Some time ago I bought out the drawers of an old jeweler's workbench in Paris, and there were lots of gorgeous century-old hand carved Italian cameos and micro mosaics, all little works of art, and all passed down through generations of goldsmiths, jewelers. I love that, in France, many generations of a family stay in the family business, apprentice and eventually take it over, passing one generation to the next. This sale marked the closing, end of the line, and there were incredible treasures to be had. I only bought a few lots, and this is one. I've had them for a couple decades, myself. I'm nostalgic about such things. But it's time to part with my own collections and I will offer each individually. Someone in Italy should buy them, have their goldsmith make up the mounts and offer them for the monstrously high prices they charge there for such Grand Tour souvenirs. It's interesting, travelers would buy these uncounted, take them to French or English goldsmiths to create the mounts after they got back home.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, no cracks or chips, just lacking a bale or brooch pin-back - just has a lovely little frame. As you can see, the lovely floral bouquet is in colored glass tesserae, all of which are in place and solid, flat, in the lapis glass basin. These with tiny tesserae and red border date late 1700s to early 1800s. while this is in a mount, it is just a little frame, could easily become a pendant, or a brooch but one might need to find a jeweler to modify, or just enjoy the plaque in your own collection and display, as I have.
