Cameos are a beautifully artistic piece of jewellery, something to treasure as a family possession to be looked after for the next generation. There are so many varieties of cameos available, carved out of gemstones such as agate, onyx and sardonyx. Cameos have two layers of contrasting colours with often figurative carved into the stone or shell to create an almost three dimensional artwork. Cameos can also be made out of shell, coral, lava (limestone from Pompeii) as well as plastic, resin and glass. The word 'Cameo' comes from the Italian word 'Cammeo' from medieval latin camaeus, of unknown origins. The meaning of a cameo is that it represents not a fictional character but more is an instantly recognisable portrait of a person or occasionally a place or flower.

HNCO will be listing more of these treasures over the coming weeks and you will be sure to find something you love amongst all the different cameos. This particular stunningly beautiful vintage agate cameo is set into 14 carat yellow  gold and is an exceptional jewellery piece. The cameo itself is so intricately carved with making full use of the natural layers of the stone. The carver is highly skilful and has created a spectacularly well carved portrait in a figurative style. The young Roman man is carved in a warm light cream colour against the translucent orange tones of the agate and facing to the right. He has flowing hair and is wearing a classic Roman style tunic. Around the setting is a fine woven, filigree, repeating foliage detail with two stylised leaves picked out in green enamel, framing the portrait perfectly. 

 The cameo has a classic early 1900's brooch style fitting that is in full working order. The cameo pendant is not hallmarked, the piece was laser tested as 14 carat gold. This very impressive cameo would be a fabulous addition to any collection.

Dimensions are as follows:

Height 4.8 cm x width 3.9 cm x thickness 15 mm

Weight 26.22 grams