The cameo medallion, a portrait or scene carved in
relief with a contrasting colored background,
is making a fashion comeback. The art of
cameo carving dates back to at least
the first century B.C. when cameos were carved in
gemstones. Cameos enjoyed a golden age during the
ancient Greco-Roman Empires.
In the 15th and 16th centuries cameos were made
popular by England’s Queen Victoria.
In the 19th century, carvers made use of hardstones
such as agate, onyx and sardonyx, as well as shell, lava, coral,
jet, mother of pearl and manmade materials. Josiah Wedgwood devel-oped
a method of creating a cameo from a substance known as jasper
ware. His cameos became world famous, and the blue background of
his pieces became known as Wedgwood blue.
“Cameos are like miniature works of art,” says collector Tom
Richardson. He became enamored of the dying art form after attend-ing
an estate sale seven or eight years ago. Since then he has amassed
a cache of more than 300 in his downtown Wilmington storefront,
Antiques of Old Wilmington.
For Richardson, the most traditional cameo is carved from conch shells.
“They carve from one layer to the next, getting the contrast,” he says.
The best modern-day cameo carvers are from the southern coast
of Italy. Stone cameo carvers are found in Germany. Apprentices start
learning the craft in their early teens.
“Unfortunately, they’re not getting the apprentices today that they
once did; so it’s a dying art,” Richardson says.
Some vintage cameos depict scenes like ancient Pompeii and Mount
Vesuvius, the Roman Coliseum. Standard images were a woman’s
portrait. Other cameos were rendered as full-length portraits.
Each piece is most easily dated by the featured hairstyles,
like the late-19th century Gibson Girl, shown on the bot-tom
How does one recognize a real seashell or hardstone cameo as opposed to a plastic or resin one?
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left of page 17.
“Gibson’s wife was his model but everyone was copy-ing
that style,” Richardson says. “The classic Grecian or
Roman styles have always been popular.”
He quotes one of his clients as saying, “The cameo is
like a strand of white pearls. They may come in and out of
fashion at times, but they never go out of style.”
In the 1920s the cameo saw a resurgence in popularity, Richardson
says. Fashioned as a brooch that may also be worn as a pendant, he
says there is a heightened popularity today.
Wilmington milliner Jan Wutkowski, of aMuse Artisanal Finery, agrees
with Richardson’s client.
“I think there will always be those who love cameos,” Wutkowski says.
“They are very traditional, very nostalgic. A lot of young ladies are
using them in weddings now,” Richardson says.
Brides styling a vintage wedding are seeking cameos to mint the
look says Pait Skipper of Cape Fear Jewelry and Antiques, a consign-ment
boutique specializing in antique jewelry.
“We’ve had several weddings where the brides were interested
in cameos,” Skipper says. “They wore vintage dresses and wanted
vintage pieces and so the cameos were bought and used for their
weddings.”
Skipper predicts the trend would be more apparent in fashion towns
like New York, Atlanta or Charleston.
beachbites
Fashion Comeback
A Cameo Appearance
by PAT BRADFORD
Brad Bass, owner and appraiser at Lumina Gems, gives these tips.
Shell cameos have curved backs. Turn the cameo over and if you look closely you’ll see a
flame-like structure, which are growth lines of the shell. The lines appear almost like veins.
With shell or hardstone, carving lines may be visible. Plastic or resins are usually poured into
molds and will be absent of tool-carving marks.
When held up in a strong light or sunlight, shell cameos will have a translucent quality, and
usually have more depth.
Always inspect the cameo you are going to purchase under a microscope or jeweler’s
gemscope, regardless of the material.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON POTTER
Privately owned modern cameos purchased from M+M Scognamiglio, Italy, shown on this page.