Back into the future!
This vintage cameo, set in a yellow gold mounting with a halo of 24 alternating pearls and granules, stands out as very distinguished from its kind. The contours and features of the portrayed upper-class lady, inspired by the 18th century, are meticulously carved out of a shell to the highest quality standards.
The value of a cameo lies in the detail of its visage. Considering that nowadays only a few artisans know how to keep the craft of engraving shell and hardstone alive, it is truly remarkable to find a cameo from the Fifties finished with such a high level of skill.
While details such as the extensively curled coiffure and the abundance of ruffles are often used to distract from mediocre carvings, here they only enhance the overall superb condition of the cameo. One can easily appreciate the femininity and three-dimensionality with which this woman is rendered.
Doesn't it seem as if this damsel is almost a tangible representation of ourselves in another time, ladies?