Perhaps not everyone knows that the cameo (also called cameo) is a very ancient type of jewelry, which finds its origins in petroglyphs - figures carved in the rock - already in ancient Egypt starting from 15,000 BC, when skilled craftsmen engraved the stone with commemorative symbols. The technique was further refined in the Etruscan Phoenician period, when it was customary to engrave some scenes of daily life on a stratified stone called sardonyx. Since then, cameos have become a sign of elegance, appreciated as true miniature works of art, thanks to the variety of their decorations that range from natural elements, women's faces, angels, biblical or mythological characters.

Very popular in the Hellenistic and then Roman eras, they were one of the most popular jewels in the Renaissance period, in response to the renewed interest in classical art.
Cameos have been protagonists of fashion at various times until the 20th century, often passed down from generation to generation as family trousseaus.
Even today, cameo pendants are still highly appreciated and recently, several fashion designers have given new life to this type of jewel, reinterpreting it in a modern key.

What is most surprising about the cameo is that it is still today a jewel with an extremely complex production: it is made in an artisanal way by skilled engravers. The most skilled craftsmen are called Master Engravers and from their expert hands come cameos that are in all respects true works of art.
But how is a cameo made?

Materials and Techniques: Engraving a Cameo

A cameo is made by engraving a stone that is defined as “layered”, such as agate or onyx or sardonyx shells or those of the Cassis family (the most appreciated are the Cypraecassis rufa, the Cassis madascarensis and the Cassis cornuta). These shells in fact have a surface made up of two different layers, of different colors, a characteristic that allows for the creation of clear engravings, making the figure in relief stand out from the background.
Some cameos are then carved in mother-of-pearl and characterized by an opalescent, bluish-grey color.

The making of a cameo is very complex and is divided into several phases.

Let's see what are the 5 fundamental steps that precede the actual engraving of a cameo:

1. Shell selection.
   The craftsman identifies the shell most suitable for the work he intends to create, evaluating its characteristics, colors and shape.
   
   
2. Scoppatura.
   This is the first fundamental phase to proceed to the definition of the carving and involves the separation of the most valuable part, that is, the cup, which will be the base of the cameo, from the rest of the shell.
   
   
3. Signature
   Through the signature, the master engraver draws the outline of the piece he intends to work on, in order to define the size of the

4. Cut
   We then proceed to eliminate the superfluous by cutting away entire parts of the shell.

5. Garbage
   This phase allows you to give the piece the desired shape, usually oval or round, by working the edges using a special wheel.

The cameo engraving

At this point, the shaped piece of shell is worked on by the engraver until the desired final figure is defined: the master, who must necessarily also be a skilled draftsman, sketches the desired figure on a sheet of paper and then transfers it onto the shell, fixed to a wooden stick which simplifies the manipulation operations by the carver.

Carving after carving, what will become the actual cameo takes shape.

Given the artisanal nature of the workmanship, each cameo is unique in its kind: each shell can be embellished with an almost infinite number of subjects: from family crests, to names and initials, through the classic faces of women, landscapes, animals or fantasy symbols.

The cameo is then usually worn as a pendant on necklaces, or mounted on brooches, rings and earrings, set in sterling silver or burnished silver or gold.

Some curiosities about the Cameo

1. The cameo became a very popular object during the Hellenistic period in the courts of Egypt and Asia Minor. Alexander the Great is responsible for the diffusion of this object set in vases, utensils, fabrics and clothes.
2. In the Hellenistic period, young women used cameos as amulets to make a wish.
3. Roman emperors used cameos to glorify their image.
4. During the Middle Ages, cameo manufacturing was almost completely abandoned.
5. The term cameo was coined only in modern times and derives from the Arabic word gama'il (flower bud), from which we arrived at today's cameo through the ancient French name “camaheu”.
6. As we have seen, the most popular cameos today are carved from shells, a tradition that began in the 15th or 16th century and was popularized by Queen Victoria of England.
7. Cameos have not always been jewels reserved exclusively for women: at various times in history they have also been frequently worn by men, as amulets, lucky charms or distinctive signs of belonging to a certain faith. Furthermore, cameos were used as decorative elements on helmets and military accessories such as armor and sword handles, on rings and other jewels as well as on vases, cups and plates.
8. During the Renaissance, the Venetian Pietro Barbo, first Cardinal of San Marco, then Pope in 1464 with the name of Paul II , owned a vast collection of engraved gems, coins, medals, bronzes, jewels, silverware, tapestries and statues. An inventory compiled in 1457 describes in detail the collection of gems that could boast as many as 243 cameos.
9. Cameos even enchanted Napoleon, who wore a cameo to his wedding and founded a school in Paris to teach the art of cameo carving to young apprentices.