Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

Welcome @Msalicia

 

Welcome, @Msalicia Sorry to hear about the theft of your inherited piece. Had it been in the family far enough back for the hair memento itself also to represent a family member? What a sad loss.

I have plans to see this special exhibit with a friend when the weather gets better:
https://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/life-cut-short-hamiltons-hair-and-art-mourning-jewelry

The 2 cameos you have shared with us are both carved in helmet shell & date to post-WWII, mid-20th century.

 

Oooh, that's now on my to-do list, too!

 

@evelyb30 & everyone, these are all artificial:



Even the backs can be very convincing (back of third one is covered):

 

Ugh. Now to hope I get outbid.... It's easy to see once you can get a good look at the back, but some glass "coral" cameos are really convincing. For those wondering, I bid on an auction lot in haste and am now repenting a bit at leisure. On the upside, there's a pin in the lot with a safety chain, which generally indicates the real deal. Not the cameo though.

 

We’ve all done that. Some you win and some you lose. You can always retract your bid within a certain timescale if it’s on eBay. Annoying for the seller but the option is there.
Normally if I pray to be outbid it doesn’t happen!

 

I won the bid for this cameo tonight but no idea on what the material is. It’ll be a moment before it’s here. It looked interesting and didn’t break the bank.

Seller didn’t say anything except it’s in a “good antique” condition. It’s 1 3/8” high and across. Are we looking at celluloid, a plastic of some sort, bone or ivory? It looks like it has some cracking going on.

 

Anyone else think he looks like Jed Clampett in his Sunday best?

 

Hi,
Certainly does look like Jed.
greg

 

I found this cameo at my favorite thrift store in a basket of costume pins. Fifty cents! The karat mark is hard to read, but it tests 14k

 

Please tell me you dug in everything else. If this missed this they could very well miss more.

Beautiful!

 

Oh yes, I looked for more! I know they get good stuff in batches from donated estates.
It's hard to believe this was not recognized as fine jewelry. I grabbed it quick!

 

Welcome to Antiquers, @stracci ! You got quite a bargain there.

 

I'm always on the hunt! I kinda live for stuff like this.....LOL

 

Ivory or bone ... and Victorian for sure. That's not a molded piece. Smart money says ivory, probably why the seller didn't say what it was.

 

Would explain a lot, wouldn’t it? Fairly cheap at $26. Seems many are unloading ivory as quietly as they can lately.

Oh well. Into the cameo cabinet it’ll go!

 

I've managed to resell a bit, but only off-line to an antique dealer. He likes it and antiques can't hurt anyone or anything.

 

I bid on these two but the final prices ended way above my limit. (Kinda expected that.)
Beautiful!

"Mother and child...with sheaves of corn...and a sickle". (Somebody doesn't know their grains!)
$940 US:


Signature on back of cameo above:



I really wanted this one. No signature. $613 US:

 

Wow! These are stunning! Too bad they are so pricey.