A unique and precious gift
My aim is for this lens to be a great resource for anyone interested in portrait cameo jewelry. Portrait cameos are accurate carvings of people usually carved entirely by hand using diamond tools from photographs.
" I really enjoy the collaborative process involved in portraiture. I work closely with my client to ensure that together we create an exceptional gemstone cameo portrait. Many of my customers have gone on to become great friends."
There are very few people working in this field as this is considered the hardest challenge for any gemstone carver. Great artistic ability, craft skill and experience is needed to be able to create life-like portraits.
An experienced award winning artist. Gareth has been creating custom jewelry for 29 years. Some of his clients have been collecting his work for over 21 years.
In history, agate portrait cameos were often gifts from royalty to their subjects. The finest of these antique cameos, some more than 2000 years old are often displayed in museums. Visit the Wikipedia page on Cameos where I am an editor for more info.
Your Portrait Jewel may become a family heirloom to be treasured by your family for generations. This could be remembered as your most remarkable gift ever !
All of my work is custom made this means that I do not supply antique, shell or ultrasonic agate cameo jewelry. However, I have included companies that deal with these items in my link list for people looking for these items. Contact me! if you have any questions.
Gareth Eckley's Pocahontas cameo is presented to Queen Elizabeth II
Richmond, Virginia - May 3rd, 2007
William Miles, chief of the Pamunkey nation, presents the Queen with a replica of the Pocahontas cameo brooch. The original brooch was presented to Pocahontas in London over 400 years ago. It is believed to have been carved with her likeness.This important occasion was to honor the role of Pocahontas in the very survival of John Smith and his settlement at Jamestown.
This ceremony was part of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown Colony. The first permanent settlement of the British in North America.
The Pocahontas Cameo Brooch
This is the cameo that was presented to Queen Elizabeth II
The Pocahontas Cameo brooch. This image of Pocahontas was carved from layered agate and set in a frame of Palladium, with natural seed pearl detail.I was asked to create a replica of the antique cameo brooch that was presented to Pocahontas by King James I in London in 1616. This brooch is in the collection of the Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation Museum in Virginia, USA.
This cameo carved by Gareth Eckley ws presented to Queen Elizabeth II in a special ceremony in Richmond, Virginia on May 3rd, 2007.
This photo was taken outside with the Pocahontas cameo brooch resting on an Owl feather. All of my Portrait cameo carvings are so alive when worn outside. The combination of movement and changing light really brings out the amazing reality of the portraits.
This cameo is now in Queen Elizabeth's royal collection in Buckingham Palace, London, UK.
Portrait Cameo jewelry on Flickr
15 photos showing a selection of my portrait cameos
Visit portraitsinstone.com for more information.
Visit us at Portraits in Stone to learn more
A portrait of your loved one carved in a gemstone cameo.
Come and browse my site at Portraits in Stone for the full story of Portrait cameo jewelery.A beautiful and Personal gift
Create your very own family heirloom with a cameo portrait, destined to be treasured for generations. Bespoke design, truly one of a kind. Hand-crafted with great skill and care.
Your cameo portrait jewel is sure to surprise and delight your loved one. This may be remembered as your most thoughtful and imaginative gift.
Portrait Cameo Jewelry Gallery
Browse my Galleries for examples of Gemstone portrait pendants, brooch pins in layered agate, cameo earrings and carvings of nature and wildlife.
Hand carved in agate and other gemstones and set in Silver, Gold or Platinum. Each cameo portrait jewel is custom designed for your needs and my price range is from US $5,000 - $50,000.
Than you for reading my Lens,
Gareth Eckley.
Portraits in stone cameo artists blog
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One of a kind Jewels with a carved gemstone as the hero of the piece
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Reader Feedback
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DazzlingDesigns
Lovely lens and cameos. Here's 5-Stars! Please feel free to stop by my Custom Handcrafted Jewelry lens. Thanks, Donia Posted April 18, 2008 |
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LisaJesse
Hi! Thanks for stopping by. This is a great lens. I appreciate all the useful info. Posted August 19, 2007 |
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Ashlynn
You are very talented! I love the cameo of the lady brushing her hair, amazing detail. 5 stars for a great lens. Posted August 17, 2007 |
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Great lens! I voted 5 stars - I invite you to check out mine too, and rate it for me! Live Streaming Video Posted August 02, 2007 |
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Lady_Gotrocks
Great lens Posted July 29, 2007 |
Books on Cameos both agate and shell
Books from my collection on Cameos
Cameos: Old & New, 3rd Edition
Amazon Price: $14.96 (as of 09/05/2008)
Nineteenth Century Cameos: A Price and Identification Guide
Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
Cameos: Classical to Costume (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Amazon Price: $43.76 (as of 09/05/2008)
Classical Gems: Ancient and Modern Intaglios and Cameos in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (Fitzwilliam Museum Publications)
Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
Cameos: Profiles--scenes--mythology
Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
Books on Portrait drawing & portrait artists
Books from my collection on portrait drawing
The Art of Portrait Drawing: Learn the Essential Techniques of the Masters
Amazon Price: $17.81 (as of 09/05/2008)
Eye Contact: Modern American Portrait Drawings from the National Portrait Gallery
Amazon Price: $43.80 (as of 09/05/2008)
How to Draw Heads and Portraits (Watson-Guptill Artists Library)
Amazon Price: (as of 09/05/2008)
The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 09/05/2008)
Drawing the Human Head (Practical Art Books)
Amazon Price: $14.93 (as of 09/05/2008)
Cameo jewelery Link List
- Portraits in Stone
- My home web-site for portrait cameo jewelry. I am one of a very select group of artists who can carve modern portrait cameos into gemstone.
- Cameo heaven
- Jan Campbell has put together a great collection of both hardstone agate cameo and shell cameos. Jan is mentioned in Anna Millers book Cameos Old and New.
She also did a tv show on Lynette Jennings and Is a qualified appraiser of cameos. Great service, very friendly, experienced and professional. - Pommeraie Antiques
- Silvio at Pommeraie Antiques has a wonderful collection of antique cameos in agate, shell, coral, lava and ivory.
They are located in Milan, Italy and they sell to collectors worldwide. Their archive section of cameos sold is a great resource as is the rest of the site. - Rowan and Rowan
- Michele Rowan gives lectures on cameos, most recently to the Friends of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and to the Friends of the Tiffany Museum in Nagoya, Japan.
She has appeared on television programmes giving advice about purchasing antique jewellery, most recently on the BBC Inside Antiques series. Michele is the author of the book Nineteenth Century Cameos. - Things Gone By
- An on-line antique store specializing in authentic antiques and fine antique jewelry. They have been in business since 1985 and established this website in February 1997.
They were one of the first antique dealers on the Web and carry a wide range of antique jewelry and hard to find Georgian and Victorian mourning jewelry and antique cameos. - Casco Italian Shell Cameos
- CASCO s.r.l. - founded in 1928 by Scognamiglio family is the leading manufacturer of coral and cameo utilizing traditional methods that have been used for over 5000 years.
Their factory is located in Torre del Greco, Italy, the capital city of coral and cameos, nestled between the foot of Mount Vesuvio and the Mediterranean Sea, overlooking the bay of Naples.
Contact Paolo Scognamiglio for more info - The Cameo Collection
- The cameo collection is bought to you by Lovina Rutt.
The Cameo Collection sell some very fine shell cameos. Imported from the tiny town of Torre del Greco, Italy - which is, to this day, the center of shell cameo carving in the world.
Their cameos come directly from master carver Gennaro Borriello, who himself employs fifty trained artisans.
This relationship ensures that each hand-carved cameo has been produced by artists whose hands understand the shells they carve and the timeless beauty they create.
If you'd like to learn more, visit their shop at the Old Bag Factory in Goshen, Indiana.
Resources for gemstones
Gemstone carvers, gem mineral and crystal suppliers and magazines
- Lapidary Journal magazine
- The oldest magazine devoted to Lapidary. All things to do with stone cutting, collecting, stone carving and now a large amount of bead making content.
I used to subscribe to this when I was only 8 years old and collecting minerals and fossils. Used to really look forward to it arriving each month.
Make sure you get the Tuscon guide which is a special issue devited to the annual gem show held in Tuscon, Arizona in Jan-Feb. - Colored Stone magazine
- A sister magazine to the Lapidary Journal. This one is geared more towards the jewelry trade with articles about designers, suppliers and larger companies.
There is a useful guide to industry gem shows from round the world and frequent articles on gemstones and diamonds. - Gemwise Blog
- A very useful blog by Richard Wise a gemmologist and jeweler from Massachusetts, US. This is updated regularly and he does know his subject !
