When Were Cuff Links First Used?

Unlike other pieces of decorative jewelry, the cuff link does not have a long history. You might actually say that it is a relative newcomer to the world of men’s fashion accessories. Today’s modern cuff link owes it appearance to men’s fashions of the 16th century. Shirts were ruffled, wristbands also featured ruffles and tailors left small holes in the cuffs of the shirts to help wearers bring them together and create the look of an undisturbed continuation of this style element. Men would direct their valets to tie the cuffs together with silk strings. The resulting look created a neat all-around wrist ruffle with no visible gap. These cuff strings remained in use until the 19th century.

France’s Louis the Great, one of whose mistresses has been credited with increasing the popularity of the locket, is also at the heart of the actual cuff link creation. He preferred the use of buttons to strings. Artisans of the time would make ornamental pairs of jeweled studs or gold links. Great Britain’s King Charles II also favored cuff links. Since his wife was said to have supported the new sport of women wearing men’s clothes behind closed doors, she is indirectly credited with advancing the status of the cuff link as well.

There are various known styles of cuff links. The barrel link features an overlapping end. The French link is a double-length cuff. Modern links favor the shank style, which has two large pieces that are connected and secured with a tight-fitting stud. Materials used ran the gamut from gem stores to pearls and gold. Some would feature heavy materials and sizable engravings. Others served as settings for diamonds and pearls. Although modern examples show cuff links to generally have flat and quadrilateral fronts, historic pieces are known to actually show off coats of arms or the faces of lions, bears and birds.

Since cuff links have been an almost exclusively male fashion accessory, they came into use as signs of belonging to social clubs and fraternities. It is not unusual to find enameled cuff links that highlights emblems of student societies. Some religious organizations, too, have used these accessories to identify the wearer as a member. Today, these types of jewelry pieces are sold at auctions or as curiosities online. Some collectors appreciate cuff links of a certain club while others seek after those made of gold or featuring gemstones.

Modern wear of cuff links calls for careful accessorizing with other pieces of jewelry. It is considered gauche to wear gold cuff links with a silver watch and vice versa. Fashion-conscious men therefore own watches with gold and silver bands. An alternative is the selection of a leather wristband, which will match cuff links made of either metal. Moreover, the modern man knows to match a set of colored cuff links to the hue of the shirt. He further matches the color with a suitable tie.

At Peter Suchy Jewelers in Stamford CT, we have a wide variety of vintage and estate cuff links so we invite you to visit our showroom.

Want to browse and purchase cuff links online? If so head on over to our eBay store. We hope you’ll like us on Facebook and add us to your circles on Google+!