The glasses were commissioned by an unknown 17th-century prince, auction house Sotheby’s said, 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 second, called “Halo of Light”, has diamond lenses set in diamond-mounted frames.

The lenses are said to date from the 17th century, while the frames are from the 19th century.

“There are so many stories behind these spectacles. The emeralds came all the way from Colombia in the 17th century through Portuguese merchant ships to the Mughal empire,” Alexandra Roy, Islamic-arts specialist at Sotheby’s, told Reuters.

“The Mughals absolutely loved gemstones.

“The diamonds came from the Golconda mines in India and at the Mughal court, cleaved from stones which originally would have weighed two to three hundred carats. They were re-fashioned in their current 19th-century spectacle-like fashion.”

Both pairs are being offered at Sotheby’s Arts of the Islamic World & India sale tomorrow.