Gump's Jade Magnifying Glass and Letter Opener

A tortoise can live to be two centuries old and this little guy is no exception. Crafted from cast bronze, the shell lifts off to reveal a carved and etched plaque of natural, untrea...

The luminous untreated jadeite jade beads that compose this 20" necklace are so faintly light green, that they appear white. Well, but not white; not really, because they are far too fascinating to be merely white like a piece of paper or a sheet. It is as if an apparition has assumed bead form and settled around the neck. These gorgeous, succulent beads seem filled with a reserve of light they have gathered during the day in order to release back into the night like a whisper. If you like pearls but wish for something denser, more grounded in the material world, these may be for you. They do look like pearls from a distance, a pristine strand of vintage cultured Akoya pearls. But then, up close, what are they? White sapphires? What could they be? Most people, of course, have no idea jade is anything other than green. The individual beads measure approximately 8.5mm for a clean, unified presentation around the neck. I am a second-generation collector of jade and have loved Gump's jade jewelry all my life. Gump's was an iconic San Francisco department store that was founded in the 19th century and awed the world with their remarkable and unique pieces until 2005 when they were sold. Gump's never used any dyed or treated jade in any of their jewelry, so they remain one of very few brands that you never need to have tested; vintage Gump...

What a treasure for the Gump's collector and jade lover! This 1970's jewel from the iconic San Francisco retailer, Gump's, features a hand-carved deep forest green nephrite jade egg...

This is an iconic black jade ring from Gump's San Francisco featuring an oval cabochon of natural and untreated black jade. This style of jade ring has prov...

Perfectly unisex and exceedingly rare, this is an original Gump's San Francisco jade ring featuring an oval cabochon of natural and untreated white jadeite jade set into a hand-crafted 18k yellow gold mounting. The original Gump's of San Francisco was an iconic retailer known worldwide for their spectacular and always, always untreated natural jade jewelry...

This is rare Gump's nephrite jade necklace from the Midcentury (circa 1960s) in an exceptionally translucent light chartreuse green. Indeed, the hand-carved and polished beads are so highly translucent they look to be made of glass. In fact, "Glassy" jade is a term usually reserved to describe only the finest jadeite jade -nephrite jade's rarer and more expensive cousin- and the word is only rarely applicable to the nephrite variety of jade, due to its different mineral structure. The 16 ¾" necklace is composed of 40 9.30mm untreated nephrite beads that are most likely from Siberia. These beads are a fine, evenly-toned chartreuse green, and they display the high translucency of the only finest jadeite. Most Gump's jade necklaces were available in 18" and 24" lengths. This 16" necklace is far less common, and the large size of the beads in combination with the brief length speaks to the scarcity of the beads themselves, their genuine preciousness. The 14K yellow gold clasp is marked "Hong Kong" and "Gump's." All original Gump's jade jewelry...

Rare Chinese Export Silver and Jade Magnifying Glass, C.1890. The pierced foliate silver frame bezel set with four green jadeites and four orange...

This stunning letter opener is a must-have addition to any desk or collection. The handle is crafted from high-quality silver and adorned with beautiful amethyst, rubellite, and labr...

Victorian Owl Letter Opener crafted of 800 grade silver with celluloid and glass eyes. Charming figural, novelty motif from the late 19th Century. Be...

Birmingham 1994 sterling silver letter opener, dragon design in the original box, 8 1/2 inches long. Hallmarks viisble, good condition, maker unknown.

This silver and antique coral letter opener was handmade by our talented goldsmiths, who used a coral branch from Sciacca, the Sicilian town famous for its corals. The Sciacca Coral has unique origins in the world: it is closely tied to the exceptional history of the Ferdinandea Island, which is a submerged volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily, between Pantelleria and Sciacca. As of today the summit of the Ferdinandea Island remains between about 6 and 8 meters below the Mediterranean Sea level. Its most recent appearance as an island was in July 1831. In the late 1831, in a shoal (called later ”Bummolo” by the fishermen of Sciacca) located around 30 miles from Sciacca, a new island emerged in a fiery hell from the depths of the Strait of Sicily. However, one year later, the island sank back beneath the waters and definitely disappeared in the Strait of Sicily. Over time, thanks to the exceptional microclimate determined by the frequent volcanic phenomena along the slopes of the submerged volcano, huge coral...

A fine antique sterling silver ruler. By Leonore Doskow. With a pointed end for opening letters and 6 inches of measurement marks. Simply a gr...