Published October 2005

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 1. Welcome to the February, 2006 issue of The Cuff Linker. The Cuff Linker is a free bi-monthly newsletter about cuff link collecting. Our goal is to provide: Original articles about how to enjoy both the collecting and wearing of cuff links, and; to supply up to date information based on reliable sources. Remember that collecting anything should be fun. This is especially true when you can actually wear part of your collection and enjoy it while you're even at work.

This issue contains short articles, one on an island off of Scotland, a Mexican master and a lady men's clothing designer. Please provide me with suggestions of makers that should be profiled in the future as well as any types of cuff links you would like to see examined.

2. Iona

Jewelry from a small island in the Inner Hebrides? Oh yes! The start of the Iona style is generally traced to Alexander and Euphemia Ritchie when the Iona Cathedral Trust gave Alexander the job of official custodian and allowed the Ritchie?s to build a hut and workshop on grounds owned by the Trust in 1900. I look at the Iona style as Arts and Crafts meet the Scottish Celtic and Viking past and it blends the two into a unique style. I have been lucky enough to have had a pair of their Viking ship cuff links which are now back in Scotland.

The Ritchies lived and worked on Iona for just over 40 years and had many of the locals learn the trade in their workroom. In 1945 Celtic Art Industries was established by a Ritchie devotee with top silversmiths, Ian MacCormick (who was one of the locals who trained with the Ritchies) and John Hart. Both of these men eventually left Celtic Art Industries and became the top Iona style silversmiths with devoted followings.

... Silver toggle backed Celtic design cuff links marked Iona, silver and bearing a interlocking JH maker's mark (John Hart?), 16mm diameter ...

Overall, cuff links were not a major output of the cream of the Iona style, but the Viking ships of the Ritchies and the Celtic designed pieces by Hart (above, right)  which are similar to pieces still being produced show workmanship and design unique to the Iona style. Please note that while almost all the pieces are done in silver, not all are done in sterling. Using a lesser silver content appears to be in the Scottish tradition of avoiding paying the Crown for Hallmarking purposes.

Iona style pieces are excellent for lovers of Arts and Crafts and/or traditional Celtic designs.

Similarly to many top Scandinavian designers, Antonio Pineda not only studied jewelry making (at one of the Spratling benches) but also studied painting. When he returned to Taxco from technical studies in Mexico City, he first worked with Valentin Vidaurreta whose large jewelry designs influenced him in size of pieces. Antonio opened his own shop in 1941 and went on to become one of the top Taxco silversmiths whose large clean lined pieces were a style unto themselves.

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When I first came to New York in 1974, the flagship store was still on Park Avenue which was full of wonderful elaborately designed ties, most of which were not distributed to the more staid gentlemen's store that handled the majority of her collections.

I miss that store and the disappearance of those great designs as I do not find the ones still being produced as nearly as much fun. The only current designer that consistently matches that feeling is Jerry Garcia -- I certainly like his ties better than his music, since I usually listen to either classical or country.

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5. Musings... 

My apologies to all as I've been remiss in publishing the Cuff Linker on a timely basis over the last year. It is my intention to publish 6 issues this year with a month in between to work on other writing that I also managed not get to last year. May this be one of those years that we are successful in actually doing all those things that seem to get put off from year to year. This is, of course, in addition to adding a few pair of cuff links to our collections.

I look forward to hearing from all those interested in cuff links, especially those of you who might wish to provide articles for The Cuff Linker. I'm looking for stories involving favorite cuff links, wonderful cuff link stories and articles about cuff link collecting areas.

The overall purpose of this newsletter is to keep bring to you a few unusual cuff links, sometimes provide good information on makers and issues and to help keep the fun in wearing and collecting cuff links. Please let me know if there are particular makers or designs that you would like to see featured in future issues.

6. Helpful Resources 

If you are interested in Mexican jewelry, especially the complete history, I suggest Mexican Jewelry by Mary L. Davis and Greta Pack published by the University of Texas Press. This book was first published in 1963 so it ends a little after most books on Mexican silver begin. However, the full background shows how the stage was set for Spratling and the first generation after him (covered in the book) to blossom

If you wish to find out more about the history of jewelry making on the island of Iona, check out http://www.alexander-ritchie.co.uk/

Answer:

Not really. Each number was assigned to several workshops and they were occasionally reassigned. Thus, it might be possible to eliminate certain workshops, but the number itself cannot lead you to the actual maker.

If you have questions about cuff links or cuff link collecting, please send an e-mail to Huck@Tias.com  I will not respond to questions solely about value. For an estimate, check with a local appraiser or auction houses or, on the web, try http://www.kovel.com for a price book or for online appraisals, not affiliated with Kovel, http://www.collectingchannel.com/cMart/cesATEIndex.asp or http://www.whatsitworthtoyou.com/Tias.htm