INTERNATIONAL: Don’t tell Elton John, but two pairs of bejewelled 17th century spectacles from India are to go on auction at Sotheby’s in London on Wednesday. Set with diamond and emerald lenses, they’re expected to fetch at least $3 million each. The glasses were commissioned by an unknown 17th century prince, with the precious stone lenses believed to boost spiritual enlightenment.

One pair, named "Gate of Paradise", features emerald lenses set in diamond-mounted frames. The other pair, called "Halo of Light", has diamond lenses set in diamond-encrusted frames. The lenses are said to date from the 17th century, while the frames were made about 200 years later, according to Sotheby’s Alexandra Roy:

“We are offering these two pairs of extraordinary spectacles in our sale of the Arts of the Islamic World and India which is taking place on the 27th of October. There are so many stories behind these spectacles. I think I will start with the fact that the emeralds came all the way from Colombia in the 17th century through Portuguese merchant ships to the Mughal empires, the Mughals absolutely loved gemstones. The diamonds came from the Golconda mines and at the Mughal court, these were cleaved from stones which will have originally weighed two to three hundred carats, and so you must imagine the amount of mastery involved. And they were also originally another side, is that originally they would have been in the shape of purslanes so their current settings are 19th century settings, so they were re-fashioned in their current 19th century spectacle like fashion."

Sotheby’s is hoping that a museum or private collector buys the spectacles with them having so much history. All too often pieces like these are bought on auction only for them to be broken up and the stones then sold on for profit. Bidding will open on Wednesday at around $2 million.

^{PHOTO: MUGHAL SPECTACLES SET WITH EMERALD LENSES / MUGHAL SPECTACLES SET WITH DIAMONDS / INTERVIEW WITH SPECIALIST, ARTS OF ISLAMIC WORLD AT SOTHEBY'S, ALEXANDRA ROY}