Elegant Antique German Banded Agate Jewelry, Specimen or Snuff Box, Idar-Oberstein inkwell The Prussian/Russian or Germanic 1700s

The Prussian/Russian or Germanic 1700s portraits I have had all seem to be in a frame with a 1/16" space around the miniature

If you recognize him

From the Louis XV to Louis XVI reigns

The 2nd being those miniatures "après" or painted after the work of an earlier work of art

Elegant Antique German Banded Agate Jewelry, Specimen or Snuff Box, Idar-Oberstein inkwell The Prussian/Russian or Germanic 1700sOrigin 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