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A Closer Look At Cameos

There is something about a cameo that it truly captivating.  Be it the attention to fine detail, the elegance of the portraits, there is simply nothing quite as beautiful as a cameo, and they never go out of style.  Cameos can be made from variety of materials, such as abalone, wood, bone, coral, ivory, agate, glass, plastic, various shell types, and layered hard stone which comes in a variety of colors.

Molded cameos are usually made of glass.  They usually consist of either one or two colors.  Often the colors are swirled together. Glass cameos are usually quite shiny.  Molded cameos are also molded from plastic. The wedgwood style cameos were made from plastic.  Plastic makes a terrific imitation shell cameo. Older cameos were often made with celluloid using two colors.  Occasionally, but not very often, natural materials are molded.  One way to tell if a cameo is molded is to look for a roundness in the detail and a lack of sharp and precise lines.  To identify glass cameos look for the presence of mold marks and ridges or dimples on the back.

Shell cameos are carved from a single piece of shell.  Shell is soft, so it is very easy to carve.  Shell cameos are usually two colors.  Shell cameos have a thin concave back, with the exception of abalone and mother of pearl which are usually flat on the back and somewhat thicker. Coral Cameos are usually a single color, and also have a flat back.

Agate cameos are carved with the same technique that shell cameos are carved.  Agate has one main advantage, because the carver is able to see the layers of color from the side and knows that these layers will basically be flat.  Stone is much harder to carve.   A good hard stone cameo is often under carved at the junction where the portrait meets the flat plaque.  At a quick glance stone often looks like an applied cameo, however upon closer examination one can determine it to be stone.

Amber Cameos are rather new to the market place. Amber cameos are carved from natural amber with the reverse intaglios being hand carved.   
Practice will make it easier to tell molded cameos from carved cameos:  Usually natural materials are carved, while glass and plastic materials are normally molded but could be carved though not very likely.  Molded cameos can be two colors by the simple device of pouring one color into the mold in a thin layer and then following with a thicker layer of another color.

If you are buying for value distinguishing the type of cameo could be very important.  However, if you are buying because you simply "love" the piece, then determining the type of cameo and the value are not nearly as important.  We suggest if you are purchasing a cameo because you want to add it to your jewelry wardrobe then choose what your heart falls for, just be certain you are not overpaying for what you are getting.

Cameos make a wonderful fashion statement! And they never go out of style.

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Questions & Answers about Carved Shell Cameo

Why are cameos so expensive?

Is it because of the detail that goes into the carving or is the shell itsself rare? I'm jsut curious because I've always wanted cameo jewelry, I just can't afford it...yet.

Speaking from experience versus quoting an article, I'd say it is a combination of import duties on luxury goods, scarcity of the shell from which it is made, and the fine craftsmanship of the artisans who carve shell cameos.

Back in 2001, my wife and I visited a cameo factory between Naples and Sorento, Italy. The artistry on display was breathtaking. There was one whole shell on display that was easily larger than a basketball, it had been extensively carved with scenes from Roman mythology. Even at the factory, prices ranged from high to astronomical. I bought my wife a small pair of cameo earrings, ovals about 3/4" long with rhinestones surrounding them, the cost was near $100.00. And that was before Italy started using the Euro.

Another contributing factor is the rate of exchange between the US Dollar and the Euro.

There are many attractive cameo's made from synthetic materials that are substantially less expensive, and I believe the agate cameos are also less expensive than the shell cameos.

My suggestion is for you to start sticking a few bucks a week into your underwear draw until you have enough to purchase a cameo that you want. It will take a while, but you will have a work of art that you can pass on to your favorite granddaughter.

BTW, I like the looks of cameos as well.

Doc

Carved Shell Cameo - A You Tube Video

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