Gump's San Francisco Jewelry

This is the classic, iconic and nearly-impossible-to-find Gump's jade ring and it features a luminous light apple green cabochon of natural jadeite ja...

This is rare Gump's nephrite jade necklace from the Midcentury (circa 1960s) in an exceptionally translucent light chartreuse green. Indeed, the hand-carved and polished beads are so highly translucent they look to be made of glass. In fact, "Glassy" jade is a term usually reserved to describe only the finest jadeite jade -nephrite jade's rarer and more expensive cousin- and the word is only rarely applicable to the nephrite variety of jade, due to its different mineral structure. The 16 ¾" necklace is composed of 40 9.30mm untreated nephrite beads that are most likely from Siberia. These beads are a fine, evenly-toned chartreuse green, and they display the high translucency of the only finest jadeite. Most Gump's jade necklaces were available in 18" and 24" lengths. This 16" necklace is far less common, and the large size of the beads in combination with the brief length speaks to the scarcity of the beads themselves, their genuine preciousness. The 14K yellow gold clasp is marked "Hong Kong" and "Gump's." All original Gump's jade jewelry...

A Gump's jade necklace from the 1960s, still on its original string. Such a find! The multi-colored jadeite beads average 9mm and there are 59 of them all together, so the necklace measures 23". The muted tones are so perfectly modern today. Gump's was an iconic San Francisco store (the new Gump's has different ownership) founded by a legendary lover of fine jewelry, especially jade. Gump's jade jewelry...

The luminous untreated jadeite jade beads that compose this 20" necklace are so faintly light green, that they appear white. Well, but not white; not really, because they are far too fascinating to be merely white like a piece of paper or a sheet. It is as if an apparition has assumed bead form and settled around the neck. These gorgeous, succulent beads seem filled with a reserve of light they have gathered during the day in order to release back into the night like a whisper. If you like pearls but wish for something denser, more grounded in the material world, these may be for you. They do look like pearls from a distance, a pristine strand of vintage cultured Akoya pearls. But then, up close, what are they? White sapphires? What could they be? Most people, of course, have no idea jade is anything other than green. The individual beads measure approximately 8.5mm for a clean, unified presentation around the neck. I am a second-generation collector of jade and have loved Gump's jade jewelry all my life. Gump's was an iconic San Francisco department store that was founded in the 19th century and awed the world with their remarkable and unique pieces until 2005 when they were sold. Gump's never used any dyed or treated jade in any of their jewelry, so they remain one of very few brands that you never need to have tested; vintage Gump...

This is an iconic black jade ring from Gump's San Francisco featuring an oval cabochon of natural and untreated black jade. This style of jade ring has prov...

This gorgeous, ethereal Midcentury jadeite jade necklace was created by the iconic San Francisco retailer, Gump's, circa 1970. The luminous, translucent fog-toned jade beads measure approximately 8.83mm and are on their original silk string. The necklace is finished with the classic Gump's 14k yellow gold clasp, that features both the metal fitness mark and the Gump's logo. Gump's never used treated jade in any of their jewelry; all authentic Gump's jewelry is natural and untreated "A" jade. These extraordinary beads are in soothing tones of soft, soft violet and the palest yellow. The palate here may be neutral but the impact certainly is not. The beads are so light-filled they seem to float, hovering over the fabric upon which they are draped. Vintage Gump...

A spectacular and incredibly rare Gump's multi-strand torsade necklace composed of over 1,000 individual authentic Biwa pearls from Japan's famed Lake Biwa. A luminous, highly translucent cabochon of natural and untreated orange jadeite...

This vintage pearl and garnet necklace by Gump's of San Francisco features tumbled and polished garnet beads the color of Cabernet Sauvignon...

This vintage Gump's black jade Pi or Bi disk pendant was created in the 1980s or early 1990s. This disk is from the original Gump's, not the new one. The origi...

Dating toward the end of the original Gump's reign in San Francisco -2015-, this 17.5" necklace is composed of 45 naturally colored pink Chinese freshwater pearls. The gleaming, iridescent pearls are high quality and they measure from 8.76mm to 10mm. The 14K yellow gold oval clasp is marked with Gump's and 14K. Gump's was an iconic San Francisco emporium famous around the world for its fine jade jewelry, which was always unique, beautiful, and natural. Gump's was also revered for their fine pearls. Many of their necklaces from the 1970s featured Japanese Lake Biwa pearls...

This is the classic, iconic and nearly-impossible-to-find Gump's jade ring and it features a luminous forest-green cabochon of natural nephrite jade. Crafted in 14k yellow gold and fully hallmarked, this is exactly the ring I picture when I think of a "Gump's jade ring" or, indeed, a "jade ring." As far as I'm concerned, there simply isn't a superior design for a jade ring. The perfection of this setting is that it puts the jade stone forward with only a single prong north and south and the shoulders cunningly become bezels, clamping the stone into position with unrelenting security,. It's a masterful design not just because it is so beautiful and simple but also because it is such a durable design that it assures the ring will travel from one generation to the next unscathed. Gump's of San Francisco was an iconic and somewhat eccentric retailer that dates to California's goldrush-era. The store became famous worldwide for their fine jewelry, especially their jade. One of the founder's children, Richard, took over the store in the late 1940s. Richard was a connoisseur and authority on Chinese jade. His book, Stone of Heaven arguably remains the definitive text on jade. Gump's magnificent jade jewels...

This is a breathtakingly beautiful and rare natural and untreated light blue jadeite jade necklace by the iconic San Francisco retailer, Gump's. This astonishing 23" necklace is composed of 63 approximately 8.30mm diameter beads The beads are exceptionally uniform in both color and texture: this is glassy jade of high-translucency. The necklace is still on its original pale blue silk string which is in excellent condition. The classic 14k yellow gold Gump's clasp is hallmarked for metal purity and stamped with the Gump's name. I believe this necklace dates to the mid-1990s. The original Gump's opened in 1861 and closed in 2018. The eclectic, high-end retailer became known worldwide for the quality and originality of their exquisite natural jade jewelry. Gump's sold only grade "A" untreated jadeite jade and nephrite jade and this earned them a loyal following. My grandmother was a Gump's customer and I have collected their jade for years. Blue jade is exceedingly rare. Jade of any color with this degree of translucency is likewise exceedingly rare. Combine these two jade features into one jade necklace from the most famous name in jade —Gump...