Featured Unusual cameo, please help identify!

Hello beautiful people,
Merry Christmas!
Hope that everyone is having a peaceful holiday season.
There are two cameos I would like to share, I am intrested to buy them.
First one is set in silver frame, could not identify the depiction, I can only say is a female. The seller believes is either stone or glass, the small stones on top he believes are garnet and the heart he believes is aquamarine.
The frame is also very beautiful, with a wing coming on the side.
To me it looks vintage, by looking at the clasp. I personally think is a mould glass, my logic says they will not put plastic in a silver frame.
I would appreciate your opinion on the depiction and the cameo material.

Second cameo is a depiction of Shakespeare, the seller does not know if the upper part is glued to the cameo. It is set in high carat gold. The back of the cameo is straight not concave.
Any opinions on this are highly appreciated.
Thank you,
Kind regards,
Simona
@Bronwen @PepperAnna @Ownedbybear @KSW
Please copy anyone whom may be Intrested as well, apologies for forgetting the ID

 

Is there a sign here? He could tell us a lot.

 

First one looks like plastic to me. Very interesting setting!
Let's see what the experts say.

Are there any photos of Shakespeare without the backlight?

 

I'd be surprised if it's plastic, given the quality and design. Poured glass is a thing. The back looks relatively late, 60s or after.

Will is mid to late 19th from the back.

 

The first one is so unusual... I love it!

 

I have asked him, and he says that there is nothing there, maybe just shadows…no letters

 

Yes, here are the photos

 

That may be agate

 

The first one is Joan of Arc. Way cool! Molded glass probably. I wouldn't be surprised if the Shakespeare cameo was hardstone, if he's as old as his frame.

 

Hurry-Someone ID the first 'Joan of Arc' Deco/Southwestern Pseudo-Navajo/Silver or whatever the hell it is. I'm a jewelry moron but that thing's intriguing-old,new,whatever.

 

Shakespeare is hardstone (agate, as Marie said) & very well engraved. There is some twisted wire missing from the front & looks like he may have been glued back in, but I would grab him if the price is agreeable.

 

First one is really interesting, not likely to be a mass produced piece, even though the cameo element is glass. You might apply the word 'commesso' to this, because the face & bodice are in different materials. Despite the use of silver for the clothing giving the feeling of armor, the lady has leaves on her head, like a Flora or a bacchante, so I don't see Joan of Arc here. The heart also does not fit with my image of Joan.

The little cabochons around the top may well be garnet; the color is right & such stones would not have been expensive. I can't tell about the aquamarine, but it does grow in very large crystals, so a stone like this may not have been too expensive to use in this way.

The hinge & clasp put her solidly into the 20th century; the quality of workmanship suggests more mid century rather than later. I would not discourage you from buying if the price is right for you. 'Right' partially depends on whether you are looking at her as merchandise to sell or a gem to have for yourself. She's a nice, wearable piece & could well be one of a kind.

 

Id buy the 1st one and wear it ! Its really eye catching and unique.I wouldnt care if it was made last week either !

 

Thank you so much, I will make him an offer on the Shakespeare one. On the first one his price is high, I don’t think I could talk him to drop the price. It is very interesting, I will let you know tomorrow the results.
Also he had for sale the one below, but sold it already on EBay I believe he told me.
@Bronwen @PepperAnna I think this may be something to save in your photo collection.

 

Don't know much abt mythology -but perhaps Hercules & the Nemean lion's skin. ? * re above pic

 

Probability another Bacchus lol

 

Definitely Herakles/Hercules. The lion skin is routinely described as being that of the Nemean lion, but mythology also contains the story of how, as a difficult student who killed his music tutor, Herakles was sent to mind the cattle. A lion had been preying on the area &, in his first big feat, he kills it & takes the hide. This one is the Thespian lion.

A beardless figure wearing the lion skin is Queen Omphale.

 

A favorite from my own collection:

 

I love the first one as it’s so unusual although I wonder if it’s quite modern? I absolutely have no basis for that other than it looks like a (very good) effort to jazz up the “normal” cameo design. Lovely use of the surround to embellish the cameo.
If it’s expensive I’d have expected the seller to make more of an effort to firmly identify the stones though as presumably the price difference between glass and garnet or agate would be significant.
Is it hallmarked anywhere? That chunk of silver surely should be?

 

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge, @Bronwen as always, your expertise is much appreciated.
I have bought the Shakespeare, am very happy with it. It’s small about 3 cm and about 4.5 grams, will share it once I receive it.
The seller decided to try and sell the first one on EBay, I am not sure if I am allowed to share the link here, if anyone else is interested.
Kind regards,
Simona