Featured Silver & agate snuff bottle

Hi all, bought my first ever snuff bottle today. Really pleased, i know its its quite plain but i really like the shape and dimensions.

No markings on the stopper or the bottle so i have no idea about the age, or even how good quality it is.

I anxiously await your replies.

5cm height.

 

Forgot the most important photo!

 

It's very lovely !!!

 

@Any Jewelry. I haven't a clue if it's stone or not, but it looks like Agate and I like it!!

 

It seems to have some printing on the straight shaft of the wand?

 

Sorry, nothing on the wand, just a trick of the light!

 

Lovely! And the top is a knock-out!

 

It looks well done to me. Is it carved from a single block, or assembled from slabs applied to a core?

 

Its a single block. I should mention the stopper fits perfectly so i assume it is original.

 

There are sufficent irregularities that it looks hand worked to me. Very nice.

 

Striking piece! I love the Art Deco feeling of the geometric lines, the agate banding pattern and the stopper
Well done!

 

It is stunning, Ratsy. A perfect combination of that simple, beautiful stone and the intricate silver stopper.
I don't think it has great age, probably mid-late 20th century. That doesn't matter, most collectors buy good quality recent ones as well as antiques. And this one is good quality.
Just a question, are the 'shoulders' hollowed out as well, or is the hole just straight down?

Yes it does. This stone is generally called chalcedony, but it is like agate, just without added minerals that cause agate colours.
Chalcedony always looks more regal to me than agate.

 

My first reaction was that it is assembled from little slabs. Having enlarged one of the photos, I now agree it was a single block, & only the grime accumulated in the crevices is making it look like there are seams. When it has had a simple cleaning, its true nature will be evident. Love it.

 

AJ, Thank you!!!

 

All agate is the quartz mineral chalcedony; not all chalcedony is agate. Agate is a type of chalcedony formation, not the name of a mineral. In this case, if you were to cut a smaller bit for a cameo, you would call it banded agate. Pure chalcedony is translucent white, a faint blue-grey or lilac tinged color is common. It is easily treated to make other colors. This looks completely natural.

When chalcedony is opaque, a solid color or variegated with no particular structure to the colors, it is called jasper. All jasper is chalcedony; not all chalcedony is jasper.

Quartz>Chalcedony>Agate/Jasper

https://cameotimes.com/index.php/reference/materials-guide?start=2

 

Looking through the opening it looks like its hollow up into the shoulders. Maybe i can use a dark coloured liquid to see where it reaches?

@Bronwen that info is so useful!

 

Also, i thought the silver stopper looked a lot like a Wang Hing bamboo design?

 

Yes, it does, but it isn't likely to be Wang Hing. I like it though, and it is a special little stopper. It really is a very beautiful combo.

 

Nothing to add except to exclaim -- It is beautiful!

 

I would guess the agate part at least might be from India or Pakistan.