A cameo is an ornament with a raised carved image (most often a profile of a woman's face), carved on stone, shell or another material so that the light relief stands out against a darker ground. This carving technique has been known since antiquity: makers used layered stones (onyx, agate) or shells, where the different colours of the layers created a contrast of figure and ground. Cameos were extremely popular in the Victorian era as refined brooches, pendants and rings. They embody a classic, 'antique' elegance and the mastery of hand carving. A cameo is an ornament with a raised carved image on a contrasting ground, in which the ancient technique of carving layered stone or shell creates a refined miniature bas-relief that embodies classic, vintage elegance and the mastery of the hand with a centuries-old tradition.
