A History of the Cufflink, From Renaissance Courts to Modern Minimalism

The cufflink emerged in the seventeenth century as shirt sleeves grew longer and more ornate. Before their invention, ribbons held cuffs together. By the 1680s, small buttons connected by a chain appeared in French and English courts. Samuel Pepys recorded purchasing gold sleeve buttons in 1668, among the earliest documented references.

The eighteenth century brought paste-set cufflinks, where glass stones mimicked diamonds for men who could not afford real gems. Georgian-era examples survive at the Victoria and Albert Museum. By the Regency period, cufflinks were standard in any setting more formal than the country house breakfast.

The Industrial Revolution democratised the cufflink. Mass production in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter made affordable versions available to the middle class. Deakin & Francis, founded in Birmingham in 1786, continues to produce cufflinks there today (https://www.deakinandfrancis.co.uk).

The mid-twentieth century introduced the toggle-back cufflink, simplifying insertion compared to chain-link designs. This coincided with the rise of French-cuff shirts in American business dress, making cufflinks an everyday accessory rather than a purely formal one.

The backs have names and consequences. Chain links, the oldest form, carry a decorative face at each end and let a soft double cuff sit as a rounded barrel; whale backs, ball returns and bullet or toggle backs all pivot instead, holding the cuff flat and square. The choice is practical rather than antiquarian, and antique chain links are worth seeking out for the simple reason that both sides show.

Modern design spans extraordinary range. Alice Made This produces machined-metal knot cufflinks in Sheffield steel. At the extravagant extreme, jewellers like Verdura craft one-of-a-kind pieces set with precious stones that rival brooch-level craftsmanship.

The techniques are worth recognising. Guilloche enamel is translucent enamel fired over an engine-turned ground, so the pattern moves as the light does. Hardstones such as onyx, lapis and tiger's eye are cut and set rather than moulded. Essex crystal, a Victorian speciality that a handful of workshops still produce, is rock crystal carved in intaglio from behind and painted, so the image appears to float inside the dome. On silver, the anchor is Birmingham's assay mark, struck there since 1773.

Wearing cufflinks requires a French-cuff shirt folded back to expose the inside. The link should be inserted from outside inward so the decorative face is visible when the arm rests naturally. For business, restrained metals project confidence without ostentation.

Evening dress has its own grammar: a matched set of studs and links, mother-of-pearl for white tie and onyx for black. For everything else, the silk knot that Charvet has sold from the Place Vendome for more than a century costs a few pounds, weighs nothing and is never wrong. A silver or gold pair from a Birmingham maker sits in the low hundreds; above that you buy stones and rarity. The part that wears is the hinge on a bullet back, and a jeweller can tighten it in minutes.

The cufflink endures because it occupies a niche no other accessory fills: a small, functional jewel signalling intentionality. Invest in one quality pair in silver or gold, and let them become as habitual as a good watch. They are the last detail that completes the picture.