22k Snake
Antique 1890s Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Gold
Antique 1870s Victorian Link Necklaces
Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Engagement Rings
Ruby, Sapphire, 22k Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Italian Classical Roman Fashion Rings
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Artisan Bangles
Diamond, 22k Gold, Silver
2010s Turkish Contemporary Bangles
Diamond, Garnet, Gold, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary More Jewelry
Tsavorite, 22k Gold, Sterling Silver
1990s Egyptian Egyptian Revival Bangles
White Diamond, Ruby, 22k Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Bangles
Diamond, Garnet, Gold, 22k Gold
Vintage 1980s Contemporary Fashion Rings
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Bangles
Diamond, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Artisan More Rings
Ruby, Gold, 22k Gold
Antique 1880s Unknown Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 22k Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Victorian Bangles
Diamond, Ruby, 22k Gold
20th Century Hoop Earrings
Blue Sapphire, 22k Gold
20th Century Band Rings
White Diamond, White Gold, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Bangles
Ruby, Diamond, 22k Gold
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Band Rings
Ruby, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Band Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 22k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Victorian Cuff Bracelets
White Diamond, Ruby, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Dome Rings
Emerald, Gold, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Dome Rings
Emerald, Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1800s Victorian Cufflinks
Diamond, 14k Gold, 22k Gold
Antique 19th Century Egyptian Bangles
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Cuff Bracelets
White Diamond, Ruby, 22k Gold
Antique Early 1900s French Artisan Cuff Bracelets
Ruby, Turquoise, Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Cuff Bracelets
Crystal, 22k Gold, Gold Plate
Antique Mid-19th Century Indian Victorian Wedding Rings
Chrysoberyl, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Retro Bracelets
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Modern Pendant Necklaces
22k Gold
Late 20th Century Band Rings
Emerald, 22k Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Dome Rings
Coral, 18k Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Chain Necklaces
22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
22k Gold
Vintage 1940s European Retro Pendant Necklaces
Ruby, 14k Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Modern Band Rings
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Greek Fashion Rings
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Bangles
Turquoise, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hoop Earrings
Sapphire, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Chain Necklaces
22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 22k Gold
Antique 19th Century Unknown Victorian Cocktail Rings
Agate, Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century Unknown Victorian Cocktail Rings
Agate, Gold, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
Greek Modern Bracelets
Early 20th Century Dutch Edwardian Cuff Bracelets
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Greek More Rings
22k Gold
20th Century Greek Brooches
22k Gold
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Vintage 1930s Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century Unknown Retro Band Rings
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Emerald, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Antique 1890s Victorian Fashion Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
Vintage 1980s British Cluster Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Italian Classical Roman Signet Rings
Jasper, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
2010s Italian Band Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Three-Stone Rings
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Italian Classical Roman Signet Rings
Garnet, Gold, 22k Gold
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Chain Necklaces
Amethyst, 15k Gold
Antique 1840s British Early Victorian Link Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Antique Early 19th Century British Georgian Chandelier Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold
22k Snake For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 22k Snake?
Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.