BOG OAK - one of the weirder and lesser-known jewelry materials in the 19th century. It's a fossilized wood preserved in Irish peat bogs for hundreds or thousands of years. This unappealingly named (but very attractive) material was often used self-referentially to produce Irish-themed jewelry - think harps and shamrocks. This locket was likely made in Ireland, even though it doesn't have the classic Irish motifs - the black material was shorthand for "Irish pride".
MATERIALS: 10k gold (tests), steel, bog oak, glass lenses, new 14k gold chain
AGE: c. 1830
CONDITION: Very good - minor surface wear commensurate with age and use
SIZE: 1 1/8" length including the bale, 3/4" width, 18" chain