Photo Credit: johnnygpx
Victorian Hardstone Cameo Demi-Parure with Split Pearls in Gold
Buy It Now Price: $1,350 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)
Pros:
-Here is a magnificent Victorian hardstone cameo demi-parure, or mini jewelry set, consisting of a brooch and earrings. The onyx cameos feature portraits of classically styled women and are surrounded by natural split pearls. They are mounted in yellow gold settings.
-Cameos have been used in jewelry for over 2,000 years. They were popular during the Roman Empire, the Renaissance and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. After the end of the Victorian period, around 1900, cameo jewelry gradually fell out of favor, although it has recently experienced renewed interest.
-This Victorian hardstone cameo demi-parure dates to the early to mid 1860s. Not only are the cameos’ subject matter and jewelry settings quintessentially mid-Victorian, but the brooch is engraved on the back with the original owner’s name, “L. W. Cavender” and a date, “Oct 10, 1866”. This is a treat, as we are rarely able to date jewelry so precisely.
-Cameos were carved out of a variety of different materials, including quartz, shell, lavastone and coral. Hardstone cameos specifically refer to those carved from quartz and its derivatives – agate, onyx, chalcedony, etc. The quartz family is considered very durable, registering a 7 on Mohs hardness scale. This compares favorably with steel, which only scores a hardness of 5 to 6.5, depending on the alloy.
-Hardstone cameos are more valuable and desirable than lava, coral or shell cameos of similar artistic merit. This is because it takes more skill to carve harder materials like agate or onyx. In addition, raw hardstone was more expensive than alternative materials and, therefore, more likely to be used in very high end cameo jewelry.
-Shockingly, this Victorian hardstone cameo jewelry set comes in its original, fitted box! It was sold by Bigelow Brothers & Kennard of Boston, Massachusetts, a well known luxury retailer that operated from its founding in 1824 until it closed around 1972.
-The artistic merit displayed by this Victorian hardstone cameo jewelry is excellent, bordering on superb. This is refreshing, as it is all too common to come across poor quality antique cameos that were hastily (and sloppily) carved for the 19th century Italian tourist trade.
-Cameos, particularly hardstone cameos, are somewhat overlooked in today’s jewelry market because they are (incorrectly in my opinion) considered vaguely old-fashioned or out of style. But this situation provides the savvy antiques investor with the rare opportunity to snatch up this stunning Victorian hardstone cameo demi-parure for an almost impossibly cheap $1,350.
Cons:
-The seller claims the gold settings are 18 karat, which I assume was acid tested. Unfortunately, the settings are not hallmarked. However, this is completely normal for 19th century American jewelry and should not detract from the value of the set.
-The original, fitted box for this Victorian hardstone cameo demi-parure is in poor condition, with the top of the box completely separated from the bottom. Unfortunately, this should be expected considering the cameo set is over 150 years old. Quite frankly, it is amazing the box has survived this long; I consider its inclusion a bonus.
-While the Victorian hardstone cameo jewelry is, overall, in very good condition, a single link is missing from the gold safety chain attached to the brooch. I believe this could be repaired by a competent jeweler for a modest sum.
