All About Cameos

There is something about a cameo that it truly captivating. Be it the attention to fine detail, the elegance of the portraits, there is simply nothing quite as beautiful as a cameo, and they never go out of style.

Cameos can be made from variety of materials, such as abalone, wood, bone, coral, ivory, agate, glass, plastic, various shell types, and layered hard stone which comes in a variety of colors.

Molded cameos are usually made of glass. They usually consist of either one or two colors. Often the colors are swirled together. Glass cameos are usually quite shiny. Molded cameos are also molded from plastic. The wedgwood style cameos were made from plastic. Plastic makes a terrific imitation shell cameo.

Older cameos were often made with celluloid using two colors. Occasionally, but not very often, natural materials are molded. One way to tell if a cameo is molded is to look for a roundness in the detail and a lack of sharp and precise lines. To identify glass cameos look for the presence of mold marks and ridges or dimples on the back.

Shell cameos are carved from a single piece of shell. Shell is soft, so it is very easy to carve. Shell cameos are usually two colors. Shell cameos have a thin concave back, with the exception of abalone and mother of pearl which are usually flat on the back and somewhat thicker. Coral Cameos are usually a single color, and also have a flat back.

Agate cameos are carved with the same technique that shell cameos are carved. Agate has one main advantage, because the carver is able to see the layers of color from the side and knows that these layers will basically be flat.

Stone is much harder to carve. A good hard stone cameo is often under carved at the junction where the portrait meets the flat plaque. At a quick glance stone often looks like an applied cameo, however upon closer examination one can determine it to be stone.

Amber Cameos are rather new to the market place. Amber cameos are carved from natural amber with the reverse intaglios being hand carved.

Practice will make it easier to tell molded cameos from carved cameos: Usually natural materials are carved, while glass and plastic materials are normally molded but could be carved though not very likely. Molded cameos can be two colors by the simple device of pouring one color into the mold in a thin layer and then following with a thicker layer of another color.

If you are buying for value distinguishing the type of cameo could be very important. However, if you are buying because you simply "love" the piece, then determining the type of cameo and the value are not nearly as important.

We suggest if you are purchasing a cameo because you want to add it to your jewelry wardrobe then choose what your heart falls for, just be certain you are not overpaying for what you are getting.

Cameos make a wonderful fashion statement! And they never go out of style.

Sher from Estate Jewelry International has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing fashion, jewelry, and wedding help. Please visit us at http://www.estatejewelryinternational.com/

---

Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:50:53 GMT GOP Officials Hope for Stability From McCain - New York Times Voice of America GOP Officials Hope for Stability From McCain New York Times - 1 hour ago By ADAM NAGOURNEY and ELISABETH BUMILLER Republican leaders across the country said Saturday that they were worried that Senator John McCain was heading for defeat unless he brought stability to his presidential candidacy and settled on a clear message ... Antiwar Protestor Disrupts McCain Iowa Rally Washington Post Obama needs 75 percent turnout in Philadelphia, says Rendell CNN Political Ticker The Weekly Standard - Summit Daily News - USA Today - WNCT all 1,087 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:23:47 GMT Got $700 Billion? Sweat the Details - New York Times Telegraph.co.uk Got $700 Billion? Sweat the Details New York Times - 3 hours ago The bailout plan gives Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, three broad choices in buying assets. By ALAN S. BLINDER THE House of Representatives was against the bailout bill before it was for it. US firms up plan to buy into banks to stem crisis Reuters Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' Bloomberg Los Angeles Times - Washington Post - The Miami Herald - International Herald Tribune all 2,358 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:39:07 GMT YouTube to play full TV episodes with ads - Afterdawn.com Vancouver Sun YouTube to play full TV episodes with ads Afterdawn.com - 2 hours ago Google has announced that it will begin offering full-length TV episodes through its YouTube platform beginning this week, thanks to a content deal with CBS. YouTube to Offer TV Shows With Ads Strewn Through New York Times YouTube beams up Star Trek for long-form video, prominent new ads CNET News Wall Street Journal - eFluxMedia - Silicon Alley Insider - Bizjournals.com all 109 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:13:12 GMT Nobel Peace Prize winner wants jobs for the young - International Herald Tribune Times Online Nobel Peace Prize winner wants jobs for the young International Herald Tribune - 10 hours ago AP HELSINKI, Finland: Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari said Saturday that finding jobs for more than 1 billion young people in the Middle East and Asia will be a major challenge to peacebuilding in the next decade. Video: Ex-Finland President Wins Nobel Peace Prize AssociatedPress Nobel Finn Wall Street Journal Voice of America - Times Online - Burlington Hawk Eye all 1,453 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:12:07 GMT World is united to tackle financial crisis, IMF says - MarketWatch BBC News World is united to tackle financial crisis, IMF says MarketWatch - 2 hours ago By Rex Nutting WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Financial policymakers from 180 nations around the world are united in their resolve to tackle the financial crisis, Youssef Boutros-Ghali, head of the International Monetary Fund's policy committee, ... G7 nations face going cap in hand to China guardian.co.uk Finance officials comments at IMF meetings Reuters AFP - BBC News - Bloomberg - New York Times all 579 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:23:46 GMT US space tourist set for blast-off - Reuters Canada.com US space tourist set for blast-off Reuters - 40 minutes ago By Maria Golovnina BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - US video game magnate Richard Garriott will blast off into space aboard a Russian spaceship on Sunday watched by his father, a NASA astronaut who went into space at the height of the Cold War. US space tourist set for launch BBC News Russian space chief reassures US partners The Associated Press Times Online - USA Today - Spaceflight Now - RedOrbit all 287 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:10:50 GMT Gay Marriage Is Ruled Legal in Connecticut - New York Times Boston Globe Gay Marriage Is Ruled Legal in Connecticut New York Times - 5 hours ago In Hartford, Crystal Pretzman of Willimantic, Conn., celebrated the State Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage. Video: Connecticut Court Allows Gay Marriage AssociatedPress Marriage ruling not the end of debate in Conn. The Associated Press Newsday - Washington Post - Reuters - NECN all 1,711 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:13:08 GMT Affiliate Data Feeds RSS Software

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Roberto Cavalli: The Fashion King

Roberto Cavalli was born on November 15th, 1940 in Italy.... Read More

Mens Fashion Coordination on Solid Colored Mens Dress Shirts

It is common to find men choosing white for their... Read More

Kate and Laura Mulleavy

If you've been following the fashion scene, by now you've... Read More

Fashionable Silver Earrings for Anytime and All the Time

It's been said that silver jewelry makes a person look... Read More

Women?s Guide: Fashion Trends for Summer 2005

If you are like me and many others the warm... Read More

Kennith Cole Shoes

The Kenneth Cole men's shoes Reaction collection offers men everything... Read More

Diamond Hoop Earrings: The Divas Choice

Men grow cold as girls grow old And we all... Read More

Jewelry of Semi-Precious Stones: Stylish Things of Beauty

Want to make or wear impressive costume jewelry, but running... Read More

Mens Fashion - How To Create Lasting And Permanent Styles

Many men and women do not have much idea about... Read More

Tribal Tattoo Designs

For centuries, tattoos symbolized the membership in groups, families, but... Read More

Ankle Bracelets: Accessories to Pamper and Adorn Your Feet

Feet are among the most the most beautiful parts of... Read More

The Charming Narciso Rodriguez

Narciso Rodriguez was born in New Jersey in 1961 to... Read More

Dolphin or Not a Dolphin?

Dolphin or not a dolphin? That is the question! You... Read More

2005 Fashion Runway Hits are Fabulous

I was flipping through this months Elle. There's some terrific... Read More

Pull Off a Blazer with These Five Steps

The key to this season is to mix it up.... Read More

Horse Jewelry: Bold and Free

A popular motif in jewelry, even among city dwellers, is... Read More

Five Mothers Day Gift Ideas

Books1. If mom is a collector, whatever her passion -... Read More

Fruity Fashion Picks & Tricks for Summer

Summer is here so it's time to freshen up that... Read More

Eyewear Frames - Catch the Wave of Fashion

With so many eyewear choices it can be difficult to... Read More

Womens Fashion Ponchos Get Sexy This Summer

Ponchos have come down from the high plains and back... Read More

Why is Orlando So Popular?

Lets clear up a few misconceptions about Florida in general... Read More

Calvin Klein 2005 Spring & Summer Collection

Calvin Klein ? a name we all recognize and a... Read More

Mirror Tinted Contact Lenses: Wild, and Practical Too

As a contact lens wearer, if you have searched the... Read More

Public Awareness of Conflict Diamonds Increases - What You Must Know About This Important Issue

Both Hollywood and the rap industry are promoting a diamond... Read More

Bling Bling on a Budget

A nice piece of jewelry can brighten up your entire... Read More