50ct Aquamarine
2010s American Chain Necklaces
Aquamarine, Citrine, Diamond, Garnet, Peridot, Topaz, Tourmaline, 14k Go...
21st Century and Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
2010s American Tennis Bracelets
Zircon, Tourmaline, Spinel, Sapphire, Garnet, Emerald, Diamond, Aquamari...
Recent Sales
Unknown Brooches
Aquamarine, Diamond
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Beaded Necklaces
Aquamarine, Citrine, Topaz, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
Early 2000s American Drop Necklaces
Aquamarine, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
20th Century American Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond
Late 20th Century Italian Retro Stud Earrings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s Italian Band Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Peridot, Tourmaline, Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold
Antique 1860s British Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Aquamarine, Silver, Gilt Metal
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21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Diamond
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
2010s American Tennis Bracelets
Tsavorite, Tanzanite, Spinel, Sapphire, Diamond, Aquamarine, 14k Gold, Y...
21st Century and Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
Ruby
20th Century Swiss Artisan Dangle Earrings
Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century French Modern Chain Necklaces
Coral, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Gold
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Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
50ct Aquamarine For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 50ct Aquamarine?
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.
The Legacy of Aquamarine in Jewelry Design
Perhaps the one gemstone that best embodies the glimmering blue of the ocean is aquamarine, not just in name but also in color. Aqua marina (Latin for water and sea), March’s birthstone, is often crystal clear and blue. Often affordable in price, vintage and antique aquamarine jewelry belongs in everyone’s jewelry box.
Aquamarine is a precious gemstone from the mineral beryl family. Its cousin is the emerald. Like other beryl varieties, aquamarines are rated 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. This means that they are soft enough for jewelers to cut to their client’s specs but also durable enough for daily wear.
On land or sea, aquamarines feature prominently in many folk tales, including one about mermaids gifting aquamarine to sailors to protect them during sea voyages. Worn around sailors’ necks as an amulet, it kept them from getting seasick and, most importantly, from shipwrecks. Considered a symbol of courage by some, aquamarine amulets were also favored by Egyptian and Hebrew warriors during battle.
Aquamarine has also made appearances on some of the grandest of great dames. The Brazilian government gifted Eleanor Roosevelt with a 1,847-carat aquamarine in 1935 and Queen Elizabeth II received a sizable aquamarine upon her 1953 coronation; this stone is now the focal point of her aquamarine tiara. And renowned Tiffany & Co. designer Jean Schlumberger made a diamond Bow setting for a 148.5-carat aquamarine, which was originally exhibited at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition, now in the collection of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage and antique aquamarine jewelry that includes unique aquamarine rings, necklaces and other accessories.