Dragon and Diamond Cufflinks
Dragons and Diamonds! |
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The Victorians were mesmerized by a menagerie of imagined and fantastic creatures - griffins, basilisks, dragons and sea serpents. This interest in mythological beasts continued into the early 20th century and was reflected in cufflinks and stickpins. This dramatic pair of cufflinks features a dragon or possibly a sea serpent fiercely guarding a small diamond. Crafted in 10kt gold, circa 1900.
 The mythical beast is surrounded by flowing motifs that could be fire or fins. One interpretation is that the subject is a fire-breathing dragon greedily protecting a diamond. A second is that the beast is a sea serpent surrounded by floating fins and other aquatic forms. The wave-like lines in the background lend credence to the sea serpent theory.
 The backs of the cufflinks are as nicely crafted as the fronts. The solid tops are attached to oval bean-shape backs with sturdy split bridges. The split bridges helps keep the links properly oriented on the cuff.
 The bridges are stamped "K10KT". The initial "K" is likely the maker's mark and the following "10KT" indicates the purity of the gold. I have not yet identified the maker of these cufflinks.
Name: Dragons and Diamonds
The Victorian love for mythological critters is also evident in beautifully
detailed stickpins. Below is a striking winged serpent stickpin.
Here are a few more elegant cufflinks from the past ...
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