Hancocks Spotlights Rare 1960s Cartier Cufflinks Fit for a King

By Annie Davidson Watson | July 06, 2026

Hancocks London has named a pair of circa-1960s Cartier cufflinks its Jewel of the Month for July. The cufflinks are signed Cartier France and bear a Georges Lenfant maker’s mark.

The 18k yellow gold cufflinks (priced at £35,000, approximately $46,400) are modeled on king of hearts playing cards, elaborately rendered in raised gold, with cabochon ruby hearts bezel-set in opposite corners. A solid gold bar connects each cufflink’s faceplate to a smaller, hinged reverse plate, which has a heart engraved on one side. Both the “playing card” and the reverse plate are framed by a gold rope-twist border. The pair weighs 22.7 grams—a considerable weight for cufflinks.

Carrying a Cartier signature as well as a Lenfant maker’s mark gives a jewel a special double provenance. Georges Lenfant, a major figure in French goldsmithing, supplied Cartier and several other prominent jewelry houses. By the time these cufflinks were produced, the Lenfant workshop was under the direction of Georges’ son Jacques, whose output is regarded among the finest goldsmithing of the postwar era.

“These are the kind of jewels that collectors look for, but the appeal goes beyond their rarity,” said Amy Burton, creative director at Hancocks London, in a statement. “They combine Cartier’s playfulness with romance and exceptional craftsmanship. Playing cards have been part of society and culture for centuries, and the king of hearts is a motif that carries charm and character. Within the language of jewelry, it can become something deeply personal, a love token and an expression of affection.

“We have never seen another pair quite like these and, with their Cartier signature, Lenfant maker’s mark, distinctive design, and rarity, they are perhaps the ultimate one-of-a-kind gift for one’s own king of hearts.”

(Photo courtesy of Hancocks London)

Follow me on Instagram: @anniedavidsonwatson