Antique Gold Pencil - Any Information?

[PeterR-C]

I have been going through some old inherited stuff and have come across a pencil. It is a fine tube, with a slide that pushes out the lead - see photo. The lead is encased in wood, which is irregular and looks to have been whittled down from a larger pencil. A jeweller tells me that the thing is made of gold - no hallmark or stamp of any kind though - and that the jewel on the slide is a ruby, the one on the end a diamond.

 

Can anyone tell me anything about this? When and where might it have been made? I had family members in India around 1910, and in the mid-19th century others travelled to Egypt. Could it be oriental? If anyone can tell me anything about its origins, or point me towards a source of information, I'd be very grateful. I know it's not a fountain pen, but the collective expertise of the people on the FPN is mind-boggling, so I figure someone might have some ideas.

 

Peter