Mother-of-Pearl Paperweights

A rare silvered metal desk or tabletop planter inlaid with 12 framed Pietra Dura panels of inlaid colorful flowers on a black base, complete with its ...

An unusual and highly sought-after vintage silver plated letter opener by the world renowned, Christian Dior. The letter opener is fashioned in the form of a belt with engraved "s...

This pair of vintage rollerball pens were made by the well known Montblanc factory of Germany in approximately 1990 in their classic modern style. theiThe black cased pen from this grouping is their "Meisterstruck" model with a clear tip on the cap, and a gold band around the center of the barrel with "MONTBLANC" and "MEISTERSTRUCK" in block letters. The other pen of this group with the brushed metal case is their "Starwalker" model. Both pens come with thier original fitted boxes, and we have one outer box and some paperwork. Both of these Montblanc rollerball pens...

Outstanding quality antique Victorian silver plated novelty cruet having a fantastic quality antique Victorian novelty cruet having a silver plated bear to the middle, next to a silv...

Aviation Lockheed Constellation vintage aluminium desk top display airplane model. The model has movement, you can change the position of the airplane...

The round paperweight framed in black marble, with porphyry and sienna marble and other marble specimens. The center in sienna marble with carved bea...

This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight, circa 1880 in date. This splendid rectangular paperweight is exquisitely inlaid with a sumptuous arrangement of semi-precious stones including malachite, agate, onyx and amethyst. It is beautifully inlaid on a slate base. Not only is this desk paperweight very functional, but it is also an exquisite mineralogical wonder that can be admired by all discerning collectors. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation, Dimensions in cm: Height 2 x Width 17 x Depth 10 Dimensions in inches: Height 1 inch x width 7 inches x depth 4 inches. Pietra dura is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished coloured stones to create images. It is considered a decorative art. Pietre dure is an Italian plural meaning "hard rocks" or hardstones; the singular pietra dura is also encountered in Italian. In Italian, but not in English, the term embraces all gem engraving and hardstone carving, which is the artistic carving of three-dimensional objects in semi-precious stone, normally from a single piece, for example in Chinese jade. The traditional convention in English has been to use the singular pietra dura just to denote multi-colored inlay work. However, in recent years there has been a trend to use pietre dure as a term for the same thing, but not for all of the techniques it covers, in Italian. But the title of a 2008 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe used the full Italian sense of the term, probably because they thought that it had greater brand recognition. The material on the website speaks of objects such as a vase in lapis lazuli as being examples of "hardstone carving (pietre dure)" The Victoria & Albert Museum in London uses both versions on its website, but uses pietra dura. "A method of inlaying coloured marbles or semi-precious stones into a stone base, often in geometric or flower patterns...." Giovanni Montelatici...

particular set consisting of a Ronson lighter and crystal ashtray, with an inclined shape, in the style of mangiarotti design measurements: the ashtr...

This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight, circa 1880 in date. This splendid rectangular paperweight is exquisitely inlai...

This wonderful vintage Hermès paper holder or letter clip is on the rare side. It is signed Hermès Paris and is polished silver plate. It was desig...

Vintage Italian Alabaster Owl Paperweight. A fantastic mid-century Italian marble paperweight with yellow and black glass eyes. Whimsical hand carved s...

Murano midcentury modern 1960s Millefiori flower, green, blue, red, white murine Italian Art Glass paperweight.