Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
cuff link
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
cuff link
Quick Facts
Related Topics:
jewelry
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
cuff link
cuff link Monogrammed cuff link.

cuff link

ornament
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

cuff link, small ornamental device, generally a pair of linked buttons or one button that fastens with a bar or shank, inserted through buttonholes to keep the cuff of a shirt or blouse closed. Cuff buttons took the place of cuff strings in the 17th century, and the word link appeared as early as 1788.

By the 1840s, cuff links were usually in the form of gold, silver, or pearl buttons held together by chain links. There have been many variations in cuff-link design, and they are no longer limited to the button form and may be made of any number of materials.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.