Petit c.1850s Antique French Paste Stone Gem Reliquary Frame, Bale for Pendant or Hang

Sweet little jeweled French frame would have once held a Catholic relic of some sort, a supposed bone chip from some Saint or other, which of course with DNA analysis prove to be chicken or hare bone fragments. But the parishioners were believers and these icons were important to them in their worship and faith. Whatever relic it once held has been removed and in its place a similar period tintype inserted. The cover glass is original and the space would accommodate a small souvenir of your choosing. Perhaps dried flowers from a wedding or favorite place, or sand and tiny shells from your favorite beach (I’ve done that with an old gold pocket watch case and it’s a precious favorite to me). This one is pretty enough to also hang on a chain as a pendant, really. All stones are still beautiful, fully intact, and are 5mm in diameter. Full measurements noted on the photos.

Very good to excellent for age and type, glass and frame are well-preserved. Missing the original relic for which these were made, however.