history, persons of royalty have set the tone for jewelry fashion. It is
said that Queen Elizabeth loved to wear cameos and it is noted that
Catherine the Great had a very impressive collection of them. And, the
cameo survived the whims of changing fashion during the Nineteenth
Century in England. Since Queen Victoria favoured cameos, the
cameo was quite popular during and since her reign. They were popular as
pins and pendants usually worn on a black velvet ribbon or even
sometimes-pastel satin ribbons.
the Victorian Era, (1837-1901) every decade had its jewelry trends, but
the cameo remained a favourite. And interestingly, the intaglio,
which was a piece carved below the surface, came before the cameo. In
ancient times, the intaglio was used to seal papers or to mark property.
Later on, it became a jewelry item worn by women. The cameo is the
opposite of the intaglio. It is a portrait or scene carved in relief
with a contrasting colored background. In the Nineteenth Century,
skilled artisans utilized gemstones, stone, shell, lava, coral and manmade materials to
making of Cameos~
carvers began using shell for their creations around 1805. By the
Victorian Era, shell had become appreciated as a medium that was easily
carved and inexpensive. Unlike carved gems, the shell cameo was less
formal and was worn during the day. Stone cameos came from agate, onyx
or sardonyx. These materials offered many colorful layers for carvers to
utilize. Although they preferred stone, it was not always plentiful; and
these artisans looked for other mediums for their designs.
motifs for Cameos~
of archaeological sites in Italy and Egypt renewed an interest in the
classics that influenced cameos of the Victorian Era. Motifs
included gods and goddesses from mythology and other subjects related to
them, such as Bacchante maidens adorned with grape leaves in their hair,
the Three Graces, who were the daughters of Zeus, and Leda, a woman
shown feeding Zeus and more. Scenes
showcased the talent of cameo carvers and were popular with enthusiasts.
Others such as Zeus in his chariot and Rebecca at the Well added
elements such as houses, trees and bridges.
The quality of the carving also varied from dreamlike to
realistic. But naturalism appealed to the Victorians.
Their love of gardening translated into cameos that also depicted
flowers. And, the floral motif continues to be popular as a subject for
Emerging of the idealized woman~
prized souvenir for a Victorian was a cameo according to her likeness.
While commissioned portraits were in vogue, another kind of
portrait appeared with the anonymous woman. Carvers could fashion such
images in shell or lava quickly and tourists created a demand for them.
pictured on cameos have included Romanesque, with classical features
(with long, straight noses and Roman dress), modified images of women
with upturned noses, jewelry and upswept hairstyles. The cameo habille
depicted the portrait of the idealized woman adorned with jewelry, and
tiny diamonds on the cameo represented jewelry such as earrings and a
industrialization of the Victorian Era made mass production of jewelry
possible. The anonymous woman was molded into cameos from manmade
materials such as glass or celluloid.
date a cameo with accuracy, many hours or even years of research may be
necessary to train the eye. Magnification is vital and a jewelers loupe
is a necessary tool in examining a carving and to be able to determine
what the cameo is made of. It can detect if it is machine made, or has a
snowy appearance. Such a close inspection can help a collector discover
if the cameo has been carved in one
piece or has been assembled from different materials and glued
motif on the cameo can provide a timeframe for its origin. If a shell or
stone cameo contains a classical scene, it may have originated in the 18th
or 19th centuries when such subjects were popular. The
anonymous woman on a cameo indicates that it comes from the Victorian
Era, while the cameo habille did not become fashionable until late in
the Nineteenth Century.
traits sometimes reveal when a cameo was carved. The long Roman nose
denotes that the piece was originated before 1850. If the nose is
slightly upturned, it can be dated after the mid-nineteenth Century. A
pert nose is indicative of the turn of the century. An upswept hairstyle
indicates a late Victorian cameo, while shorter curls are indicative of
the 20th Century.
medium also provides clues to the history of the piece. Shell cameos
were used during the Victorian Era, and later. They have a translucent
quality when held up to the light. Lava came from the 17th
century, but a large majority
came during the 19th century from Mount Vesuvius. Jet gained
popularity in the 19th Century in Whitby, England during the
the past 25 years, carvers in Germany have produced cameos using the
laser technique. It may feel rough to the touch. To learn about cameos,
it is important to handle them. This
allows the collector to feel, and tap them slightly against the teeth to
identify whether they are made of stone, shell or other materials.
represent a form of art that offers something for everyone. Victorian
Bazaar will soon be offering an array of interesting and pretty jewelry
cameos, so stay tuned!
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