Antique c.1750 French Portrait Miniature Bracelet Clasp, Mother of Pearl, Powdered Wig

Fabulous and rare find, mid-18th century portrait miniature bracelet clasp, complete. The piece still has its clasp tongue intact, and the polished convex cover glass is excellent, intact in full. The little painting is remarkable! His detailed face is just 1/2″ from chin to hairline of his powdered wig. This is a gentleman from the Louis XV era to perhaps earliest Louis XVI era. Pale blue jacket and ruffled cravat along with gold pins and what looks to be seed pearl and diamond buttons. It is his face that haunts with its magnificent detail in a painting so small. The bracelet clasp seems to be silver with a heavy gold plate, it is not karat gold. I didn’t polish it much at all, and while I think I can make out a tiny French mark near one hold in the tongue side of clasp, I can’t see it well enough to look up the silversmith. The bracelet would have been 4 strands, and just begs someone to re-string it with pearls of about 3mm – 4mm in size. It’s a stunning piece, rare fine jewelry. Full measurements noted on photos. 

Very good to excellent for age and type, you can see from the backside that it is painted on a mother of pearl wafer, visible from back. The painting would be gouache on mother of pearl. The cover glass remains perfect, no chips or hairlines, and it tightly affixed in place. The little bit of ‘stuff’ you see seems to me to be on the inside of the glass so someone very brave might consider taking it apart to clean that inner glass but do not touch the painting. Very fragile – gouache on mother of pearl!  No bends or flaws to the mount which I feel certain is silver with a gold plate. I have not tested it. I suppose I should on outside chance it is gold with some tarnish. If I find it’s gold, will annotate and raise our price on it. Found in France.