A fine pair of Victorian chain-link cufflinks in 15ct gold, c.1880, each set with a cabochon banded agate face and a matching banded agate back. Banded agate — with its characteristic concentric layers of colour, formed over millions of years as silica-rich water deposited successive bands within a rock cavity — was a stone greatly prized in Victorian jewellery for its bold, graphic patterning and the fact that no two stones are identical. The cabochon cut, which presents the stone as a smooth, domed surface rather than a faceted one, allows the full depth and pattern of the banding to be appreciated without distraction. The chain-link format, with face and back connected by a short gold chain, is the classic Victorian cufflink construction. Tests as 15ct gold. Face dimensions 1.6 × 1.2cm.

The Details

• Circa: 1880
• Face dimensions: 1.6 × 1.2cm
• Hallmarks: Tests as 15ct gold
• Stones: Banded agate cabochons (four stones: two faces, two backs)
• Fitting: Chain-link