Piece of the Week: A Pair of Cufflinks Jimmy Carter Wore
The 39th president and longtime humanitarian donned these Oscar Heyman-made American flags when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Born and raised in the small town of Plains, Georgia, the 98-year-old Carter served as a Georgia state senator and governor before winning the Democratic Party’s nomination for president in 1976 and, ultimately, defeating incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford.
He served a single term, from 1977 to 1981, but lost his bid for re-election to Ronald Reagan.
In 1982, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, opened The Carter Center in Atlanta in partnership with Emory University.
The center works to prevent and resolve conflicts, improve health, and enhance democracy worldwide, with the Carters personally dedicating years to flying around the globe to monitor elections, fight tropical diseases, and promote progress in developing countries.
The former president and first lady also have worked as Habitat for Humanity volunteers for more than three decades.
For what The Norwegian Nobel Committee described as his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development,” Carter was granted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
He wore these Oscar Heyman cufflinks when accepting the award in Oslo, Norway.
First designed around 1940, Oscar Heyman’s American flag cufflinks feature 56 square rubies totaling 1.98 carats, 26 baguette-cut diamonds (0.96 carats), 10 square sapphires (0.79 carats), and 10 round diamonds (0.12 carats).
The jewelry house said it sold this particular pair to a store in 1994, and they subsequently were gifted to Carter.
It got the cufflinks back, along with the note for authenticity (both pictured above in a post from the @oscarheyman Instagram account), around the time the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston published a book on the company’s history. “Oscar Heyman: The Jewelers’ Jeweler,” came out in April 2017.
Oscar Heyman said it was told Carter had written the note so the cufflinks could be auctioned off one day.
The Latest

Sotheby’s will auction the diamond, which it says is “arguably the most significant pink diamond to ever appear at auction,” in June.

The retailer, recently acquired by Signet Jewelers, will lay off 119 employees in July.

The Swiss watchmaker introduced 17 new models at Watches & Wonders Geneva.

Distinguishing natural diamonds from laboratory-grown stones – now more available than ever – has been difficult for jewelers. Until now.

As part of the promotion, Smith will share his sales expertise during a 90-minute training session.


At Watches & Wonders, the Swiss brand unveiled a follow-up to last year’s Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante.

A new word appears on the dial each day of the week.

De Beers Institute of Diamonds provides the very best in diamond verification, education and diamond services.

Bensons Jewelers closed for good Feb. 24, impacted in part by the decline in foot traffic downtown since the onset of the pandemic.

Kolja Kiofsky has been with the crystal and jewelry company since 2010.

The Kruse GWS Auctions sale will include the replica “Taj Mahal” necklace Elizabeth Taylor made with Avon as well as a costume piece Marilyn Monroe wore.

Massimo Basei is moving up, while Chief Commercial Officer Martino Pessina is stepping down.

AGTA GemFair and the Denver Gem & Mineral Show also will have a presence on the show floor.

Sold by Christie’s Hong Kong, this masterwork of complications now holds the record for most expensive watch ever auctioned online.

The watch company expects first-quarter sales to fall as much as 15 percent due to inflation and tough comps.

Adam O’Grady, general manager of the Lightbox Lab, has taken on the new role and will report directly to Lightbox CEO Antoine Borde.

The watch marketplace gathered data from 1.3 million collectors, highlighting the most popular timepieces and exploring value appreciation.

Burgundy has opted not to exercise its option to buy the mining claims Gibb River Diamonds currently owns.

Patented and specialty cuts now can receive an 8X Proprietary Certificate, which can be customized to include a company’s brand and logo.

The organization said it will recognize those who exemplify the idea that doing good is good business.

The CEOs of Signet, Helzberg, and GIA spoke on a water conservation panel, and had lakes named in their companies’ honor.

Sales of the sleek sterling silver and diamond design will go to nonprofit organization charity: water.

Expected to earn up to $4.5 million, the “Jarretière” bracelet is the star of Christie’s “The Magnificent Jewels of Anne Eisenhower” sale.

With jewelry sales coming down from their pandemic highs, retailers need to do all they can to retain existing customers, Peter Smith says.

Jewelry historians, authors, and experts will explore the works of Tiffany & Co., Oscar Heyman, Verdura, and more.

Johnson joined the retailer in 1987, establishing its first human resources department.

Supplier Spotlight Presented by IGI