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ID #SA1241737
FOR SALE
£195
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An Unusual Victorian Silver Pique & Tortoiseshell Magnifying Loupe
For sale by Booth Antiques
for sale €228     $248
£195
Booth Antiques

Booth Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Oct 2026
Browse dealers 31 items
  • About Us
    Specialist in antique silver, glass, jewellery and objets de vertu
Id #SA1241737
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An Unusual Victorian Silver Pique & Tortoiseshell Magnifying Loupe

19th century
For Sale by Booth Antiques
Description

An unusual Victorian silver & tortoiseshell cased magnifying loupe. The inner loupe has a swivel action and is brass mounted, with an attaching ring to the top for a fob chain or chatelaine. The exquisite casing is of tortoiseshell and to the front features inlaid silver pique work. A lovely, practical collector's piece and a wonderful gift idea. Dimensions below.

Postage and packing £12.00 UK

£20.00 Europe

£50.00 USA (including 10% tariff)

£28.00 Outside Europe

Condition :- Excellent, with no holes, splits or losses.

Hallmarks :- Unmarked, but tests as silver.

Date :- c1880.

Height :- 4.5 cm.

Width :- 2.5 cm.

Depth :- 1 cm.

Physical Dimensions
Height
4.5cm (1.77")
Width
2.5cm (0.98")
Depth
1cm (0.39")
Declaration

Booth Antiques has dated this Victorian Tortoiseshell Magnifying Loupe to the 1880s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1241737
Dealers Internal Reference
B2031
Dealers Notes

Payment by BANK TRANSFER (preferred),DEBIT/CREDIT CARD, or PAYPAL. Great care is taken with packing and only 'signed for or tracked' postal options are used, where available. In the UK, Royal Mail Special Delivery is used, which is both fully insured against loss or damage and guaranteed next day (excluding weekends). If an item goes missing, or is damaged in the post, all available assistance will be offered to make a claim against the provider. Loss or damage in transit, is NOT the responsibility of the seller.

IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE. Due to the imposition by some countries of an import tariff - an additional charge may be required to prepay tax duty. Please be aware of this if purchasing from overseas. If this additional charge is not acceptable, please do not proceed with the purchase.

Returns are accepted if the item has undisclosed damage at point of sale, or has been seriously mis-described. Buyer pays all costs. If you are not certain that you will be completely happy with the item, please do not purchase it. Care has been taken to ensure that items are accurately described and photographed - if any further information is required please ask.

PLEASE CONTACT ME TO PROVIDE CARD DETAILS OR REQUEST BANK DETAILS. PLEASE ADD POSTAGE FOR PAYPAL AND PRESS PAYPAL OPTION. If there is anything more we can do to help, please ask. We would like your experience with us to be a happy one and will always try to be accommodating.

Thank you for your interest.

Description
An unusual Victorian silver & tortoiseshell cased magnifying loupe.
“
The inner loupe has a swivel action and is brass mounted, with an attaching ring to the top for a fob chain or chatelaine.
Booth Antiques

The exquisite casing is of tortoiseshell and to the front features inlaid silver pique work. A lovely, practical collector's piece and a wonderful gift idea. Dimensions below.

fig 1. A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens.
fig 1. An Unusual Victorian Silver Pique & Tortoiseshell Magnifying Loupe

Postage and packing £12.00 UK

£20.00 Europe

£50.00 USA (including 10% tariff)

£28.00 Outside Europe

Condition :- Excellent, with no holes, splits or losses.

Hallmarks :- Unmarked, but tests as silver.

Date :- c1880.

Height :- 4.5 cm.

Width :- 2.5 cm.

Depth :- 1 cm.

Height
4.5cm (1.77")
Width
2.5cm (0.98")
Depth
1cm (0.39")
Date of Manufacture

Booth Antiques has dated this Victorian Tortoiseshell Magnifying Loupe to the 1880s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1241737
Dealers Internal Ref
B2031
Booth Antiques
Booth Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Oct 2026

Specialist in antique silver, glass, jewellery and objets de vertu

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Booth Antiques Profile Page

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A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens.
1 / 5
Archive I A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens.

An Unusual Victorian Silver Pique & Tortoiseshell Magnifying Loupe

Archive II A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens. View II
Archive III A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens. View III
Archive IV A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens. View IV
Archive V A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens. View V
Enlarged Archival View
Booth Antiques

Booth Antiques
Telephone 07833 300488
Location
Cambridgeshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/boothantiques
Verified Since Oct 2026
Items For Sale 31
Items Sold 1
Booth Antiques
Booth Antiques
Verified Since Oct 2026
View Dealer Info
Location: Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/boothantiques
Verified
Oct 2026
For Sale
31
Sold
1
A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens.
An unusual Victorian silver pique & tortoiseshell magnifying loupe
Ref: SA1241737
A Victorian oval dark brown tortoiseshell folding loupe decorated with silver pique foliate inlay and featuring a swivelling circular magnifying glass lens.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectMagnifying Glasses
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian
  • MaterialTortoiseshell, Silver, Glass, Brass
  • ColourDark Brown, Silver
  • MotifsPique work, Foliate wreath, Swivel mechanism, Suspension loop
  • SizeH 4.5 cm (2 in) x W 2.5 cm (1 in) x D 1 cm (0 in)

This Victorian magnifying loupe dates from 1880 and takes the form of an oval dark brown tortoiseshell case housing a circular glass lens within a brass mount. The front of the case displays silver piquetwork inlay forming a detailed foliate wreath, while a small suspension loop sits at the base and a swivel mechanism connects the inner lens. The textured fabric surface underneath displays a neutral white tone, and the metal components show subtle surface variations alongside visible joins at the mount. The piece measures 4.5 cm high, 2.5 cm wide, and 1 cm deep. On a gentleman's library table or office desk, this portable instrument serves as a practical magnifying glass for examining fine print, stamps, or jewellery. Collectors can also suspend the object from a chatelaine or fob chain using the top attachment ring, allowing it to function as a wearable pocket accessory while adding period character to a workspace display.

FAQs

A Victorian pique tortoiseshell magnifying loupe is a compact optical magnification lens set within a shell housing ornamented with inlaid silver or gold. popularised in the nineteenth century, these items were created for reading fine print and were often carried on watch chains or chatelaines.

Pique decoration was created by pressing heated gold or silver wire or foil directly into softened tortoiseshell. As the shell cooled and hardened, it shrank around the metal inlay, fixing the decorative pattern securely in place.

Authentic pieces exhibit hand-fitted precious metal inlays that sit flush with the natural shell casing, which displays organic colour tone variation under light. Genuine examples show minor surface wear consistent with historical use rather than modern synthetic moulding marks.

An antique loupe can be styled on an office desk atop leather-bound books or placed within a glass presentation tray on a bookshelf. It can also be displayed in a shadow frame alongside historical desktop curiosities.

Keep tortoiseshell away from direct heat sources and dry environments to avoid warping or fractures. Clean gently using a dry microfibre cloth, avoiding liquid chemicals or water immersion that could compromise the shell or loosen the metal inlays.
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