TIFFANY & CO. 1980 Angela Cummings Earrings In 18Kt Gold, Black Opals & Jades
Pair of bombe earrings designed by Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co.
This is a beautiful and rare pair of clips-on earrings created in New York City by the designer Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co., back in the late 1978. This pair of clips earrings was carefully crafted as domes in solid yellow gold of 18 karats with high polished finish. The earrings are embellished with a fantastic inlaid mosaic made-up by the precise placement of seventy-four rectangular and square pieces, carved from natural black jade and natural Australian black opals, creating a fabulous geometric checkerboard pattern. They are fitted at the reverse with comfortable hinged omega backs for fastening clips and the addition of gold posts for pierced ears can be easily installed.
Australian Black Opals
These kinds of opals are the most valuable and widely known type of opal. Black opal is characterized by a dark body tone which can range from dark grey, blue, green to jet black. Unlike ordinary opals, black opals have carbon and iron oxide trace elements present, which cause the unusual darkness of the stone. Because of their dark body tone, the rainbow colors in a black opal stand out much better than lighter opals. This vibrancy of colour makes black opal the most valuable form of all opals. Black opals are mostly mined in Lightning Ridge, in northern New South Wales. Lightning Ridge is famous for the black opal and hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of black opals have been found there. In 2008, the black opal was named as the ‘gemstone emblem’ for New South Wales. Black opals have also been found at Mint Abie in South Australia.
Black Jade: Mounted in inlaid settings, with 32 graduated squared cuts of natural black jade, with a weight of about 15.90 carats.
Black Opal: Mounted in inlaid settings, with 42 graduated squared cuts of natural Australian black opals, with a weight of about 13.89 carats.
Designer: Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co.
Period: Modernist 1978-1980.
Weight: Combined of 24.20 Grams, (15.52 Dwt.).
Measures: 26.5 mm by 26.5 by 12 mm (1.04 by 1.04 by 0.47 Inches).
Hallmarks: They are both stamped at the reverse with the maker's mark, the mark for the assay and warranty of the .750/.999 gold and signed as follows, "©T&CO. 18KT".
Angela Cummings
She was born in 1944 in Klagenfurt in Austria. She take her education at the art academy in Perugia, Italy and at the Zeichenakademie in Hanau, West Germany. in the 1967 she joined Tiffany & Co working under the guidance of Donald Claflin and in the 1975, she was the artistic director for her exclusive line brand Cummings. in 1984 she started her own line of jewelry to be retailed exclusively at an in-boutique store at Bergdorf Goodman, in New York city. now she's retired from the jewelry business. This pair is a nice and rare collector's piece, both her signed pieces for Tiffany & Co. created in the 1970's and 1980's and also her own exclusive pieces, remain highly collectible and are admired for their beauty, comfort and easily recognizably in style.
Collateral: These earrings by Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co. are accompanied by a presentation jewelry box.
Condition: The overall condition of these earrings Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co. are excellent. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to the gold. The 74 gemstones are secured in their settings. This pair was carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and authenticity.
INVENTORY REF: E062025AIEM/.5817
