Antique 18k Gold Cameo Necklace Pendant Brooch Pin Shell Victorian Art Deco

Beautifully done antique Victorian 18k two tone carved brown & white stone (agate) cameo pin. The carving has high relief of a lady that is bezel set into a yellow gold frame with gold ribbed accents. Marked 750 k on the back with safety latch. Measures about 1 1/8″ tall by 1.25″ wide, with the cameo having high relief carving at app. Some of the best carved details we’ve seen, from her hair to her earrings and pearls. Weighs 9.6 dwt or 4.17 grams. Throughout 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. 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 produce cameos. The making of Cameos. Italian carvers began using shell for their creations around 1805. ByJewelry of the 19th Century – Beautiful Cameos… 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. The item “ANTIQUE 18K GOLD CAMEO NECKLACE PENDANT BROOCH PIN SHELL VICTORIAN ART DECO” is in sale since Thursday, October 06, 2016. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewelry\Fine\Art Nouveau/Art Deco 1895-1935\Cameos”. The seller is “4744366” and is located in Andover, Massachusetts. This item can be shipped to North, South, or Latin America, to all countries in Europe, to all countries in continental Asia, to Australia.

• Material: Shell
• Metal Purity: 750 18K GOLD TESTED AND MARKE
• Metal: Yellow Gold
• Main Stone: CAMEO
• Country/Region of Manufacture: Italy

Tags:antique, brooch, cameo, deco, gold, necklace, pendant, shell, victorian