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Cameo Jewelry Information
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There are two
different methods of carving a cameo: "Relief" which is carved from the front with
only the front profile showing in a contrasting colored background, and "Intaglio"
which is carved from the rear of the profile or picture. |
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Just when the
first cameo was carved is unknown but it's believed that it was some time during
ancient Greek
or Roman times. Cameos were quite popular in both areas and were carved from
stone such as Agate. Shell was not used until a much later date. |
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Throughout history, cameos have been popular. Queen Elizabeth
loved to wear cameos and Catherine the Great had an impressive collection. Cameos and
Intaglios were very popular during the Victorian period; they were
worn as pins and pendants, usually on a black velvet or satin ribbon. |
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In the 19th
century, skilled artisans utilized gemstones, stone, shell, lava, coral and
man-made materials to produce cameos. The cameos of the Victorian period
usually had motifs that included gods and goddesses from mythology. Other
carvings depicted a dreamlike-to-realistic quality. Naturalism appealed to the
Victorians, which produced many cameos with a floral motif. A prized souvenir
for a Victorian was a cameo according to her likeness. These commissioned
portraits were very popular. |
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The advice on about
cameo jewelry Information comes
from jewelry experts Linda and Perry, as well as from our frequent visitors. If
you'd like to add anything to this page, or have us add a topic of interest for
you, email us at
help@perlin-jewelry.com. |
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Our vintage cameo catalog |