Antique French Tortoise Shell & 18k Gold Lorgnette c. 1820- 50, Complete

A magnificent old French lorgnette in finest shell, with glass clear and undamaged and the handle as beautiful on front and back as any we’ve seen. A cartouche of 18k yellow gold adorns the one side, making it even more elegant. Perfect to use, as the mechanism works very well and the lenses are clear and unscathed by time. Slight magnification for we aging but fabulous baby boomers who now need just a touch of something to make that tiny text readable (sound familiar?). These were worn dangling from a long black silk ribbon around the neck. A wonderful idea for use or to just sit on your side table as a decorative accent.

Very good to excellent condition, not a flaw to note. These are circa 1840-80, amazing condition for their age.

The vast majority of worked and antique object tortoise shell material comes from the shells of two species of sea turtles: the hawksbill (Eretmo-chelys imbricata) and, more rarely, the green turtle (see box A). The shells of these turtles exhibit attractive patterns that normally consist of light to dark brown patches, though a homogeneous “cream”-colored variety called blond tortoise shell also exists. We (and all but DNA test experts) are unable to distinguish between Asian and African elephant ivory, and c.1400-1800s trade routes bringing same into Europe sourced both.

IMPORTANT NOTE regarding antique tortoise shell or ivory: We are great supporters of protection for endangered species in our modern world. We never buy or sell anything 100 years or newer; we donate to anti-poaching organizations; we don’t hunt; we conserve in ways that impact global warming (we’re totally solar at home), knowing those measures also protect the animals in the wild today. We also recognize the vast cultural history we preserve with our care and reverence for these antique objects, and agree with CITES that objects over 100 years of age have nothing whatsoever to do with species depletion in our current world. We do hold a USDFW import/export license, as well.

Our offering exceeds the age limitation of “more than 100 years of age”, and is well within the exemption for CITES regulation. If imported, met the CITES regulation. This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah business, and is not available for shipment internationally, nor within the USA to California, NY, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington if it contains ivory, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.