Information on cameo parures. A parure is a set of jewellery which can be a combination of a matching necklace, earrings, brooch, bracelet and often a diadem or tiara. A variation is the demi-parure which consists of as few as two matching pieces, such as earrings and a necklace or brooch.

Cleverly, the parure was not static but modular and could be remade into more fashionable jewelry in order to stay au courant in the court and fashion-forward for the times. Members of court and higher social ranks vied for the best jewelers to create the most imaginative and elaborate collections that would astound one another and increase their status. Some necklaces could be worn intact or temporarily disassembled into bracelets, pendants, hair ornaments or brooches with smart interchangeable components and locking systems. Reference: Wikipedia

Enamel and diamond parure, Frascarolo
Comprising: a bracelet composed of enamelled paws and tiger’s head motif links, with circular-cut ruby eyes and single-cut muzzles, length approximately 165mm; a brooch designed as a tiger, applied with enamel, set with single-cut diamonds and circular-cut ruby eyes; and a ring, size H, each with Italian assay and maker’s marks.

Sold for 10,625 GBP at Sothebys in 2018

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Information and history of cameo rings.  Cameo rings have been worn for centuries. The style of setting a cameo into a plain hoop mounted by a table setting is very ancient and was more commonly worn by men than women. Ancient cameos often depicted pagan gods, Christian saints and even self-portraits. Multi-coloured stone and often marble or porphyry was most desirable, as it produced a striped, layered or three-dimensional effect. The modern cameo ring usually shows the profile of a goddess or a Roman soldier. Reference: Wikipedia.

Below are some examples of cameo rings throughout the ages.

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Information and history of cameo pendants. The word pendant derives from the Latin word pendere and Old French word pendr, both of which translate to “to hang down”. It comes in the form of a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, which may be known as a “pendant necklace”.

Pendants are still popular forms of mounting cameos. Pendants are among the oldest recorded types of bodily adornment. Stone, shell, pottery, and more perishable materials were used. Ancient Egyptians commonly wore pendants, some shaped like hieroglyphs. Reference: Wikipedia

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Brooches were often used as both fashion accessories or as fastenings for cloaks and other garments.

Dating Cameo Brooches

Clasps

Clasps are one of the things which should be examined first. During the Georgian and Victorian era a “C” Clasp was commonly used until it was replaced by a safety clasp around 1900. The “C” Clasp takes it’s name because it looks like the letter C.

Early “C” Clasps tended to have longer pins as in the image of the Georgian “C” Clasp example. The pin sticks out beyond the edge of the brooch and is very long compared to the overall length of the brooch. The image  of the Victorian “C” clasp is still long, but not as long as the Georgian clasp. The Victorian brooch can be accurately dated as it has the silver hallmark for Birmingham 1892.

A form of safety catch was used during the late 19th century. It was very similar to the “C” clasp but was extended to eliminate the risk of losing the brooch.

An application was filed on March 8, 1916. Serial N 0. 82,790 for an improved safety catch. The following is an excerpt of that Patent.

“To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. FARNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety- Catches forPins or Brooches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved safety-catch or guard for the pins of brooches and similar’articles of jewelry to secure them from accidental unfastening. The objects of my improvement are to simplifythe construction, reduce the cost of manufacture and to render the device more eflicient for the purpose intended and more durable in use.” Reference: Google

The  Art Nouveau brooch by Marcus & Co  also  has a “C” clasp but here the pin only goes to the end of the brooch itself.

The other thing to note  is the hinge. Prior to 1920 brooches tended to have tubular hinges. Modern brooches have machine made round hinges. These can  also be seen  in  the images above.

Having said all that, it is not always possible to date accurately from the clasp alone. During the years clasps can get broken and replaced, so a modern clasp does not necessarily mean that the brooch is not old. Also, sometimes later designers may have used older type clasps. Whenever examining the piece you should also look for signs to see whether the clasp is original to the brooch. Many cameos during the Victorian era could be used as pendants as well.

Cameo Brooch Styles

The style of a brooch can also help to identify the age of the piece but it also needs experience with handling of the item as fashions come and go. Victorians would copy styles from previous eras just as we would today. One of the ways to tell them apart is whether they are hand-made or mass produced. That is really only possible to tell from handling an item and from experience so it will not be covered here.

In general, during the years 1800 to 1810, the styles of cameo brooches followed neo-classicism. This style was encouraged by Napolean. Influences were adopted from the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. This was probably due to Napoleons travels to these parts of the world.

Shell cameos became very popular during this era with many depicting mythical creatures and classical groups. Sometimes genuine artifacts were set in gold with designs of laurel leaves, Greek keys and palmettes. Mosaics also became popular and could also be used to surround a cameo.

Frames made of silver or gold cannetille, similar to filigree, became popular around 1830 and these would often be a feature of cameo brooches.

The early Victorian era, 1837 to 1860 saw a change in jewellery styles to that of Romanticism. Seed pearls, grapes, bows, mother-of-pearl, tendrils and leaves. Tiny flowers and enamel, especially in sky blue and navy were also popular so this is another thing to look for in the cameo brooches  mounts.

After the death of Prince Albert in 1861, black became customary in both clothing and jewellery. If cameo brooches are carved in jet, black onyx or black glass, it is very likely to be between 1861 and 1901 although mourning brooches were also used before this date.

A revival of neo-classicalism emerged once again, resulting in cameo brooches featuring gods, goddesses and other classical figures.

Advances in technology meant that precious stones could be cut to fit any settings. Stones such as garnet, turquoise and coral also became popular in cameo brooches.

Between the 1860’s to 1880’s, Italian cameos mounted bold hardstone cameos into fine yellow gold. Twisted wirework was popular and popular subject matters were gods and goddesses such as Apollo, Diana, Mars and Mercury.

The 20th century saw a decline in cameos. The quality of those that were made dwindled due to mass production but recently they are beginning to become popular again.

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The art of engraving gemstones can be traced back to ancient Greece in the 8th century BC and earlier. Techniques passed down to the Egyptians and then to the Romans. There were major revivals of interest in engraved gems in Europe during the Byantine era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. At each stage cameos and intaglios, these skillful carvings on a minute scale, were much prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power mounted in jewelled settings, sometimes as small objects for private devotion or enjoyment. The portrait above represents one of the powerful Florentine de’ Medici family, Alessandro de’ Medici. Alessandro, who lived from 1510-1537, is thought to have been the illegitimate son of Giulio de’ Medici, who later became Pope. It has been suggested that his mother was a servant, a black or Moorish freed slave. Alessandro was duke of Florence from 1530-37, when he was assasinated by his cousin. The cameo is part of a group of similar portrait medals and engraved gems generally thought to have been made by the medallist and gem-engraver Domenico di Polo (c.1480-1547). Domenico de Polo was appointed court medallist to both Alessandro and Cosimo de’ Medici. He engraved dies for portrait medals of both, and portraits of Alessandro in gemstones. Reference: Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Dating Cameo Jewellery

Unless the cameo is signed, it is very hard to date cameo jewellery. The best way is from the setting. Most cameos were set in gold or silver which may be hallmarked. The website Purely Silver may be able to help with this as it has a list of hallmarks and makers marks. Some cameos may be signed and if you can find out the maker, that is an excellent guide. A full gold hallmark follows the same letter system as silver but sometimes it only shows the carat. A lot of Georgian and Victorian jewellery was not hallmarked at all so it is also necessary to examine styles as well.

It would be very hard to find a genuine Ancient Roman or Ancient Greek cameo or even a Renaissance cameo. Most of these would be in museums so this site is mainly concerned with jewellery which may be found on the open market.

There probably isn’t a book or website anywhere which can tell you how to date a piece of jewellery with 100% accuracy. This is because fashions come and go and photos do not give the full story. The best way to get acquainted with the different styles throughout the years is to look and touch as many items as you can. This is not as difficult as it may seem. Museums such as the Victorian and Albert Musem and the British Museum have collections which go back to Prehistoric times. Even if you do not live near these there are other museums in all major cities throughout the world. Although you are not able to touch these exhibits, it is still possible to see their quality and settings.

Another way of examining jewellery items is by visiting local auction houses. This way you can not only view the items but pick up the items as well. General auctions are probably not the best way to learn because the items may not be catalogued and if they are catalogued, may only give a brief outline of the items. However a Fine Arts auction or Estate Auction would be required to catalogue their items accurately so it is an ideal way to get a feel of the items.

In general terms, if the item is set in gold and not hallmarked, there is a good possibility that it is 19th Century. The same applies to cameos set in silver. Another way of dating cameos is by the subject matter. Early 19th Century cameos often depicted mythical creatures, Bacchantes, Satyrs and archaeological motifs. The later Victorian era saw a revival in classical portraits of gods and goddesses. The noses of these figures can also help to distinguish the age.

After the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria went into mourning until she died in 1901. During this time black became the fashion including black jewellery. Cameos carved in black glass, Whitby Jet and French Jet also became popular.

If the setting of the item is made of pinchbeck the the item probably dates to around the 18th Century. Pinchbeck is an alloy of copper and zinc and was invented in the 18th Century by Christopher Pinchbeck. At the time it was the cheap alternative to gold but nowadays is highly collectable in its own right. Pinchbeck was rarely used during the 19th Century as it was replaced by gilt metal which was even cheaper than Pinchbeck.

If an item of cameo jewellery is stamped 15 carat gold, this is a good indication that the piece is Victorian.

The Gold Cameo demi-parure on the right dates to the  Mid 19th Century. It comprises of a necklace of foxtail linking, suspending nine shell cameos depicting the profiles of classical ladies and gentlemen, within fine rope work borders. The length is approximately 330mm, and a brooch similarly-set. This set sold at Sotheby’s for 4,375 GBP

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