Most people have trouble telling the difference between an authentic cameo and an inexpensive reproduction. There are a variety of factors that make a cameo valuable.
What Is a Cameo?
A cameo is a material that is carved with a raised relief that often depicts a profile of a face or a mythical scene. Cameos are commonly made out of shell, coral, stone, lava, or glass. These carvings are set in either gold or silver. Cheaper costume jewelry cameos exist, and these are set in a base metal and made out of a molded plastic, glass, or resin. These are not hand-carved and are not worth a lot of money. Not only is there a wide discrepancy in the value between a fine cameo and cameo knock-offs, but some fine cameos are worth significantly more than other fine cameos. Cameo jewelry has varying quality factors including the intricacy of the carving to the quality of the setting.
How to Determine If Your Cameo Is Authentic
The key to appraising a cameo is identifying what the cameo is made out of. Ideally, the cameo is made out of shell, coral, stone, or lava. Shell cameos are typically made out of conch shell and have an orangish-pink background with a white or cream foreground. It is important to know that carved shell is thin, making it somewhat transparent and susceptible to cracking. The cheaper molded plastic is made to look like shell but it is visibly thicker in most cases. Here’s what to look for: If you think you have a shell cameo, check the setting for a quality mark indicating the item’s gold content. If the cameo jewelry has a gold hallmark, it is not a piece of costume jewelry. Not all antique gold settings are marked, though, so just because you don’t see a mark doesn’t mean your cameo is costume jewelry. Have your setting tested for gold content to confirm.
