Carved Shell Pendant, Woman with Curls, Sterling Silver, Antique Helmet Shell Cameo, Victorian Necklace

The woman on this cameo is gazing slightly downward, with an expression that reads as quietly pleased. Curls pile at the crown of her head and trail down the back of her neck, and the carver gave both details real attention despite the small scale.

The contrast of this helmet shell carving is softer than many cameos in this range: the pale figure sits against a warm peach ground rather than a deep orange or rust. The effect is more intimate than dramatic, which suits the subject.

The setting is a classic single rope border, plain and unobtrusive. The pendant suspends from a handmade bail.

Hallmarked Blue Piranha, .925. Dimensions: 1 and 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) long from top of bail to bottom of pendant; 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) wide. Weight: 5.9 grams.

Each pendant is available without a chain, so you may use your own if you prefer. If you want to add a chain, I offer different lengths and styles. Every chain comes with a 2-inch extender, so you can vary the length. Please choose your chain from the options at checkout.

Good for: the woman who gravitates toward jewelry that's personal, rather than showy. For a friend with a carefully chose collection that skews antique. For anyone drawn to the intimacy of portrait jewelry. 

Your purchase arrives gift boxed, in a soft pouch with a story card.

About cameos:

Cameos have been carved for thousands of years, falling in and out of fashion since ancient Greece, while the Victorian era gave them their biggest cultural high point.

Cameos are carved from shell but they can also be created from glass, hardstone (such as sardonyx), lava, vulcanite, and coral, as well as other materials. Hand-carving continues today, most famously in Italy, where the tradition is still very much alive. The cameos I work with came from an antique market, found loose and in varying condition. Some were chipped, but some were quietly extraordinary. Those are the ones I kept.

The shell cameo tradition runs from ancient Greece through Rome, through the Renaissance, and reaches one of its peaks in the 19th century, when carved cameos became a staple of fashionable dress and sentimental jewelry alike. Helmet shell became the standard cameo material because of its natural two-tone layering and the relative ease of carving compared to hardstone.