Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

The cameos are hand cut but not with a high level of skill or attention to detail. They are basically a mass produced item & the green stones will not be emeralds. Pretty though.

 

Athena she most certainly is. The fore quarters of the beast are a gryphon (eagle + lion) but the hind half is a serpent, more like Echidna, Chimaera or Scylla. I do not have a name for this combo. 'Fearsome mythical beast' will have to do. She does often have Pegasus on her helm, in recognition of her having been the first to tame the winged horse.

Almost any time you see a helmeted figure with very long hair (longer than on this example) or feminine touches like a pearl necklace, the 'warrior' or 'Trojan' is Athena. Achilles is one exception.

 

Thanks @Bronwen and @fridolina, she is now mine

 

Congratulations -- a very interesting piece, I think.

 

That was what I thought as well, since they were VERY inexpensive. I saw one similar and they were green Tourmaline.

 

Thankyou
I kept going back to look at it again and again. . I liked her even more after being ID’d as Athena although I don’t really know what I’ve bought!.
It was listed in a UK auction house , I put a minimum bid on and walked away expecting to be outbid and wasn’t.

 

I like unusual.. that's why I bought this one.. It is glass (isn't it ?), but the background looks like metal and the setting looks kind of too big, maybe it was originally a locket and then put in this setting (there is some glue on the back) ?

 

I love unusual too. Unpicking the history behind some of these pieces is such fun. The pin looks really unusual too.

 

It looks to me like she is shell with all the background, except right around the edges in places, broken away. Someone has salvaged a shell cameo by removing the damaged parts & attaching her into this mount, which originally held...? Perhaps it is the frame the intact cameo was in. It has definitely seen some hard times.

 

Hoping someone might be able to help me out..... I picked up the Cameo with the sterling silver border (the one I posted a few posts back with the Star of David). After having it here a few days, I LOVE the Cameo, but dislike the frame. I have tried different wording to try and find a new frame for it, but can't seem to find one anywhere on eBay or on the net. I've searched "Cameo frames" "Cameo settings" "Cameo mounts" and a few other searches I can't remember.
Any suggestions on where to look or a good wording to search with?? I would prefer to go with 14K white gold, but would settle for .925 silver.
She is 42.5mm high by 34.5mm wide (without the frame)

 

Shell sounds even better, thank you ! However savaged it, did a pretty thoroughly job, as I don't see any cracks in the shell.. the frame might be the original one, that explains the gaps..

 

Google suggested that I look at two pages on etsy for "cameo mount" and "cameo mounting" -- some turned out to be empty ones.
https://www.etsy.com/market/cameo_mounting
https://www.etsy.com/market/cameo_mount

I notice the word "setting" is also used.

Using those words in eBay searches didn't come up with anything for me.

 

I've often wondered if it is easy to change the mount given that each cameo can be a slightly different shape and have a different curve.

 

I was wondering that, too.

 

Thanks so much for the links!
I tried my best to find a mount, even looking at other cameo to exchange with, and it turns out my "shell" is bigger then most set cameos. So, I'm off to my favorite jeweler to pick-up my other cameo "Rose" (yep, I give them names) the one missing the sapphire, and we'll see what he can do with it without breaking the bank!
Hope you all are having a great day!!

 

I hope you find something that you like and can afford!

 

Spoke to the jeweler (he's a local store & the 3ed generation) he looked it over and basically said that each frame is made for that cameo. Someone took an unmounted one and had a frame made. To un-mount it would risk breaking the shell. He was nice enough to test the frame to be sure it was .925, tested the little rope around the frame and her necklace which are yellow & white gold, and tested the diamond size and color so I would know what to sell her as if I wanted to.
SO, I think I will list her on eBay.
I have searched and have not come across a cameo with a Star of David
I am just not sure what to list her at price wise

 

Been meaning to ask about this large-ish (about 2¼"), cameo that I rec'd in a costume jewelry auction lot last year (lucky break ... it wasn't even the item that I originally wanted the lot ). Since the camera battery is charged now seems as good a time as any to post it here.

Hoping Bronwen (or anyone else who would know, for that matter), can explain what is being depicted ... especially the large third face at the base of the two other people.

Google suggests that the sig. belongs to a skilled and popular carver, but that when signed in this manner that the work was that of a student and not the master carver himself ... is this a fact?

 

OOOOH, I love it! Can't wait to see what @Bronwen has to say

 

@BMRT How does the signature on the one above compare with the signature on the back of your La Vague cameo?