Inside The Luxurious World Of Bespoke Cufflinks

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in Volume III of B.H. Magazine. For access to future issues, subscribe here.

Unless involved in the rap game or the drug trade (or both), men today possess scant options for glitzy adornment. A nice watch, a wedding band or signet ring, perhaps a subtle necklace or bracelet – apart from that, there’s really only one other area of sparkling ornamentation today’s judge mental society allows us to explore: cufflinks.

Originating in the 17th century as a fancier alternative to the ribbon ties that had previously kept shirt cuffs unified, early cufflinks tended to take the form of two standard buttons joined by a chain. By the 1700s, cufflinks had evolved into more sophisticated forms, often cast in precious metals, embellished with gemstones or decorated with intricate engravings. Bespoke cufflinks became a key category for the world’s leading jewellers.

Famed as providers of bedazzled eggs to the Russian tsars, Fabergé’s association with the ill-fated Romanovs began, in fact, with the purchase of a pair of cufflinks in the 19th century. Today, the jeweller continues to make fine jewellery cufflinks inspired by the Imperial Eggs, cast in gold and set with colourful gems and guilloché enamel (approx. $10,000).

In the 1920s and ’30s, during the height of the Art Deco era, the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and Tiffany & Co. did a brisk trade in one-off cufflinks for affluent customers. Those jewellers still produce outstanding links today. Take, for example, the Pierre Arpels Pastelle cufflinks in white gold and agate with diamond embellishment ($13,000); Cartier’s twisted nail-shaped Juste Un Clou cufflinks in solid yellow gold ($7,500); or Jean Schlumberger Olive cufflinks in 18k gold with blue enamel from Tiffany & Co. ($12,700).

For something utterly unique, however, there are certain specialists you’ll need to consult for a cufflink made to your individual specifications. Producing meticulously crafted, limited-run, and entirely bespoke cufflinks – in designs ranging from classically traditional through to quirky and quixotic – third-generation jeweller Michael Kanners is one such source.

Asked to describe his bespoke process, Kanners says: “It varies. Sometimes a client has a specific idea, like depicting their dog. Other times, they come with a general concept, and I guide them through it. For example, with a recent commission, I discussed suitable stones to match the client’s dogs, made plasticine models for proportions, and then worked closely with my stonecutter in Germany.”

“Once the specifics of the design are signed off, the cufflinks take about six weeks to complete. Some commissions are trickier than others. The most complex he’s faced thus far, Kanners says, was replicating a customer’s vintage Italian sports car.

“There are no natural gemstones that are Ferrari red, per se. The closest we could find was very, very fine Japanese oxblood coral,” Kanners recalls. “It’s an expensive material to work with and it’s unpredictable. You can start doing your carving and you get three-quarters of the way through then the material falls apart.”

Kanners reports that eventually, he and his craftsmen succeeded in creating the delicate coral automobile. “I would say to the next person that requests a red car, let’s try to find another solution, another material,” he laughs.“ But I don’t think there’s any commission we’d refuse. My stonecutter can do anything. If I pushed him hard enough, he’d be up to any challenge – he likes a challenge.”

With a history dating back to 1786, Deakin & Francis is one of England’s oldest jewellers. Their ready-made and made-to-order range includes a vast array of cufflink designs, from simple sterling silver ovals (£200), through to elegant white gold creations studded with diamonds (£10,000–18,000). They’ll also gladly accept fully bespoke commissions, with a specialty being miniature enamel painting, featuring scenes of the customer’s choosing.

London’s Theo Fennell – a close friend and favourite jeweller of Sir Elton John – offers a bespoke cufflink service (price on application) that combines classic craftsmanship with irreverent design. Fennell trained as a portrait painter and particularly enjoys commissions creating lifelike, 3D-sculpted depictions of a client’s loved ones or heroes. The Chelsea-based artisan’s ready-made cufflink range includes intricate carvings of agate and jasper, as well as portraits of figures such as Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, Elvis, and Einstein (£550) – a piece of men’s jewellery with a real sense of character.

If you’ve enjoyed this feature article on bespoke cufflinks, consider a few more of our favourite stories – direct from the pages of B.H. Magazine:

• Canvass The Opportunity: Your Guide To Investing In Australian Art
• Labour Of Love: Why Australia’s Locally-Grown Coffee Deserves Your Attention
• From Crayères To The Cabin: How Airlines Select Champagne For First & Business Class
• Game Of Life: A Luxurious Hemingway-Esque Safari In South Africa
• The True Cost Of Luxury: Confessions Of A Restaurant Critic