Featured Young Athena cameo ??? Set in 9ct gold

Hello again,
As promised, another Cameo to share, I think this could be Athena.
Building up to Christmas, few more to show
It’s not one of my favourite, but would like to know about it, age, depiction etc. I had my eyes on another Athena, I will post it later, but wasn’t meant to be mine.
Please share your thoughts.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Simona
@Bronwen
@KSW
@Any Jewelry
@Ownedbybear
Please copy anyone else that may be Intrested.

 

This is the one I wanted to purchase originally.
@Bronwen I know you would love this

 

who wouldn't...............that's a miss !

 

Even though the carver has included none of her attributes other than that she is wearing a helmet, I think you are correct that the subject is meant to be Athena, although the hair is short enough for a male hero or god.

Made of helmet shell, of course. It is very unlikely the mount is solid gold. It will be gold filled, pinchbeck or some such.

The findings on the back have been altered but I think preserve the forms of the originals. This one really can have been made 20 years either side of 1900.

 

The one that got away is an excellent use of the color layers of the shell to show this Athena:



https://wikis.nyu.edu/display/owag/Representations+of+Women+on+Athena+Parthenos

 

Thank you so much for your reply. It is actually hallmarked 9ct down on the frame. The pin may have been changed, I would not know as I purchased it like this.
I decided to sell her, I should truly pursue what I really like, and she is nice but I would like to keep looking and find one that is outstanding.
Just wanted to quickly ask if you can upload the photos from this site, or shall I send them to your editor@cameo.com email?
I would very much like you to use them on your website.
I have 3 more to show, with one specially for Christmas.
Xx
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Simona

 

Outstanding, now I am gutted I did not offer more
Never mind, what is mine, it will come

 

Oh, good. The trouble with 9ct is that it doesn't look like real gold.

I can easily pick up photos to save directly from the site. Anyway, the e-mail you posted address is incorrect.

 

In the USA, 9 karat cannot actually be sold as “gold”.

 

When I showed something to my friendly neighborhood Yemeni shopkeeper to get his confirmation that the Arabic mark was a 12, he turned it in his hands & asked, What is this? Gold?

 

Same in The Netherlands. Here something can only be sold as gold if it is 14k or over.

 

Yes, you are right, most Middle Easten countries produce 21 carats and 22 carat gold jewellery. I suppose 9 carat it’s more affordable, maybe that is why it was introduced in the UK. Here most people buy 9 carat gold jewellery, and lots of antique jewellery were also produced in 9 carat.
Noted about your email, I will make the time over the holidays to send you few emails.

 

I don't feel like researching this, so maybe someone else will know, but I seem to recall that not so very long ago Britons were legally restricted in how much gold they were allowed to own & that this played into how much was used in jewellery. And once told that in Ireland much gold was 9ct because it was all most people could afford.'['['['['['['['['['['['['['['['['['['['['['['] (My cat likes to type.) Pinchbeck may have looked more like higher quality gold than 9ct.

 

Sorry,it was changed to 9 karat 3 years ago.

 

@Ownedbybear probably knows.

Funny story about restrictions. When Napoleon traveled through the Netherlands he was apalled by the wealth of jewellery on Dutch women's caps. He issued a decree that women should only wear jewellery on one side of the head.
I'm sure women suffered neck complaints from wearing just one half of their jewellery set, but as we all know, Napoleon's rule didn't last that long.

Just imagine, only one side of this:


The gold is actually part of a brace construction to keep the cap firmly on the head in a windy country, hence the extra pins on the side. I don't know how they solved that during French rule.

 

Sorry, forgive my ignorance, but I'm not sure what you mean? What was changed, and where, 3 years ago?
My own comment was simply piggy-backing off of Bronwen's comment that 9 karat doesn't actually look like gold.

 

The FTC jewelry guidelines were changed 3 years ago That 9K gold is "gold" and is marked as 9K.

An industry product or part thereof, composed throughout of an alloy of gold may be marked and described as “Gold” when such word “Gold,” wherever appearing, is immediately preceded by a correct designation of the karat fineness of the alloy, and such karat designation is of equal conspicuousness as the word “Gold” (for example, “14 Karat Gold,” “14 K. Gold,” “14 Kt. Gold,” “9 Karat Gold,” or “9 Kt. Gold”). Such product may also be marked and described by a designation of the karat fineness of the gold alloy unaccompanied by the word “Gold” (for example, “14 Karat,” “14Kt.,” “14 K.,” or “9 K.”)

 

Thanks, I wasn’t aware of this!

 

I found out not long ago on another forum,many hobbyist/artisans appear to not know the guidelines exist and need to be followed.When the 9K was added they also added rhodium plating on silver items must be disclosed to the buyers.

 

Perhaps a possible reason that so much of the 9K antique jewelry is around today today is because the alloy was much harder than 15K +. It wears well and doesn't become misshapen like higher grade gold. It just plain outlasted the high grade stuff. I prefer 14K myself.