Elephant Hair
Antique 1880s English Victorian Hoop Earrings
9k Gold
Vintage 1970s Modern Band Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Baroque Bangles
Ruby, 18k Gold, Gold Plate, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Baroque Bangles
Emerald, Moonstone, Ruby, 18k Gold, Gold Plate, Silver
Recent Sales
2010s Zimbabwean Artisan Bangles
Sterling Silver
2010s Zimbabwean Artist Bangles
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s French Modernist Band Rings
Gold
2010s Zimbabwean Artist Bangles
18k Gold
2010s Zimbabwean Artist Bangles
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
14k Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
14k Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
14k Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
14k Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Botswanan Artisan Bangles
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Chain Bracelets
Rose Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1970s Unknown Bangles
18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Artisan Bangles
18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Bangles
18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Clamper Bracelets
14k Gold
Vintage 1970s Unknown Bangles
14k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Bangles
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s French More Bracelets
18k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Fashion Rings
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Pendant Necklaces
Onyx, Ruby, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Late Victorian Bangles
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Late Victorian Bangles
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Cufflinks
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Citrine, Pearl, Peridot, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Retro Bracelets
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Late Victorian Bangles
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Clip-on Earrings
Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Italian Modernist Band Rings
Vintage 1960s French Modernist Link Bracelets
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s British Victorian Band Rings
Gold
Unknown Necklace Enhancers
Vintage 1980s South African Artisan Bangles
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s South African Artisan Bangles
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Vintage 1980s South African Artisan Bangles
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Modernist Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s American Bangles
Gold-filled
Late 20th Century American Artisan Bangles
Silver
Vintage 1970s Italian Bangles
18k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Choker Necklaces
14k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Band Rings
10k Gold
Vintage 1970s French Clip-on Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Bangles
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s French Bangles
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Italian Bangles
18k Gold
Antique 19th Century Unknown Victorian Band Rings
14k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco Band Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco Band Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco Band Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
People Also Browsed
20th Century American Modern Link Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Thai Art Deco Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Enamel
Vintage 1960s Link Bracelets
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Shoulder Bags
21st Century and Contemporary Chain Bracelets
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Bangles
Jade, Black Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Turkish Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
Sapphire, Tourmaline, Indicolite, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
20th Century Unknown Egyptian Revival Link Bracelets
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s American Modern Cocktail Rings
Rock Crystal, 18k Gold
1990s Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1910s Swedish Art Nouveau Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, 18k Gold
2010s American Artisan Bangles
Jade
Late 20th Century Art Deco Drop Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, Platinum
Elephant Hair For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Elephant Hair?
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.