A fine and evocative pair of Art Deco cufflinks in 18ct gold, c.1920, formed as stylised ribbons with blue enamel detail and a European-cut diamond set to the centre of each link. Engraved to the underside of each link is the inscription Buon Natale — Merry Christmas in Italian — a detail that transforms these from a fine pair of cufflinks into a piece of personal history: a Christmas gift, almost certainly given in Italy or by an Italian, at some point in the early 1920s. The blue enamel and the ribbon form are characteristic of the Art Deco period's taste for clean geometry and restrained colour, and the European-cut diamonds — the transitional cut between the old mine cut and the modern brilliant — are entirely consistent with the dating. At 14g the pair has a satisfying weight. Tests as 18ct gold.

The Details

• Circa: 1920
• Weight: 14g
• Diameter: 1.4cm (each link)
• Hallmarks: Tests as 18ct gold
• Stones: European-cut diamonds (one per link)
• Detail: Blue enamel ribbon form
• Inscription: Buon Natale (Merry Christmas) engraved to reverse