Featured Gold mounted cameo - Demeter

Hello all

Looking for any details you can add to this cameo brooch i bought.

I believe it depicts the Greek goddess of harvest, Demeter. It has a mark on the C clasp, I can see PH, probably a gold makers initials but can't make out the rest.

It has some unusual 'pitting' on the back of the cameo. The welding mark at the top is to keep the cameo in place as it's slightly loose in the mount.

4.3cm width, 5.3cm height, 16.8 grams, tests as 15 or 18ct gold.

Thanks for looking

 

She is beautiful, Ratsy.

It looks like helmet shell. Pitting can occur in shells.

The top mark looks like it could be a pre-united Italy 1818-1873 eagle's head mark, from Parma I think. Unfortunately my Tardy on gold has blurred ink on that spot, but the fineness is in a range up to .734, which is just under 18ct.

 

Excellent! It does look like an eagles head, I couldn't see that at all before. Here's the results of my acid testing. 18k acid partially dissolved after sitting for about 1 minute.

 

I just checked another gold marks book, and it says the mark was used in Parma and Piacenza, for small items, .833 and .750 gold.
No blurred ink on the pages.

 

Thankyou @Any Jewelry you are so useful.

I had better give @Bronwen a shout.

 

Very beautiful and elegant depiction

 

She's a beauty!!!!!

 

Lovely cameo!

 

Excellent piece. As you already know, she is the goddess Ceres/Demeter with some of her attributes: grain; flowers; a sickle (with an unrealistically long handle); and, fancifully, a rake.

As AJ said, the material is helmet shell, probably Cassis rufa. The irregularities on the back are natural & nothing to be concerned about.

It's hard to articulate the reasons, but the cameo strikes me as French, even if the marks on the mount are Italian.

 

The back appears to be signed? Maybe open the pin?

 

Thank you Bronwen

@i need help no signature as far as I can see, here's two photos.

 

I guess it’s just she’ll Schmutz!
It looks nice lit up!

 

France also uses an eagle head mark, so you could be right, although the cartouche looks more Italian.
So do some other countries, but those again have different cartouches.

 

What is the green around her right arm & hand? She could use a soak & brush to get rid of the grime between her fingers, at the corner of her mouth, etc.

 

Might as well brush her teeth too, while you're at it.

 

Much improved after a good clean, the pitting is barely visible now.

 

Great job, Ratsy.

 

She’s a stunner! Lovely

 

Stunning!!!