Identifying Valuable Cameos

By Jon Kreps

Found on everything from necklaces to watches, the cameo remains a popular design today despite having roots that date back more than two thousand years. No trace of the design can be found during the Dark Ages but it started to resurface again in the Age of Enlightenment. Popularity for the cameo really exploded because of Napoleon Bonaparte. You can now find cameos embedded into just about any type of jewelry imaginable, like: rings, watches, bracelets, and pendants.

By and large, a cameo can be identified by the portrait which adorns each and every piece. Buying valuable pieces that will appreciate in value boils down to knowing how to spot the hidden gems in flea markets and online auctions. The materials used when crafting the portrait will play the largest role in price determination. Learning how to distinguish the various materials used to create the portraits is vital to determining value. Materials used to create cameos include:

Abalone

Agate

Bone

Coral

Glass

Ivory

Plastic

Stone

Wood

But looks can be deceiving and there are a lot of great imitations out there made out of plastic. Cheaper cameos will have a molded portrait while your more valuable pieces will be carved. Some of your really cheap molded versions will appear shiny and may even have blended colors. Molded cameos made from something called Bake Lite, however, can actually command more than some carved versions.

Despite the few exceptions, most molded pieces are not worth very much money so you want to avoid them where possible. The key to cameo collecting is to avoid those molded pieces and focus on identifying quality carved pieces. Rounded features and a marked lack of precise or sharp lines are hallmarks of molded pieces. Learning the distinguishing features of the molded cameos will help you avoid them and focus instead on the more profitable carved pieces.

Owing to their fine craftsmanship and superior materials, carved cameos will almost always command more value than any molded piece. The great diversity of materials used in creating carved cameos means collectors have a lot of things to look for when trying to identify a specific piece. Authentic shell cameos will have crisp lines along with a thin back. However, some carved cameos will have a thicker back like those made from mother of pearl or abalone. The infamous "two-toned" effect common to many of the most prized cameos is often found in pieces made from agate, the same substance used by the Greeks to create the very first known examples of the design.

But while the carved pieces made from mother of pearl, shell, and other similar materials are all worth money, those made from stone tend to be even more valuable. There are many fakes out there that will look like a stone piece but careful examination should tell otherwise. Unless the back of the portrait is undercarved, avoid it because it is a fake glass imitator. Unlike their shell and coral cousins, the carved stone cameos are much rarer but they can still be found by seasoned collectors who know how to spot them.

By simply taking the time to learn how to spot the valuable pieces, the rewards of finding those hidden gems makes everything worthwhile. Genuine carved pieces appreciate in value and will almost always have greater detail than a plastic or glass piece. In the end, value really does boil down to carved or molded. For over two thousand years we humans have been in love with the cameo and it looks to remain that way for the next two millennia as well.

Jon Kreps is a jewelry expert specializing in vintage cameos, indian jewelry, and authentic costume jewelry. To learn more about cameos or other vintage jewelry, visit http://www.vintagetemptations.com

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