Masculine and elegant! Vintage cufflinks by Swank Arts of the World carved hotsell roman gladiator centurion hand carved, tie tack IA-2

Brand: Swank

Date, estimate or known: early 1960's

Description: “Exotic Men's Jewelry Fashioned with the Skill of Many Lands. Imported “Limited” editions add new excellence to His Cuff” ... that's how one of Swank's ads for their Arts of the World collection was described. And its exactly correct, as this and the other sets from that collection I have in my shop clearly demonstrate.

This set, with rare matching tie tack, was billed as hand-carved obsidian, from Hong Kong, and sold for the princely amount of $15! And that was one of the most expensive sets in a collection that was already fairly pricey considering that at that time other Swank cufflinks could be had for $3. But, as the current collectibility and desirability of this particular set shows, its was a great investment!

Each of these hand-carved cufflinks - and the tie tack - have amazing detail, and the set will be among your most cherished wardrobe accessories!

By the way, if you like the style, but maybe you want them in hand-carved white bone, or black but without the tie tack, check my store for other options! Or get a sets in both white and black!

If you like these, as they say, get one a set in several colors! My shop has several variations available, perfect for weddings or for matching 'his and hers' links.

Metal color: gold tone, plated

Condition: very good

Metal composition: alloy

Stone or decorative addition composition: carved obsidian

Frame type: toggle, thick shaft

Brand information: Swank
The “King” of brands in the vintage men's costume jewelry game, Swank has a long history as well as high name recognition. The company begain as Atteboro Manufacturing Company in Attleboro, MA in 1897, by Samuel Stone and Maurice Baer, making women's jewelry. Men's jewelry was added in 1908, and during World War I the company produced dog tags in support of the war effort. Swank's first line of men's cufflinks were a unique design called “kum-a-part”, and are a stong collectable today. More cufflink styles were added in the 1920s as the wearing of cufflinks returned to popularity, and in that decade, the name “Swank” was first used in advertising hotsell. The company itself became “Swank Products Inc” in 1938 and in 1941 the name was simplified again to “Swank Inc.” In the 1950s the men's accessory market exploded and would grow continually into the 1960s, with Swank riding the wave of popularity. Leather goods and other men's accessories were added in that decade as well. In the 1960s, during the height of popularity of cufflinks and tie accessories, the company produced over 12 million pairs a year, at an average cost of around $2.50 a pair. In 1967 Swank introduced the chain-back tacks, probably based on a recent patent they obtained. They called them “Action Chain”.

The popularity of the brand was driven by the high number of unique styles produced, from very traditional to very artistic and modern. Swank men's pendants and chains, as well as other items, are also moderately common on the market

Frame Types: toggle, (thick shaft or flat shaft), whale back, button back, bean back, bridge back, chain, spool, barbell, yoyo, shirt button, spring shirt button

CONDITION GUIDE FOR MY DESCRIPTIONS: Perfect/New/Mint in Box: The item and or piece of jewelry has no visible flaws and no signs of wear or use. Excellent: The item and or piece of jewelry has evidence of wear. Very Good: The item and or piece of jewelry has small flaws that are not usually noticeable during wear. These flaws could include light scratches on the surfaces of imitation pearls, light scuffs on rhinestones, or light marks on the metal's finish. Good: The item and or piece of jewelry is completely wearable with working hardware. However, the rhinestones may be yellowing or beginning to turn gray (dark spots are visible looking into the stone). Wear may be more visible, and there may be light chipping. Fair/Poor: The item and or piece of jewelry has visible damage that may include dark stones, missing stones, or broken parts. This item should be considered for repair or restoration purposes only.

OTHER NOTES ON LISTING:
The rankings for rarity and condition are based on my personal experience and opinions, and are not to be implied a representation of future value or of resale value.