ABOUT CAMEOS
Cameos, those beautiful, tiny works of art, can be made of many different substances - shell, agate, coral, mother of pearl, turquoise, resin, ivory, lava, jet, glass, painted porcelain, etc. The most popular are the shell and blue/black agate cameos.
The tradition of carving shell cameos began in the 15th to 16th century. They were popularized by Queen Victoria of England. The birthplace of the cameo itself was probably Alexandria, Egypt circa 300 BC.
Cameos can be carved in relief or intaglio.
RELIEF is probably the best known carving method. The surrounding material is cut away from the sculpture being carved, allowing the image to stand above the surface.
INTAGLIO is when the image is carved into the material so that the image is below surface level.
SHELL CAMEOS: Still handcarved as shell does not lend itself to machine techniques. The most common shells used are the bullmouth helmut or carnelian shell, the emperor helmut or sardonyx shell, the pink conch and angelskin coral. The village of Torre Del Greco, Italy - at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius - is found for shell cameos.
AGATE CAMEOS: Agate cameos are still carved by hand, but most are carved ultrasonically and finished by hand. Ider Oberstain, Germany is probably the most well known spot for agate cameos although most of the agate material comes from Brazil.
POURED OR MOLDED CAMEOS: Molded or poured "agate" cameos come primarily from Asia. They are made from 95% agate powder and 5% bonding agent and poured into a mold - the white layer first and then, after curing, the colored layer.
RESIN CAMEOS: The least expensive cameos which imitate shell and agate. They can be tested with a hot pin touched to the back of the cameo. If it melts a tadge, it is resin.
CAMEO DESIGNS are usually of mythical scenes, flowers, heroes and women - all popular designs. Before the 1850s, the women depicted in cameos had downward turned noses. After the 1850s, upward turned noses and upswept hairstyles were depicted.
CAMEO VALUES: Quality of carving, age, and rarity of image are a huge factor in the value of a cameo. The most valued cameos are hardstone - such as agate, lapis, etc.
CARING FOR YOUR CAMEO: Dust can scratch a cameo, so you ust keep it dust-free. Dust regularly with a soft brush. You can rinse a cameo with warm water and dry carefully. DO NOT use soap or jewelry cleaner.