Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

I’ve seen that second brown one EVERYWHERE. In different shades of brown and different lighting but I’m positive it’s the same design.

The white one I showed was $225 in pinchbeck but at least I haven’t seen it anywhere else...

 

It is everywhere, which is why it astounds me sellers can mistake it for hand carved anything.

 

Better value than this:

https://gurhan.com/products/okn-yg-...MIx42p9Pv_4gIVBhgMCh2H1Q41EAkYByABEgKTRvD_BwE



Where was the one you saw?

 

Whoa. Why is this so expensive!?

I believe it was on etsy.

 

This is meerschaum/pipe clay:

19 cent Victorian HIGH RELIEF LAVA Carved CAMEO Girl Lady Bubble Glass Frame Wow

 

Because it is being sold by a jeweller & has high karat gold around it. Doubt the melt value of the gold comes anywhere close, not much workmanship & no artistry in the mount, mediocre cameo in otherwise valueless material. [shakes head emoji]

 

From a photo, how do you tell the difference between meerschaum and lava? Or is it the protective bubble glass that's the clue?

 

OK, everybody, what is this really?

Beauiful Victorian Italian Natural Red Coral Carved Lava Antique Cameo Pendant

 

If I'm right, the answer is in the second photo.

 

Not even half right:

Vintage LAVA Cameo Full Face Set on Agate

 

No idea. The back looks like porous stone so I’d be inclined to believe at least the foundation is lava if not the carving itself.

Educate me! *Eagerly waits for right answers*

 

You mean cuz they left "butt ugly" out of the title?

 

Yes, the conclusive evidence, although I suspected as soon as I saw it. The most elaborate setting I have seen for one of these. Interesting question of value. The material has no monetary value in itself; the workmanship was mainly in the mold. Yet these are much rarer than lava cameos. Analogous to baseball cards in intrinsic value & manufacture. Should these cameos be seen as more valuable based on rarity?

 

Such a little post, slipped by. Follow links:

 

I was ready to accept the agate background, because I have seen that done, then noticed the beveled edge & confirmed my suspicion immediately by taking a look at the back.

 

More valuable than a good 75% of the cameos on ebay (even after eliminating all the plastic ones)? I think so.

But I don't suppose that's saying a lot.

I find myself drawn to them because when my parents were first married, they lived on a piece of property with caves and used to do guided tours (they were the "caretakers" of sort)... they were in a completely different state by the time I was born, but the cave thing was big in family lore.

But then again, I wouldn't buy something I'd be afraid to wear, so I'll continue just looking at the pictures.

This is my grandma:

 

OH WOW!!!!! WHAT size is that!!!!! G O R G E O U S !!!!!!!!!

 

Same one as the one at the head of the article on Hebe at CameoTimes, I think:



@Jivvy Is this for sale on RL by a shop called Nectar?

 

Pinterest -- so, zero info.

I was in the midst of writing back to @Aquitaine that there was surely someone on these boards who had a better photo of this piece and who would know more (I'd been on the Hebe page fairly recently) when your message posted.

From the angle of your photo, the eagle is much less hat-like.

 

Oohh, petrifying spring water did the job!
Of course, Jivvy pic helped to confirm my thoughts
We have in France lots of framed religious and decorative 19th century pictures made from that material.
Edit to add:
Just saw @Bronwen link to dripstone...