Italian Cameo Brooches

Mostly conch shell provide the carving material for cameos sculpted in Torre del Greco, Italy. Those shells are mainly found in the waters of the Bahamas, the Caribbeans and Central America. There are found approximately 90-100 feet below the water surface.

Once in the hand of the carving artist the shell are examined closely for any cracks or imperfections. The perfect shell should have a lighter top and a darker background. However, imperfection are very common and just about 99% of the shells will have some kind of lines, and the artist must play with it the best way possible in order to make a beautiful cameo.

The most valuable cameos are the ones with greatest color contrast.

Cameos Brooches

Before the artist start the carving process, he outlines in pencil the shapes of the cameos that will be obtained from that material and he then begins to carve the shell. The methods used to carve cameos hasn't changed in thousands of years. Although modern machinery now assists in the initial stage of the process, the intricate details are still carved by hand.

Carvers use very sharp steel gravers which enable them to carved in the most intricate details. Today, carvers also use ultrasonic gravers.

Shells are very fragile, especially during the different stages of carving. The shell can't be bumped around or drop, or they most likely will be ruined. The cameos goes through the following processes: removal of the fist layer, marking, molding, sanding, sketching, engraving, polishing with oil and removal of the oil.

After is is carved and engraved the cameo is placed on a gold, brass or silver frame.

You can tell a cameo's time period by its frame. Restrained simple frames surround the early Victorian pieces. The cameos set in more sophisticated white gold are from the turn of the century.

Cameo Brooches

Investing in 2009 seems to be on everyone's mind today but one of the best investments around is really overlooked! And that investment is an investment in jewelry and especially antique cameo jewelry!

Here are few of the reason for cameo investment

#1. You can usually buy an excellent antique cameo in gold or silver for under $300 and with the rate of inflation and the rise in precious metals not a bad deal. So you can get a good investment in 2009 by investing in jewelry. Antique cameo jewelry to be exact!

#2. If you compare an investment in stock and an investment in art, antique and vintage cameos would win hands down. Antique cameos are not only jewelry made with precious metal such as gold or silver but a small work of art (a sculpture) that will also appreciate in value as time goes on. Much like an investment in art work because that's what it is.

Antique cameo jewelry always seems to appreciate in good times or bad. BUT: You must pick out the real art work investment that has been carved by a real human being, not a machine. Get the real deal! An old cameo-carving cut by the human hand would be better than an investment in most stocks today.

#3. Antique cameos give you four benefits as an art investment:

A. An investment in gold or silver
B. An investment in art work
C. An investment in antiques
D. An investment in jewelry