A fine pair of 18ct gold cufflinks, c.1980, each set with a rectangular slab of lapis lazuli in a yellow gold rub-over setting, on chain-and-bar fittings. The rectangular format and the clean rub-over setting give these cufflinks a bold, architectural quality that suits the stone well — lapis lazuli, with its intense ultramarine blue and characteristic gold pyrite inclusions, is a stone that rewards a simple, uncluttered setting that allows the full depth of its colour to be appreciated without distraction. Lapis lazuli was prized in the jewellery of the 1970s and 1980s for exactly this quality, its saturated, natural colour providing a richness that no synthetic stone could replicate. The chain-and-bar fitting is a practical and secure construction. Unhallmarked; tests as 18ct gold. 17 × 10mm; weight 10.5g.

The Details

• Circa: 1980
• Weight: 10.5g
• Face dimensions: 17 × 10mm
• Hallmarks: Unhallmarked; tests as 18ct gold
• Stone: Lapis lazuli (rectangular slab, rub-over set)
• Fitting: Chain and bar