Petit Antique German Banded Agate Jewelry, Specimen or Snuff Box, Idar-Oberstein Crossed torches just stretcher-attached

just stretcher-attached

and the styles returned to more modest and high-collared

The portrait is elegantly accomplished

A few tiny nips elsewhere but no larger chips

the little flea markets and street fairs - such fun

Petit Antique German Banded Agate Jewelry, Specimen or Snuff Box, Idar-Oberstein Crossed torches just stretcher-attachedOrigin of the box is German (Idar Oberstein), the area referred to as the valley of agate. These 19th century boxes, superbly crafted specimen stone set in ormolu framework and up on ball agate feet, were fabulously well received as Grand Tour souvenirs, still highly sought after today. While the gemstone industry got its start with local mined stone, stone from around the world went into these boxes by end of 1800s. A cluster of them makes a superb