Object of the Day: An Antique Cameo Stickpin

The cameo has been a part of jewelry design for centuries. Usually carved from hard stone or shell, cameos allowed for delicate portraits to be rendered in an intimate and ethereal way. While most cameos depict classical and mythological figures, sometimes they represent real people who lived and were loved.


This cameo of flawless sardonyx is set in fifteen karat gold and dates to the mid Nineteenth Century. The bust of a woman appears like a mist from the gray-blue background. Seen in profile, she looks to the left. The carver showed a remarkable skilled hand. Presented quite simply in its gold setting, this stickpin shows a quiet elegance which is all but gone today.