Art Nouveau Cufflinks
Mermaid and the Swan! |
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Art Nouveau cufflinks with a mermaid and swan. The scene is beautifully sculpted in gold. Note the waving cattails, rippling waters and the mermaid's flowing hair. The mermaid holds a sceptre set with a small diamond. Crafted in 14kt gold, circa 1900.
 These cufflinks were created by Krementz & Company. Krementz was one of the early American adopters of Art Nouveau design. In the mid 1890s Richard Krementz, a son of the firm's founder, embarked on a bicycle tour of Europe while on summer break from Yale. During his travels he became entranced with jewels in the Art Nouveau style and urged his father to explore the new designs. These cufflinks are likely a result of his efforts.
 One of the nice aspects of these cufflinks is that the mermaid and swan motif is scaled down and repeated on the backs. Often the backs of cufflinks were left plain or sometimes engraved with the initials of the original owner. Finished backs were a nice touch that Krementz often added to fine cufflinks.
 The cufflinks are beautifully crafted. The elegant tops are attached to the finished backs with sturdy curved bridges and quad brackets. The elegance of the design is matched by the beauty of the craftsmanship and goldsmith's attention to small details.
 Krementz & Co. was founded in 1866 and created elegant cufflinks and other jewels during the Victorian and later periods. The Krementz hallmark, a stylized collar button, can be seen just to the right of the "14K" precious metal mark on the curved bridges.
Name: Mermaid and the Swan!
Here are a few more dramatic cufflinks from the past ...
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