely intact and the mother of pearl inlay has few cracked or chipped pieces.  This is unusual because mother of pearl tends to dry out over many decades, leaving it susceptible to damage.

-Tiffany Studios was a celebrated luxury house that always produced goods to the very highest quality standards.  From its origins in the 1870s until its demise during the Great Depression, the firm had often been in the vanguard of American style.  Because of this, luxury goods created by Tiffany Studios are always in high demand, with a price to match.  Therefore, I find the $370 asking price for these Tiffany desk blotter ends to be fair.

Cons:

-While I believe the $370 asking price is fair, I’ve seen this seller put these same Tiffany desk blotter ends on sale for $300 before.  At $300, I think this matching set would be a steal.  If you like them, you could always make an offer to the seller at the lower price.  I think he would probably accept it.

-Some people might consider a set of desk blotter ends to be an anachronism today.  However, I think they would be a welcome addition to the desk of any vintage fountain pen aficionado or office traditionalist.  In addition, these Tiffany desk blotter ends would make a stunning decorative item for a fireplace mantel or shelf in any well-appointed home.

-Unfortunately, fraud is rampant in the field of Tiffany Studios antiques, especially Tiffany lamps.  While this piece looks genuine to me, I am no Tiffany Studios expert.  The only element I found at all questionable is the micro-pitting evident on high magnification, which I attribute to corrosion due to storage conditions.  If you are unsure about the authenticity of this piece, I would recommend that you solicit a second opinion from a knowledgeable source.

-Tiffany Studios was a different company from the well-known luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co.  Don’t confuse the two!

Photo Credit: JadeSiberian

Siberian Nephrite Jade Whiskey Stones

Asking Price: $99 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a stunningly gorgeous set of 6 Siberian nephrite jade Whiskey stones that comes in a beautifully crafted hardwood box.  Whiskey stones are a recent invention meant to cool your whiskey or other hard liquor without diluting it like ice does.  Just pop them in the freezer for a few hours and they are ready to go!

-This jade whiskey stone set is made from high quality, Siberian nephrite jade.  Jade was first discovered in the Sayan Mountains of Siberian Russia, near Lake Baikal, in 1826.  In the late 19th and early 20th century, the world renowned Fabergé workshop in St. Petersburg extensively used Siberian jade in many of its sumptuous creations.  Shortly after the year 2000, Siberian nephrite jade started to be exported to China in order to meet the fast growing demand for high quality jade among newly wealthy Chinese consumers.

-Nephrite jade’s extremely high thermal conductivity makes it perfect for use as a whiskey stone material; it will chill your drink very quickly compared to less thermally conductive materials.

-Unlike nephrite jades mined from some other locations, Siberian jade is known for its bright colors and excellent translucency.  These are both very desirable characteristics that make Siberian jade perfect for high-class carvings, objets d’art and jewelry.

-I like that this whiskey stone set is crafted in what is undoubtedly a small jade workshop in Siberian Russia using local materials.

–High quality jade is a great investment right now.  I especially like rough North American jade because of its good availability and lack of treatments.  Siberian jade is also excellent, but most production from Russian mines goes straight to China these days, making it difficult to source in North America or Europe.

-These Siberian jade whiskey stones absolutely encapsulate the extravagant zeitgeist of the modern age – an important element when investing in art.  These luxury items are Gatsbyesque excess incarnated, conjuring up images of a tuxedo-wearing man at a gala event swirling his glass of liquor and jade whiskey stones while explaining how he became a Bitcoin billionaire.

-This set of Siberian jade whiskey stones comes in its own custom-made, fitted hardwood box.  The box is available in your choice of solid ash or birch, two hardwoods endemic to southern Siberia.

-I believe these Siberian jade whiskey stones are a great example of a future antique.  In 50 or 100 years, this set, along with its original hardwood box, will be most likely be a very desirable antique.  Given this probable outcome, I think the $99 asking price is perfectly justified.

Cons:

-This item is not antique, but is instead a new luxury good that is made from scratch when you order.  Under normal circumstances, buying new luxury goods for investment purposes is a stupid idea because the price is usually exorbitantly high.  In this case, the price is quite reasonable, making these jade whiskey stones a reasonable investment.

-The shipping cost to the U.S. for this set of Siberian jade whiskey stones is $25.  This is a bit steep considering the item itself is only $99.  But because it is coming all the way from Asiatic Russia, I think the high shipping charges are forgivable.

-Because these sets are custom made to order, there is no guarantee that you will receive jade of the same excellent quality of that shown in the photos.  So, buying this set is a bit of a gamble.  But for just a little over $100, it is quite possibly worth it, especially considering that more pedestrian whiskey stones might cost you anywhere from $20 to $60.