In the course of her many visits to the Great Exhibition Queen Victoria made at least four calls at the stand of Froment-Meurice, one of the most successful goldsmiths and jewellers in France, who was once described by Victor Hugo as the Cellini of his age. One of Froment-Meurice's strengths was stylistic versatility. He is perhaps best known for Renaissance and Gothic revival pieces, but his naturalistic works also won high praise. He won a Council Medal at the Great Exhibition and became well known in England. Prince Albert spent £70 5s. on oxidised silver articles from his stand while Queen Victoria noted ‘some fine pieces of jewelry executed by M. Froment Meurice from whom we have bought some things’; she purchased ‘some trifles’ from the stand in October.

Froment-Meurice evidently came to the attention of the royal couple somewhat earlier, as the enamelled, gem-set and silver match holder was a gift from the Queen to the Prince in 1848. Although it is unmarked, it can be firmly attributed on stylistic grounds: the globe surmounting it resembles another on the centrepiece created by Froment-Meurice for the duc de Luynes and shown at the Great Exhibition; it has the same central band marked with the signs of the zodiac. The birds of paradise forming the handles are identical to those that appear on a pair of earrings now in the Schmuckmuseum, Pforzheim. Moreover, the match holder was mentioned in a list of items from Froment-Meurice's workshop owned by the Queen, published in 1856.

Text adapted from Victoria & Albert: Art & Love, London, 2010