This gorgeous vintage cameo (another Brimfield Antique Fair find) has been newly set in a gold tone frame with rhinestone accents. It hangs from a 28" long, vintage twisted link chain with a lobster claw closure for an adjustable fit. Although occasionally used in Roman cameos, the earliest prevalent use of shell for cameo carving was during the Renaissance. in the mid 18th century, explorations revealed new shell varieties. Helmet shells (Cassis tuberosa) from the West Indies, & queen conch shells (Eustrombus gigas) from the Bahamas & West Indies, arrived in Europe. This sparked a large increase in the number of cameos that were carved from shells. in Britain, this revival first occurred during King George III’s reign. As with many fashion trends of the time, this one was imported from France & stemmed from a heightened interest in ancient Egypt, Greece & Rome, due to Napoleon’s campaigns in the south. A cameo diadem carved from a single shell, depicting a scene from greek mythology, framed by gold, pearls & precious & semiprecious stones, was a present to Josephine from her brother-in-law Joachim Murat. King George’s granddaughter, Queen Victoria, was a major proponent of the cameo trend, to the extent that they would become mass produced by the second half of the 19th century. After 1850 demand for cameos grew, as they became popular souvenirs of the Grand Tour among the middle class. I just found this Regency Portrait of Ann Penington (Gilbert Stuart, 1805) Doesn’t she look just lovely & check out how she’s wearing her silhouette necklace, looped around her neck so that it hangs at the right level. Oh, these creative, ladies! Downton Abbey Titanic Inspired Regency Edwardian Cameo Necklace
