Metal: Platinum

Size: 4” in length when opened. 2” in length when closed

Lense Size: Approx. 1.20” x 1".00”

Maker: Tiffany & Co.

What You Should Know: A beautiful lorgnette. Folding opera glasses fabricated in platinum and crystal. Fully functional and stamped “Tiffany & Co. PLAT.” Chain not included. Minor scratches on glass.

A lorgnette—a pair of mounted glasses with a handle—was a common sight in the 1800’s. You couldn’t attend a play or opera without seeing several. Anyone who was anyone had one, including Madame du Pompadour, Napoleon’s lover whose lips were so sensual that they gave rise to a diamond cut (the marquise!).

Eventually, these eyeglasses became so admired and ornate that they transcended beyond the theater to become an everyday accessory. The word lorgnette comes from the French word “lorgner,” which means “to ogle” or “to take a sidelong look at.” Until the 1600’s, optical aids were mostly used by men. But the lorgnette was a proper feminine accessory. They were a world and a language unto themselves, giving prim and proper women of high society a license to flirt and woo.

Lorgnette makers of the day were extremely creative. Some featured diamonds and intricate engravings while others were hidden, not only in fancy sheaths but in fans, lace and other places. Given the intense popularity of the lorgnette as adornment, all the famed jewelry houses of the day crafted a version, from Cartier to Tiffany and Co. This gorgeous example from Tiffany is made of platinum and crystal. Fully functional, the lenses fold up to appear as a pendant as well. Swoon.