Antique Victorian Cameo Pendant on Gold Chain

Antique jewellery object group: pendant on chain

Condition: very good condition

Country of origin: unknown

Style: Late-Victorian - Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior decoration.

Victorian design is widely viewed as having indulged in a regrettable excess of ornament. The Arts and Crafts movement, the aesthetic movement, Anglo-Japanese style, and Art Nouveau style have their beginnings in the late Victorian era.

Period: ca. 1900

Source of inspiration: Mythology

Theme: a putti fighting (?) with a rooster

Material: 18ct yellow gold

Technique: Cameo is a method of the carving of an item of jewellery or vessel made in this manner. It features a raised (positive) relief image. There are three main materials for Cameo carving; Shells or Agate (called a Hardstone cameo), and glass. Cameos can be produced by setting a carved relief, such as a portrait, onto a background of a contrasting colour. This is called an assembled cameo. Alternately, a cameo can be carved directly out of a material with integral layers or banding, such as (banded) agate or layered glass, where different layers have different colours. Sometimes dyes are used to enhance these colours. Cameos are often worn as jewellery. Stone cameos of great artistry were made in Greece dating back as far as the 6th century BC. They were very popular in Ancient Rome, and one of the most famous stone cameos from this period is the Gemma Claudia made for Emperor Claudius. The technique has since enjoyed periodic revivals, notably in the early Renaissance, and again in the 17th, 18thand 19th centuries.

Diamond(s): Two rose cut diamonds. We do not have the weight of the diamonds which is normal in our trade when it comes to rose cuts.

Precious stones: Eight triangles cut rubies. We did not check if the rubies are lab produced or not as this information has no influence on the value of this jewel. Natural rubies and lab produced rubies were both used in this era, rather more for their effect than for their intrinsic value.
One stone cameo and 32 seed pearls.

Birthstones: Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April, ruby for July and pearl for June.

Hallmarks: No trace.

Dimensions: width pendant 2,34 cm (0,92 inch), total height pendant 5,36 cm (2,11 inch), length necklace 44,00 cm (17,32 inch)

Weight: 8,70 gram (5,59 dwt)