Lorgnette Glasses

Eyeglasses have been around for centuries and are wonderful because they help us see better. Lorgnette glasses are one of the styles that started back in the early 1800s. Lorgnette glasses were considered to be high fashion back then and they were worn only by well-to-do women. These are the glasses that women used at the opera or theater to help them see the stage. Women loved them because they only needed to hold them up to their eyes with the long handle attached to just one of the eyeglasses. They also used them to read better. Back then, Lorgnette glasses were made either of mother-of-pearl, metal such as brass, silver or gold, or tortoise shell.

Lorgnette glasses are also called opera glasses or spectacles. They are still popular today and still being sold. The Lorgnette glasses of today may have a handle that folds to make it easier to store in a handbag. Prices for these fabulous, vintage eyeglasses vary due to the materials they are made of. They can be as affordable as $6.00 or as much as $5,000. The very expensive type of these are made of solid platinum with genuine natural diamonds. To make these glasses even more beautiful, there is a scrolling engraved design that shows minute detail. This style was popular in the 1920s and is still available today.

Back in the early 1900s, there were Lorgnettes that looked like tiny binoculars. They were used mainly at the opera and serve the same purpose as the eyeglass look of most Lorgnette eyeglasses.

Since it is still possible to purchase and wear a pair of these antique, lovely glasses, it is important to shop carefully and spend only what the glasses are worth. A more inexpensive pair will do the same job as the expensive pair but you need to know why the prices are so different.