Antique French Tortoise Shell Locket with Hair Art, Seed Pearls - Tortoiseshell Mourning Necklace

Big and solid, this is an incredible and rare treat to find, and we're pleased to offer it to our collectors of either tortoise shell, mourning or memento jewelry, or hair art pieces. The pristine c. 1830-50 high-polish locket of natural tortoise shell has a large bale and can manage up to 4.5 mm pearls if you wish to wear it on a bead necklace, and the inside is just as pristine as the outer locket - both sides are glass-covered and protect fine early to mid 1800 French hair art set with seed pearls. The work is perfectly preserved and would be a real shame to remove it, but of course some do and turn these into photo lockets. I just hate to even mention it, since as it is before you here, it is a museum peice. No breaks or even bug nips on the fine old chocolate colored tortoise shell, this one has been very well preserved through time - an obviously well treasured family heirloom. One can only guess who these people were since we have no history to attend it, but with today's cl