Along the SEASHORE of NEW ENGLAND C 1690 STUART CUFFLINKS...

whydah

whydah

New member
As most of you know me from the Surf Forum... I haven't been posting because of not much in the way of erosion here in Mass... so I have done what everyone else has done... Went to the fields.. Glad I did... about a month or so ago, I had the opportunity to do some field hunting... Went to an area that dates back to the early Colonial Days... got a few Indian Head Pennies and a Conn. Copper that is just perfect.... and these CUFFLINKS...They are Sterling and VERY RARE.. Although I have seen only one other pair here on the net, and have met the man that found them. He was very informative of my pair......His were found in RI...Mine were found from an area that the PILGRIMS lived, and harvested their fields..Can't even tell you the feeling I had when I found out what exactly I had when I got back to the truck...These were found about 13 inches deep. They are very rare and don't come around very often... Place of Creation,Object Place, England or America, Height x width x depth: 1.2 x 1.2 x 0.9 cm (1/2 x 1/2 x 3/8 in.) Sterling Silver, Quartz, 24 K Gold, and Textile... This is 1/2 pair of square Sterling Silver and quartz cuff links, each composed to two ornamental buttons connected by a figure eight silver link. Underneath the faceted crystal is a fine gold twisted cord or wire with a trefoil design covering a small square of dark woven textile mounted on foil which has been painted light Blue. All I can say is you just NEVER know what your going to find...Keep digging...
smiley.gif
Field Hunt (7).jpgDSC_0008.jpgDSC_0019.jpgField Hunt (5).jpgField Hunt (2).jpgDSC_0003.jpgDSC_0015.jpgDSC_0023.jpgDSC_0010.jpg
 
I saw a pair of those manufacturers silver cufflinks in a western and eastern treasures magazine (pretty sure that was the magazine) a couple of months ago and it was probably from the guy you talked to. Great find. He also found a set of whale fin gold cufflinks from a different maker but still colonial. Is that the same guy? Great find sir!
 
Now that's treasure right there... congratulations on a spectacular and very rare find :perfect10: the engraver who made these unique cufflinks was obviously hand crafted by a very meticulous artisan and these were definitely very special to the owners. Unreal find and major congrats to you sir!!!!! :cheering:
 
great looking cuff link whydah :smitten:, 13" down:wow: thats pretty amazing depth to hit a cuff link at that depth what machine were you using may I ask??
 
del said:
great looking cuff link whydah :smitten:, 13" down:wow: thats pretty amazing depth to hit a cuff link at that depth what machine were you using may I ask??
Click to expand...
I use a Minelab CTX 30-30 with my own program... sens @ 26 in this HUNTED OUT FIELD...lol
 
zrickkid said:
I saw a pair of those manufacturers silver cufflinks in a western and eastern treasures magazine (pretty sure that was the magazine) a couple of months ago and it was probably from the guy you talked to. Great find. He also found a set of whale fin gold cufflinks from a different maker but still colonial. Is that the same guy? Great find sir!
Click to expand...
The guy that wrote the article on his (TWO ) pair of C1690 Cufflinks is a member of the same club I am ...He found his in RI , where as for me I found mine in Mass... they may in fact date even a little earlier...I still can't believe it...They will be in a SPECIAL showcase of their own...Keep digging..
 
Oldest piece of JEWELRY C 1690

Perhaps maybe even a bit earlier from what I have been reading. But for now I will go with the C 1690 Stuart Cufflinks...side note...I have NEVER seen a pair painted BLUE only PINK...
 
I must admit Whydah , at first they looked like later (1780's) paste type cufflinks which were more common and popular but i did some research on the Stuart crystal types . They are a pretty impressive when one does a bit of reading on them , thanks for showing them off and educating me about them .:yes: Congrats on finding them too .

Dan


here is a little history about these type of colonial jewelry


History
Stuart crystals are a form of 17th and 18th century mourning jewelry. Stuart crystals get their names from the House of Stuart. The crystals were pieces of political jewelry that commemorate the execution of King Charles I in 1649. The first jewels were made from locks of King Charles’ hair preserved under faceted rock crystal (quartz), often decorated with his initials or miniature portrait. They were worn by Royalists who opposed the king’s execution on the grounds that as God’s chosen leader, Charles I was above the law and his death was not justice, but murder. Later, the crystals were adopted by Jacobites who opposed the deposition of James II and the Stuart monarchy in 1688. Since supporting fallen monarchs was dangerous, many Stuart crystals are small and were worn in secret. However, as the 17th century continued, Stuart crystals evolved into mementos mori and generalized commemorative jewelry. They remained popular into the 18th century until larger, more neoclassical jewelry came into fashion.
Description
Stuart crystals come in three main forms: slides, rings, and earrings. Original Stuart crystals were rings or ribbon slides, but many were later converted into other types of jewelry. Stuart crystals almost always contain hair, often woven so finely it appears like cloth.

In addition to hair, a Stuart crystal may contain gold initials, filigree designs, colored foil, portrait miniatures, and enameled symbols. Skeletons, skulls, doves, angels, cherubs or putti, and flowers are the most common type of symbolic charms found inside Stuart crystals.
 
Last edited:
Great Info

del said:
I must admit Whydah , at first they looked like later (1780's) paste type cufflinks which were more common and popular but i did some research on the Stuart crystal types . They are a pretty impressive when one does a bit of reading on them , thanks for showing them off and educating me about them .:yes: Congrats on finding them too .

Dan


here is a little history about these type of colonial jewelry


History
Stuart crystals are a form of 17th and 18th century mourning jewelry. Stuart crystals get their names from the House of Stuart. The crystals were pieces of political jewelry that commemorate the execution of King Charles I in 1649. The first jewels were made from locks of King Charles’ hair preserved under faceted rock crystal (quartz), often decorated with his initials or miniature portrait. They were worn by Royalists who opposed the king’s execution on the grounds that as God’s chosen leader, Charles I was above the law and his death was not justice, but murder. Later, the crystals were adopted by Jacobites who opposed the deposition of James II and the Stuart monarchy in 1688. Since supporting fallen monarchs was dangerous, many Stuart crystals are small and were worn in secret. However, as the 17th century continued, Stuart crystals evolved into mementos mori and generalized commemorative jewelry. They remained popular into the 18th century until larger, more neoclassical jewelry came into fashion.
Description
Stuart crystals come in three main forms: slides, rings, and earrings. Original Stuart crystals were rings or ribbon slides, but many were later converted into other types of jewelry. Stuart crystals almost always contain hair, often woven so finely it appears like cloth.

In addition to hair, a Stuart crystal may contain gold initials, filigree designs, colored foil, portrait miniatures, and enameled symbols. Skeletons, skulls, doves, angels, cherubs or putti, and flowers are the most common type of symbolic charms found inside Stuart crystals.
Click to expand...

Del. I also looked into these little precious cufflinks and have found out that they were also worn by woman too. They were used to keep silk scarfs tightly around woman's necks and often adorned at the back of the neck as to look great from behind as they did from the front...Thanks for the post buddy. Keep digging...Whydah
 
Those are a real unique find Whydah! :thumbsup01:
Congrats! :grin:
They have quite a history behind them too. Very interesting.:interesting:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
23,590
Messages
238,180
Members
3,793
Latest member
2Brainz
Back
Top