About the Gorham Sterling Silver Yo-Yo
The Gorham Sterling Silver Yo-Yo is a luxury novelty item produced by the Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island, one of the most prestigious American sterling silver manufacturers. Designated internally as model #30, the yo-yo features a sterling silver (925) shell over a weighted steel body, marked on the edge “GORHAM STERLING COVER 30 STEEL BODY.” It was sold as a gift item across multiple production eras from approximately the 1910s through the 1970s.
The most common surface treatment is an ornate acanthus leaf repoussé pattern embossed on both faces, though documented variants include Art Nouveau floral designs (c.1910s–1930s), a child figural design (c.1945), and smooth-faced engravable versions intended for monogramming. The construction uses a fixed steel axle with a corded cotton string. An example with the acanthus leaf design, dated to the 1970s, is held in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (Object 2002.0246.07). A 1910s–1920s example was auctioned by Bukowskis.
