Gnome goggles are a possible item reward of the Gnome Restaurant minigame. Along with the Gnome Scarf, you can only receive it from Captain Daerkin and Captain Ninto, which are possible customers for the harder deliveries. Although it has no stat bonuses, it is a way for people to show their wealth, hence the high price, however, ever since the introduction of the grand exchange, the price has drastically dropped.
The appearance of the goggles was changed in conjunction with the appearance change of the gnome scarf. The gnome scarf now has a pleasant textured look and the goggles, when worn, seem to be slightly over the wearer's eyes.