Victorian pinchbeck cufflinks with an opal cabochon

Charming Victorian pinchbeck cufflinks featuring embossed faces with a bezel set opal cabochon in the centre. A sculptured whaleback links to a plain oval retainer. The faces measure 20 mm across.

Pinchbeck is an alloy of copper and zinc mixed in proportions so that it closely resembles gold in appearance. It was invented in the early 18th century by Christopher Pinchbeck, a London clock and watchmaker, and fell out of use in the second half of the 19th century when low carat gold was legalised.