Featured Silver cuff links

Here are the cuff links I purchased yesterday and after hours of searching, I know no more than I did when I first saw them. I gave up early on trying to figure out what the coat of arms represents (if anything at all) ... I cannot make out the teeny tiny hallmark stamps (what I think are hallmark stamps, I should say) - they were heavily tarnished when I picked them up and have polished up nicely, so I assume they have some silver content ... how much is still a mystery.

The one thing that I saw that caused me to buy them was the itsy bitsy diamond shaped stamp ... which to me looks like a French maker's mark. Looks like a 'M', a pickaxe, and a 'G'? (or 'O', or 'Q' ... really don't know), but am not seeing a mark described as such on silvercollection or 925-1000 ... so fine, if I could just get confirmation that these probably are french, I can live with them being made by "a couple d'hommes in a shed"

The underside of the face of the cuff links looks odd to me ... like a casting almost ... and there is a very slight raised rim on the undersides of both the face and (whatever the other end is called) ... the rim is only on the undersides though. Plus I notice that the same defect on crown (4th spike in from the right is barely visible) is on both cuff links ... so same (mold? stamp?) was used to make them both ....?

So .... French ... oui or non?
Any way to guess age?
I cannot make out any of the hallmarks ... can anyone tell what they are (or which way is the stamp and which is the back)?

face size about 7/8" by ¾" (2.3 cm by 1.9 cm)

showing how small marks are

close-up maker mark from each cuff link

hallmark one side

other side

hallmark on different link

not sure which way is up

and back?

 

Those look like French hallmarks.

 

Oui!
800 fineness. The last one is the boar mark, the lozenge shaped one the maker's mark, MTO, I'd say.
The boar mark is this way around:

 

Nice find!
Any, I think the maker's mark is M-jeweller hammer-G
I'm quite sure the coat of arms is not a fantasy one, the crown is for a Count


The coat of arms on the right depicts 3 pinecones, it seems to be here:
http://jm.ouvrard.pagesperso-orange.fr/armor/fami/r/regnau.htm
For the first one on the left, you may search here, but in French, with numerous pages of images...
The fact there is two coats of arms together may indicate a wedding gift for a marriage of two noble heirs

 

Very nice Kyra!

 

Maybe a gift for the best man, witness, groomsmen. I don't know what is customary in France?

 

Yay! Thanks for the confirmation, Ruth!

 

Thank you, Any Jewelry! For confirmation of 'where' and for giving me hope on the hallmark.
I saw the shape was correct for the boar mark - and the boar mark makes sense ... but I just can't make out the details - I'd expect to see at least a tusk ... or an ear ... something. I think I've been trying to see it on the wrong side of the stamping (what I thought was the back of the stamping may really be the front! )

Since I was able to clean up the maker mark with a sunshine cloth and the tip of a toothpick (it looked like a "T" in the middle to me too - before I cleaned them), I'll work on the hallmarks a bit today with the same and see if they present themselves any clearer.

 

Thank you, kyra!
That's a great site! (and the Google translator doesn't mangle it too badly)
I'll have fun diving in there and searching for a shield with three crescents around a cinquefoil

A count?!?
oooh la la!

 

Those French marks are so tiny, it is difficult to make out the detail, which are exquisite. I've gotten used to just looking at the outline.

 

Yes, of course! Even for the "invités" for the wealthiest families!!! Cufflinks for men, ladies may got a little brooch with same crests!

 

Thanks for the thanks, Girl
Hours to spend when searching for crests... The heraldic vocabulary is quite special, and if you don't have the correct term to search.... Nada!

The back of the hallmark has marks too, because it is truck against a kind od anvil, called "bigorne" which bears bands of insects!

As Any Jewelry, I look at the outline of those tiny French hallmarks, and sometimes was able to point one to a poster from a whole piece's pic

 

That's fabulous, kyra! You are teaching me SOOOO much this morning!!!!
I WAS looking at the back of the mark! I saw some design there and was trying to figure out how it was a boar .... when it was actually part of an insect!!! I could just hug you right now!!!! Thank you!!!! Thank you!!!! Thank you!!!!

Now I want to go get out my other french pieces and see if they too have insects on the back of their hallmarks.

 

@quirkygirl, by rotating your image of the "boar", inverting it and playing with the contrast, you CAN see in the mouth area some of the boar!! As attached.....and that little image that AJ sent fits rather perfectly as it is over your mark!! BTW, VERY pretty!!!!!

 

Voilà! There he is! What you are able to do with photos is amazing!!! Thank you, Aquitaine!

 

Thanks! I like a challenge and like to play....not always successful, but fun just the same!!!!