A lorgnette is a pair of glasses with a handle to hold them in front of the eyes. Fashionable ladies and gentlemen of the 18th and 19th Centuries usually preferred them to spectacles and would often use them as a piece of jewellery, rather than to enhance vision (similar to hipsters wearing thick frames with clear lenses in 2013!).
They come in a range of fashionable styles, and for the rich were set with gem stones or gravings of people’s initials. A cord around the neck could keep them to hand for when the wearer needed them.
We were delighted to help a customer with their antique Lorgnette. This particular type was invented in 1825 and included a cunning spring action, which allowed the glasses to fold in half, stacking the two lenses together into a single double-strength lens.
It was made from 18 carat rolled gold and the handle is thought to be bone, making this a rare and interesting collectable. We replaced the flat glass lenses in store, carefully restoring and preserving this small piece of history.