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Cufflinks Buying Guide @ Jewel Info 4 U
By: RITIKA CHANGRANI
SUMMARY : Cufflinks can be
traced back to the 18th century.
People wore gold and silver
cufflinks inlaid with precious
stones. It was status symbol for
many. Even today, cufflinks make a
great style statement.
What is a cufflink? A cufflink is a
fastener that is used to fasten or
link the two portions of a cuff of a
jacket or dress shirt. They can have
very simple designs or be very
complicated, depending on how much
the cufflinks are. Like everything
else, cufflinks do back in time.
Cufflinks History
 Believe it or not, cufflinks
actually go far back in history. The
use of cufflinks can be found in
ancient hieroglyphics in King Tut's
tomb. These cufflinks are not like
the cufflinks of today. The
cufflinks that people wear today
were first worn in the late 18th
century.
No one is sure when the cufflinks of
today first arrived. They are
originally mentioned in writing
pieces in 1788, but they had
actually had been worn sometime
before that. It just seems that all
of sudden people had started cutting
cuff-fastening slits into clothing.
Tape ties or ribbons had been used
in the past to fasten cuffs. These
ribbons or ties were replaced with
luxurious items, made of gold or
silver and set with gemstones. They
were a luxury reserved for the
aristocratic classes and were
hand-made.
above
image courtesy:
http://www.cufflinks.com/
The invention of the steam-driven
stamping machine, electro-metallurgy
and the Tour a' Guilloche machine in
the 18th and 19h centuries opened up
cufflinks to a wider audience. By
the 1840s, the French cuff or
double-cuff shirt became popular and
has never gone out of fashion since.
The middles classes were able to
afford cufflinks that were replicas
of the silver or enamel cufflinks
that the rich wore. The replicas
would usually have fake diamonds or
be made of gold-colored alloys with
foil.
During 1880s in America, a George
Krementz invented a device that
could mass produce one-piece
cufflinks. The device was based on
an American Civil War shell-making
machine. This enabled US businesses
to use cufflinks for advertising
purposes or as gift incentives for
clients.
By the 1920s, the most popular style
was the enamel cufflink. After the
Communist revolution in Russia, the
luxury artisans of Faberge fled to
Europe and America. These artisans
taught their enameling skills to
others. Their designs were based on
the art movements of the day. The
low-cost production of plastics in
the 1930s led to the decline of
enamel cufflinks. Enamel cufflinks
have now become collectors' items,
especially the hand-made ones.
The peak of cufflink popularity was
probably in the mid-1960s. Swank,
Inc., a popular manufacturer at the
time, was making 12 million
cufflinks a year. Today, they
probably make about 200,000 a year.
Cufflinks are making a comeback and
sales have been increasing over the
last ten years. The French cuff
shirt is still the most formal and
prestigious of shirts.
Reflections of Art
Cufflinks have often reflected the
significant art movement of the day.
To see proof of this fact one can
visit the Cufflink Museum in Conway,
New Hampshire. This museum has over
700,000 pairs of cufflinks.
Most Expensive Cufflinks
The most expensive pair of cufflinks
ever sold was a pair that was given
to King Edward VIII by his wife
Wallis Simpson. These cufflinks had
diamonds and were made of platinum.
They were sold at an auction for
$440,000.
Cufflink
Styles
Today, there are numerous styles of
cufflinks. You can buy novelty
cufflinks, contemporary cufflinks
and humorous cufflinks. Some top
designers of cufflinks are Sonia
Spencer, Murray Ward, Babette
Wasserman and Simon Carter.
Cufflink
Design
Whatever the style of the cufflinks,
they have a very simple design.
Cufflinks consist of a post, a short
cylindrical portion or a chain
connecting two disc-shaped parts,
one of these is sized to fit through
the button-hole of the cuff. The
other disc-shaped part, positioned
on the most on the most visible
side, is wider. This part is one
that is usually monogrammed or
engraved.
For First Timers
When you plan to wear cufflinks for
the first time, you should take your
cue from the tone of the event and
what the other event goers will be
wearing. You should link the cuff
with a cufflink, then close the
swivel bar and insert the cufflink
through the holes from outside. The
next thing that you should do is
open the swivel bar to secure the
cuff.
Cuff Styles
You have a choice of at least five
cuff styles that you can wear
cufflinks with. The cufflinks should
be matched with necktie, button
cover, ascot or bolo tie / bola tie.
The Variety of Designs
Cufflink designs do vary widely.
There is almost an unlimited variety
of designs and construction details
that could appear on a cufflinks.
The hidden side of a cufflink could
have a portion that swivels on the
central post, aligning with the post
while the link is threaded through a
button-hole, and swiveling into a
position at right angles to the post
when worn.
Silk Knot
In Europe, there is an alternative
to cufflinks called the silk knot.
They are also known as monkey's
fists. They are cheaper than
cufflinks, but they are still
considered to be appropriate for
formal occasions. French cuff shirts
could be accompanied with a set of
color-coordinated silk knots instead
of double-button cufflinks in
Europe.
As a Gift
If your friend or your special
someone likes cufflinks instead of
silk knots, you could get cufflinks
as a gift. When you choosing
cufflinks as a gift, the most
important thing are that the pair of
cufflinks reflects the personality
of the wearer. One of the best
things about wearing a pair of
cufflinks is that they are a tiny
reflection of a person's style and
taste.
You should also give some thought to
the person's wardrobe and what their
favorite colors are. Do they like to
wear gold? Do they prefer metals? Do
they like to be flashy? Are they
looking more for a quiet
understatement?
You should think about the person's
style of dress, their personality
and how they like others to see
them. Ideally, you will be able to
find a pair that can fit all three
areas. You should not worry too
much. It is usually the thought that
counts anyway.
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