Finishing touches in a room are key. They are the chic belt, beautiful bag, amazing necklace or bracelet in a space. One of my favorite things is a functional, finishing touch that can be found on the top of books. What is it? A magnifying glass.
The earliest magnifying glass is believed to be reading stones. These were used by farsighted monks as early as the eleventh century. Most of the magnifying glasses that are sought after by today's collectors date from the 1700s through the mid 1950s. The handles and casings of magnifying glasses have been made from many different materials throughout the years.
Examples include:
-Gold, pink enamel and rock crystal, circa 1900
-Sterling silver, 1910
-Brass, circa 1900
-Ivory and sterling silver, 1887
-Bone and sterling silver, circa 1885
-Tortoise Shell and sterling silver, 1912
-Horn, 1700s
-Jade, circa 1900
-Wood and brass, late 1800s
-Bakelite, 1930s
The earliest magnifying glass is believed to be reading stones. These were used by farsighted monks as early as the eleventh century. Most of the magnifying glasses that are sought after by today's collectors date from the 1700s through the mid 1950s. The handles and casings of magnifying glasses have been made from many different materials throughout the years.
Examples include:
-Gold, pink enamel and rock crystal, circa 1900
-Sterling silver, 1910
-Brass, circa 1900
-Ivory and sterling silver, 1887
-Bone and sterling silver, circa 1885
-Tortoise Shell and sterling silver, 1912
-Horn, 1700s
-Jade, circa 1900
-Wood and brass, late 1800s
-Bakelite, 1930s
They can have much character and be the conversation piece in a space. These treasures are fun to discover in places such as an antique shop or flee market. I found mine at Marshalls on the Clearance Shelf! It has a gold dog head on the end of an ivory, ribbed handle and is quite heavy (sounds creepy...but trust me it's not!) As I have previously mentioned, every room should have at least one thing that makes you smile. This is mine.
1st Dibs, 19th century, $550.
Malleries, $395.
Rufkahrs, $34.95.
Ponte Vecchio, $125.
1st Dibs, 1970s, $1800.
Nelson & Nelson Antiques, $450.
Rufkahrs, $28.95.
Thanks for stopping by!
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