Antique Georgian fob seal poodle dog 18k gold carnelian intaglio repousse (7565)

Antique Georgian intaglio seal fob. Gold and carnelian. Believe to be made in Great Britain, circa 1780 - 1820.
Unisex - suitable for a man or a woman. 

Measurements:

Weight is 19.8 grams. Length from side to side approximately 7/8 inch (2.5cm).  

Description :

 An outstanding fob seal in the form of a naturalistically modelled dog - clearly a poodle with his beautiful long ears, fluffy coat, cut to fashionably standards and style and the pompom tail, still epitomising the poodle breed of dog to this day. His coat is depicted in its fashionable hair cut with beautiful detail and artistry, including the pompoms fluffing out on his shaved legs.
He stands on a rectangular base with rounded corners, widening below to a tubular rectangle. The outer surface worked in exceptional repousse flowers. If there is any question about the age of this item, the rich repousse botanicals in such fine detail is typical of Georgian workmanship - incomparable at any other period when the technical and artistic attention was unrivalled. The finely enmeshed variety of flowers is also typical of the Georgian taste. 
Underneath the base, is a carved intaglio carnelian - a bright orange gem that appears to be unusually transluscent and glowing as the light catches it. 
During the late 18th - early 19th century, many jewelry items such as fobs were worn by both men and women. Today, it is still unisex and wearable by any person of any gender or age. 
The bale or pendant is later than the fob, although it also has good age and is attached via smaller loops that are probably original to the fob.  The bale has an unusual feature in that it can open and clip closed, again indicating the attention to detail.

Marks and Metal:

Monogram engraved in carnelian, appears to be TE. We found no marks on the gold. We took it to be professionally tested and, like much Georgian and Victorian jewelry, the gold is a mixture of purities. The base is 15k gold. The dog, attached to the platform is 13.5k gold. The bale (which is later), is 14k gold. The frame that holds the carnelian had to be stronger, so it is a slightly lower purity.
     

Condition:

Good with negligible wear commensurate with age.  Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.   

THE STORY:

Ever since ancient times, from the ancient Egyptians and the Georgian era, seals were used to sign letters and other documents. Carnelian was often the stone of choice and was carved with the initials, monogram or insignia of the authority. Some seals were free-standing, while many wealthy people had them set into fobs. The fob was no less important to the wearer, forming a counter-balance to his or her pocket watch and often worn in multiples at the waist. Only an extremely wealthy person could have had a fob like this made. Clearly a dog lover (specifically poodles), this would advertise to all where his/her interests lay. In addition, gardening was a great passion of the aristocracy and wealthy classes in Britain, as is evidenced by the outstanding repousse floral depiction on the base. 
Clearly, nothing was stinted on the making of this fob and even the later bale (loop). The wearer was obviously a passionate lover of poodles, willing to spend whatever it took to make the most beautiful work of out celebrating their canine friend.
When we look at antique jewelry, we are reminded of the many generations of people who lived before us. We can only try to imagine most of them. In this case, I know that the previous owner was a great lady with an exceptional collection of antiques. RIP.