Cameos

Technically, cameos are made by cutting away the background of a material to make a design in relief.

Prior to the 16th century cameos were made from stone.

The 16th century brought more demand and makers turned to shell for less expensive prices.

The carvers of shell cameos used the shells of the Black Helmet and the pink and white Queen's Conch which were plentiful in the seacoast towns of Italy.

The oldest and most sought after cameos are of human bust design, most often women.

Many older cameos were reset in the late seventeen and early eighteen hundreds. This sometimes makes accurate dating very hard.

But, there are some ways that are tried and true. If it's made of lava it is no doubt Victorian.

Other clues are style of design (Greek, Roman, etc.), types of clothing, hairstyles and the mounting.

Safety catches are a twentieth century adaptation.

If a cameo has one it is either made after the early nineteen hundreds are it has been added at a later date.

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Cameos