Real Italian Cameos

August 23, 2009

Why Investing In Cameos?

Filed under: Italian Cameo

If you took a moment to compare investment in stock and investment in art, antique cameo investment would certainly win hands downs. Antique cameos are a combination or fine art and fine jewelry and they seem to appreciate in value in good times and bad times as well.

Yes, an old antique cameo-carving cut by the human hand would be better than an investment in most stocks today. However, the process is the same. You buy and hold your investment for 5 to 20 years and then you will make profit. Many times a very large profit if your selection and you buying price were good.
Before you buy a cameo or cameos for investment, however, they are few things you should know.

1) Make sure your cameo is the real thing. There are very good fake imitations out there.
2) If you see a line in the cameo, that is fine since it is a natural fact about real cameos, but cracks are not something you want to see.
3) It is your duty as a cameo investor to get educated in the cameo carving, history, origin and more.
4) Learn the name of famous cameo carvers and look for their cameo signatures.
5) Cameo collections are more valuable than one lone cameo.

If you want to become a good investor in cameos, team up with a good collector or dealer, and negotiate to buy from them at a reduced price by buying multiple cameos. You have to get a deal in order to make a perfect investment.

August 12, 2009

The Shell Cameo

Filed under: Italian Cameo


Shell cameos are gems form the sea, since they are made of shells. The shells that are most prized for cameos are conchs since they are a suited kind for carving work. The carving of a cameo is not easy job, and only an artist of the kind is able to produce the beautiful woman profiles and other figures with the most intriguing details that are so specific to the cameos.  Even though most cameos are made out of shells, there are also more rare cameos made out of stone, such as agate stones, a hardstone cameo.

Even if you purchase a cameo here, in the united stated, chances are that it was made in the only two cities in Europe where those gems are carved, Torre del Greco, Italy and Idar-Oberstein, Germany.  These are basically the only two spots in the world where cameos are made.

The term Cameo comes from the Latin word cammaeus “engraved gem”.  Those carved figures on stones or shells, are veritable little masterpieces.  No two cameos can be identical as they are one hundred percent handmade.

The range of possible subjects is endless.  Perhaps you have seen the graceful lady profile, which is always a favorite, but cameos can be much larger and portray more complex subjects as well.

The cameo is a beautiful jewel that you can enjoy for years and generations to come, but more than just a jewelry, it’s also an investment because of its durable and precious nature.  If you would like to learn more about this precious gem, called cameo click here to discover more






















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