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Below some of the most usual questions about cameos. We hope this could helps you.
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Dissatisfied? Please contact us!
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A guide to some of the words and phrases you may find on these pages
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| Aegis |
a shield, sometimes decorated with a Gorgon's head, carried by a deity |
| Allegory |
the use of fictional characters to symbolize moral, religious or historical meaning |
| Alloy |
a mixture of two or more metals
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| Antique |
having a circa-dated age of more than 100 years
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| Art Nouveau |
a style of design popular from ca 1890 to 1920, featuring flowing, swirling lines, floral motifs and graceful human figures
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| Chilton |
a tunic worn by men and women in ancient Greece |
| Chlamis |
a cloak worn in ancient Greece |
| Cithara |
a stringed instrument, similar to a lyre |
| Classical |
characteristic of the aesthetic elements of the visual arts of ancient Greece and Rome |
| Coin Silver |
an alloy with a ratio of 80% silver to 20% copper. Many European silver pieces are made of coin silver; these are usually marked 800 to indicate that 800 of 1000 parts are silver |
| Engraving |
lines incised into metal |
| Etruscan Revival |
a style of decoration featuring a gold beads against a flat gold background |
| Fibula |
a brooch used to clasp two sides of a garment together |
| Filigree |
intricate, lace-like ornamental work made from fine twisted wire |
| Gold electroplate |
less than 5% gold bonded thinly to base metal |
| Gold filled |
5% gold bonded to the surface of base metal |
| Gold wash |
similar to Gold Electroplate (q.v.) |
| Habille |
a cameo decorated with one or more attached jewels, typically a tiny diamond or seed pearls |
| Himation |
a cloak worn by men and women in ancient Greece |
| Intaglio |
design carved into the surface of hard metal or stone |
| Jet |
a type of shiny black stone, mined at Whitby, England, and used widely in 19th-century mourning jewellry |
| Karat Gold |
the karat of gold is determined by the ratio of gold to other metals. Gold is measured in 24 parts: if a piece is 10 karat, then it is 10 parts gold to 14 parts baser metals; 14 karat is 14 parts gold to 10 parts baser metals, and so forth |
| Kerykeion |
the messenger's staff carried by Mercury |
| Kylix |
greek libation bowl |
| Mother-of-Pearl |
the iridescent inner layer of a mollusc shell |
| Neoclassical |
the revival, in the 18th and 19th centuries, of classical aesthetics in the decorative arts |
| Nickel Silver |
an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel, whitish in color. Despite its name, it contains no silver |
| Parure |
a set of jewellry that may include earrings, necklace, bracelet and brooch |
| Pendant bale |
a loop on the back of a cameo through which a chain passes so that the piece can be worn as a pendant |
| Pewter |
a dull, silver-colored alloy of tin, antimony and copper |
| Pinchbeck |
5% or less of gold included with other metals to simulate gold. Generally longer-wearing than gold electroplate or gold washed. From a process invented in London ca 1700 and principally seen in 19th-century costume jewellry |
| Relief |
the projection of a form against a flat background |
| Repousse |
metal decorated with designs in relief formed by hammering on the reverse side |
| Retroussee Nose |
the upturned 'Barbie Doll' nose seen on 20th century cameos |
| Rodhium plated |
A thin plating of rhodium, the metallic cousin of platinum, applied to the surface of sterling silver to give a bright, shiny, durable silver-color |
| Rolled gold |
similar to pinchbeck (q.v.) |
| Suite |
same as parure (q.v.) |
| Vermeil |
gold electroplate over sterling silver |
| Vintage |
less than one years years old; in particular, dating to the first fifty years of the 20th Century |
This Cameo Glossary is copyright 2000 by Corrie Tapp appraiser
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This list contains the names of some of the most celebrated carvers who signed their cameos.
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Angelo Amastini (1754-1815)
Philipp Christoph Becker (1674-1743)
Antonio Berini (1748-1830)
William Brown (1748-1825)
Edward Burch (1730-1814)
Alessandro Cades (1734-1809)
Giovanni Calandrelli (1784-1852)
Giovanni Costanzi (1674-1754)
Adolphe David (1828-1896)
Johann Ch. Dorsch (1676-1732)
De Felici (18/19th Century)
Julien de Fontenay (?)
Francesco Ghinghi (1780-1851)
Jaques Guay (1711-1743)
Romain-Vincent Jouffroy (1749-1826)
F. Carol Lebrecht (?-1828)
Leone Leoni (1509-1590)
Nathaniel Marchant (1739-1816)
Niccolo' Morelli (1771-1838)
He was a member of the Congregazione dei Virtuosi del Pantheon and the Accademia di S Luca ( 1812). He was renowned for his cameo portraits of Francis I Emperor of Austria and numerous works commissioned by the Bonaparte families.
Morelli made many copies of ancient gem engravings and executed many pieces of mythological subjects. These included Alexander the Great and bust of Jove, Medusa and Cupid and Psyche. His works are noted in Museums in London, New York, Vienna and Rome. Morelli's works are signed N. Morelli or with the Greek form of his name. It is possible that his works are confused with those of Gioacchino Morelli (b.1784) who worked in Rome around the same time. There is an oil portrait of Morelli by his son Carlo Morelli in Rome at the Accademia di S Luca.
Bibliography:
Forrer: Thieme-Becker
G.A. Guattani: Memorie Enciclopediche Romane, ii ( Rome 1807) pp.8-10
R. Righetti: Incisori di gemme e cammei a Roma ( Rome 1954) pp.50-51
G.C. Bulgari Argentieri, gemmari e orafi d'Italia, Roma ii ( Rome 1959) p.178
Thank you to Mrs Barbara Barr who sent me this biography
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Matteo del Nasaro (?)
Lorenz Natter (1705-1763)
Antonio Pazzaglia (1736-1815)
Pier Maria Serboldi da Pesca (1455-1522)
Anton Pichler (1697-1779)
Benedetto Pistrucci (1784-1854)
Filippo Rega (1761-1833)
Giovanni Antonio dei Rossi (1494-1540)
Giovanni Antonio Santarelli (1758-1826)
Luigi Saulini (?)
Louis Siries (1686-1757)
Flavio Sirletti (1683-1737)
James Tassie (1735-1799)
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How date cameos?
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Is not easy, but fortunately fakes are rare. Well, during the end 18th Century to the first half of 19th Century, some carvers has done fakes of Greek and Roman hardstone and coral cameos.
But in most cases you need just only to know the history of hair, dress and - of course - of fine arts. So, if a woman depicted on a cameo wears 1850's dress, and the overall style is 1850, is reasonable to suppose the cameo was carved around 1850. We must remember cameos reflects the style of the period when was carved.
Also, we need consider the condition of the material. Shell is more perishable than hard stones or coral: a shell cameos could looks more old than a coeval hardstone cameo. So, could be difficult to understand a good quality fake of a hardstone cameo.
But in anyway do a good copy of an old cameo could be more expensive than find an original!
RETROUSEE NOSES (see Glossary) are typical 20th Century!
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I would know more about cameo's materials
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The most common materials are: shell (cassis madascariensis, cassis rufa, strombus giga), hardstone (agate, onyx, calcedony, quartz, lava etc.), coral , amber, ivory and glass. In 20th Century some cheap cameos are in celluloid, bakelite and plastic.
Around 1930 was used tortoise shell, I have seen excellent cameos carved on this material.
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Figures are glued on the background?
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No. Glued figures are rare. Hardstone cameos are carved from an unique piece of two/three-color stone.
Carvers glues figures when is impossible to obtain the contrast between figure and background: ie. amethyst. Amethyst figures are normally glued on a dark backround (ie. onyx).
In some case figures are cutted of its background when this is broken, than the figure is glued on a new background. This can tell a new life to a damaged cameo.
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Cameos are moulded or carved?
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Is impossible to mould shell, coral and hardstones. Plastic cameos are normally moulded.
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How we can value the cameos condition?
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We hope this scale could help cameos collectors.
The Pommeraie Scale of Shell Cameo Grading
copyright 2000
| Mint 10/10: |
Cameo never framed and seldom handled. Virtually no surface flaws. Exceptionally Rare. |
| Mint 9/10: |
Figure in mint condition. Incipient cracks on background due to dehydration and age very faintly discernible with 10x magnifying lens in strong light. Extremely Rare. |
| Mint 8/10: |
Figure in mint condition. Cracks faintly discernible with 10x magnifying lens in strong light. Very Rare.
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| Excellent 7/10: |
Figure in mint condition. Light scratches or dents faintly discernible with 10x magnifying lens in strong light. All design details sharp, very light wear at highest points. Rare. |
| Excellent 6/10: |
Overall light wear, moderate wear at high points. May have a tiny fragment of background chipped off, but damage hidden by the frame or damage only discernible on the reverse. Rare. |
| Extra fine 5/10: |
All design details sharp, light wear at high points visible in strong light with 8x magnifying lens.
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| Very fine 4/10: |
Figure in good condition with fine detail lightly worn, visible to the naked eye in strong light. |
| Very good 3/10: |
Figure in good condition but with fine detailing more worn, visible to the naked eye in strong light.
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| Good 2/10: |
Figure lightly worn, light cracks and/or scratches on background visible to the naked eye in strong light.
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| Good 1/10: |
Figure in good condition but with fine detailing worn and/or with light scratches visible to the naked eye in ordinary light.
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FROM FAIRLY GOOD TO POOR CONDITION:
| Fairly Good 6/6: |
Lightly worn, with some damage to details (i.e., small chip on the figure’s hair or garment.) |
| Fairly Good 5/6: |
Worn, with minute chip on high point and/or shallow cracks.
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| Fairly Poor 4/6: |
Noticeably worn, with damage to larger details (i.e., tip of nose damaged) and/or cracks.
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| Fairly Poor 3/6: |
Badly worn and/or with serious cracks or flaws.
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| Poor 2/6: |
Badly worn. Difficult to recognize the figure. |
| Very Poor 1/6: |
Very badly worn. Difficult to recognize the figure. Background partially broken off. |
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How care cameos?
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Shell cameos are not so delicate. Antique shell cameos just only doesn't stands dry and burns. So, if you would frame an antique cameo, consider there is the risk the background will fades because the welding flame: to frame antique cameos is an extremely delicate work.
Hardstone cameos are more delicate. They doesn't stands shocks and fluctuations in temperature; ie. don't wash them with hot water and then with cold water.
Lava cameos are the most fragile and delicate. If you are the lucky owner of a mint antique lava cameo, the best is do not wear it...
In anyway care your cameos in small boxes, and leave them in a drawer. When you wear your antique cameos remember they are pieces of art and history.
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My cameo is dirty. How can I clean it?
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With a soft toothbrush, soap and tepid water. If you need to polish the bezel, proceed cautiously with specific products! They could impregnate and stain your cameo. For to clean silver bezels, bicarbonate is the best product: wet the frame, strew it with bicarbonate and wait 10 minutes. Then brush it.
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I would learn more about the quality of carving
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To value the artistic quality of a cameo is not a simple question, because the value is culturally definied. But we can easy value the craftsmanship, because this is an almost objective element. So, I think the best help is to compare some samples. Of course, checking the quality of carving, we need to consider the dimension of the details.
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These cameos (dated around the second half of the 19th Century) are low/medium quality. You can notice that the details are roug. |
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This is an almost good quality. The cameo on the right hand is very small. |
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The left cameo is good quality. The second cameo is excellent. |
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Museum Quality |
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