18th Century Armorial Seal with a Griffin in Agate and 18k yellow Gold

A fabulous example of an 18th-century Armorial seal. The seal itself is double sided carved in agate, a spinner that spins freely in the frame, carved on one side is a griffin from the neck up, and on the other a Family Coat of Arms. The Griffin is holding a papal cross in its mouth which indicates the owner of this seal was a Catholic, it also has a Crown around its neck which shows the owner was a Royalist. The other side has a shield topped by this same Griffin, the shield is separated into 3 parts, 2 birds at the top and a Fleur de Lis at the bottom. A wonderful piece of History, this piece is likely French. This Fob is attached to what is likely the original watch pull. A watch pull is a flattish chain which traditionally would have a decorative or seal fob at one end and a hook at the other. The watch was attached to the hook and the watch was inserted into the waistcoat pocket while the flat chain with the fob on the end hung down the outside. The pull performed 2 functions it was decorative and served the practical purpose of making it easy for the wearer to pull the watch from his pocket to check the time. 

Measurements: 6.5" overall from one end to the other. The agate seal only, .93" x 1.06", including the frame 1.71" long.

Era: Mid 18th century, close to 1750. The little watch hook itself is likely a 19th-century replacement, as an 18th-century watch would have required a much larger hook.

Materials: Agate, 18k yellow gold. 

Condition: Excellent for its considerable age. The agate has no chips or damage and the gold simply shows the wear you would expect to see with its age but no damage.