CAMEOS

Cameos are three-dimensional carvings with a raised relief, in either stone or shell.

Due to the delicate nature of the shell, added to the fact that each shell has different curves and contours, all shell cameos are carved by hand to avoid breakage.

The first cameos were carved from stone, dating all the way back to 332 B.C., in Alexandria, Egypt.  In the 16th Century, workmen began carving shells to create cameos more quickly, at a less expensive price.

Greek and Roman emperors were immortalized through stone carvings.  Artisans would carve Gods and Goddesses, mythological creatures, portraits, and other artistic imagery.  Cameos saw a surge in popularity during the Victorian Era (1837 to 1901).

Intaglios are similar to stone cameos but instead of a raised relief, they have an image carved beneath the surface of the stone.  Early intaglios functioned as a stamp or seal.

Shell Cameos

CARNELIAN SHELL

​The carnelian shell is the most common shell used for cameo carvings.

​Most carnelian shells are found off of West Africa.  They grow rather rapidly and are harvested on a regular basis.

​Carnelian shells range in color from reddish-brown, to peach, to orange.

The raised layer isn't completely white, and will usually include a bit of a peach tinge.

SARDONYX SHELL

​Sardonyx shells grow at a much slower rate than carnelian shells.  Much fewer sardonyx shell cameos are produced each year, making them more rare.

Sardonyx shell cameos have a raised white layer atop a deep red or dark chocolate brown background, and are generally more desirable due to their contrasting layers of color.

QUEEN CONCH SHELL

​Most queen conch shells are found off the coast of the Bahamas.  Queen conch shell cameos are white with subtle pink coloring.

Conch cameos are often mistaken for angelskin coral cameos.

MOTHER OF PEARL SHELL

​Pearl mollusks and mussels produce a hard, protective coating inside their shell.  These layers of nacre have a rainbow-colored, iridescent sheen, and are known as mother of pearl.

Mother of pearl has a white to light grey bodycolor, with an iridescent, "oil slick" flash.

ABALONE SHELL

​Abalone are small to very large sea snails found along the coasts of every continent with the exception of South America's Pacific coast.

Abalone shells produce iridescent layers of nacre along the inside of the shell.  These iridescent layers are known as "mother of pearl".

Abalone mother of pearl is known for its dark bodycolor with a rainbow-colored, iridescent flash.

TIGER SHELL

​Tiger shells come from large sea snails, known as cypraea tigris.  These snails are found on the ocean floor, near coral habitats, off the coasts in the Indo-Pacific region.

Their shells have a wild, spotted appearance, resembling the fur of a tiger or leopard.

Tiger shell cameos have up to 7 different layers of color.  Brown on the surface, then white-yellowish, grey-blue, 2 tones of purple, and then finally a bluish-white.

Stone Cameos

SARDONYX (GEMSTONE)

​Sardonyx, not to be confused with sardonyx shell, is a gemstone from the chalcedony family.

Sardonyx features alternating bands of either 2 or 3 colors.  Either carnelian or sard will alternate with either white onyx, black onyx, or both.

LAVA

​Cooled lava, from volcanic eruptions, have been carved into gorgeous, high relief cameos.

Lava, mostly from Italy's Mount Vesuvius, has been carved, by hand, into gorgeous, artistic images.

Lava cameos occur naturally in off-white to grayish colors, but can be dyed.

CORAL

​Marine coral is an organic gem that occurs in colors ranging from white, to pink, to red.

Red coral is considered precious coral, and is generally the most desirable type of coral.

Angelskin coral ranges in coral from a very pale pink to a salmon color.

TIGER'S EYE

​Tiger's eye is a variety of quartz with a phenomena known as chatoyancy.

​Its silky appearance is due to its wavy, fibrous structure.

Tiger's eye quartz ranges in color from brownish yellow, to brown, to reddish brown.

TURQUOISE

​Turquoise is a gem that occurs in a range of colors from light to medium blue, to greenish blue, to green.

BLOODSTONE

Bloodstone is a variety of the chalcedony species.  It's known for its red hematine "blood splatter" inclusions in green jasper.

AGATE

​The very first cameos were agate carvings, dating back to 332 B.C., in Alexandria, Egypt.

ONYX

Onyx is a form of banded chalcedony that occurs in black, white, and many other colors.

Other Cameos

CERAMIC

Ceramic cameos were a more easily-manufactured variation of cameo jewelry.

Wedgwood was an English company that produced ceramic cameos from a material known as jasperware, which was a type of pottery developed by Josiah Wedgwood in the 1770s.

Jasperware traditionally has an unglazed, matte "biscuit" finish.

PLASTIC

Plastic cameos were created as cheap alternatives to shell, stone, and even ceramic cameos.

Polymers were poured into molds, producing cameos at a much more rapid pace as opposed to hand-carving.

Stone Intaglios

HEMATINE

​
​Hematine (f.k.a. hematite) is a magnetic, metallic silver gem with a mirror-like finish.

QUARTZ

​​Amethyst, citrine, and other forms of quartz were used as intaglio carvings.

CARNELIAN

​Carnelian is the reddish orange to reddish brown, translucent variety of chalcedony.

SARD

Sard is a darker, more brownish version of carnelian.

ONYX

​Black onyx was often used for both cameos and intaglios.

GLASS

Glass of all colors was used for intaglio carvings, both by hand and by machine.

All photos courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, CMA, AJP