David and Nan Skier, a married couple from Birmingham, Alabama, have spent decades collecting ‘lover’s eyes,’ rare, antique miniatures of eyes set into jewelry and other small objects. Their collection, which now numbers 158 pieces, is believed to be the largest in the world.

A Romantic History

The tradition of ‘lover’s eyes’ dates back to Georgian England, where they were exchanged as tokens of affection, infatuation, or mourning. The Skiers’ collection includes rings, brooches, and bracelets, as well as more unusual items like a stick pin, a wallet, and a teacup.

Each piece is a tiny, delicate work of art, with the eye often painted in exquisite detail. Some pieces bear inscriptions or contain locks of hair, adding to their romantic and emotional significance. The Skiers have worked with experts, including miniaturist paintings expert Elle Shushan and art historian Graham Boettcher, to authenticate and exhibit their collection.

A Labor of Love

The Skiers’ collection has been shown in a touring museum exhibition and published in a book, with a new edition due out next year. They continue to seek out new additions to their collection, often working with antique dealers, private sellers, and auction houses. While they declined to comment on the costs involved, original ‘lover’s eyes’ can sell for thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

Despite the value of their collection, the Skiers emphasize that it is not a vanity project, but a way to preserve and document these delicate objects. ‘Each of these pieces is a love story of sorts,’ said Nan Skier. ‘Somebody loved this person enough to paint a miniature of her eye and set it into this jewel. We don’t know the circumstances. We don’t know who they were, but it speaks of love between two people and how it’s expressed.’

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.