Among the more characterful menswear designs from the original Links of London years, the Playing Card Cufflinks capture the house’s talent for turning familiar objects and pastimes into polished sterling silver jewellery.
Links London branded central cufflink chain link
Each cufflink is double-ended, with two miniature playing cards linked by a short chain. Across the complete pair, all four traditional suits are represented: Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades. Every card carries the value five, creating a coordinated set while still allowing each terminal to have its own identity.
Sterling silver playing cards connected by short chain
The red suits are finished in red enamel, while the black suits are picked out in dark enamel against polished sterling silver.
Vintage Links of London chain cufflinks angled view
Four Suits Across One Pair
The design is especially effective because it does not simply repeat the same card twice.
One cufflink pairs two suits, while the second completes the set, so all four suits appear across the pair:
- Five of Hearts
- Five of Diamonds
- Five of Clubs
- Five of Spades
Black enamel club and spade card cufflinks
That gives the cufflinks a broader identity than a specifically poker-themed accessory. They are first and foremost playing-card cufflinks, with obvious associations to poker, casino games and card playing more generally.
Red enamel heart and diamond card cufflinks
Why All Fives?
The surviving design uses the number five consistently across all four cards.
No original Links of London explanation has yet been recovered for why the five was chosen, so it is best treated as part of the visual design rather than assigned a speculative meaning.
The repeated numeral gives the pair a strong sense of order and symmetry, while the changing suit symbols provide the variation.
Links of London poker style cufflinks in sterling silver
Sterling Silver and Enamel
The cards themselves are rendered as flat rectangular sterling silver plaques with raised or engraved numeral details and enamelled suit symbols.
The red enamel used for Hearts and Diamonds contrasts strongly with the darker enamel used for Clubs and Spades, making the four suits immediately recognisable even at cufflink scale.
The result is graphic, crisp and playful without becoming cartoonish.
Playing card cufflinks showing all four suits
Traditional Double-Ended Chain Construction
Each cufflink uses a traditional double-ended chain construction.
The two card terminals are linked by an approximately 18mm chain, with a larger oval link at the centre. That link carries the Links London name on one side and the hallmarking on the reverse.
The construction allows the cards to sit naturally on either side of a double cuff while preserving movement and flexibility.
Vintage Links of London Five of Spades cufflink
A Hallmarked 2004 Example
A surviving pair is hallmarked LL, 925 with a date letter for 2004.
Each card measures approximately:
- 17mm high
- 11mm wide
- 1.4mm thick
Sterling silver Five of Diamonds playing card cufflink
The central chain link is engraved Links London, while the reverse carries the hallmark.
That dates this particular pair securely to the original Links of London period.
Links of London Five of Clubs cufflink front view
Early Links of London Menswear
Playing-card cufflinks sit naturally within the original house’s wider menswear language.
Links of London built much of its early reputation around witty cufflinks based on recognisable objects, hobbies and interests. Designs inspired by sport, games and everyday objects allowed the house to make formal accessories feel more personal without losing their polish.
The Playing Card Cufflinks fit that formula particularly well.
Links of London Five of Hearts cufflink front view
Vintage Condition
A surviving pair has been professionally cleaned and only lightly polished.
That restores a bright silver finish while preserving the marks and surface character expected from vintage jewellery. Light wear remains visible on both the fronts and backs rather than being polished away aggressively.
This gives the pair a cleaner presentation without erasing its age.
Sterling silver playing card cufflinks with hearts and clubs
The Design in Context
The Links of London Playing Card Cufflinks are a strong example of the original house balancing humour with refinement.
They are playful enough to appeal to card players, poker enthusiasts and collectors of novelty cufflinks, but formal enough to work naturally with a double cuff.
Four suits, four fives, sterling silver, red and black enamel, and traditional chain construction make them one of the more distinctive gaming-inspired designs from the Links of London menswear archive.
Vintage 2004 Links of London card suit cufflinks
Links of London red and black enamel playing card cufflinks
Vintage Links of London Playing Card Cufflinks sterling silver enamel
