Comments for What type of Cameo Bracelet do I have and what's it worth?

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Rating

Old Cameo Bracelet
by: Anonymous

Hi Uba thank you for writing in with the following cameo question:

"I have an old cameo bracelet from my grandmother's jewerly when she passed and not sure where she got it. Great detail, open back, 2" wide, just over 1 1/2" high. Bracelet clasp are intact but chain or whatever it was is missing, other than that it's in great shape. Don't want to clean until I know what it is.

Photo not that great but can send better one if wanted. Photo shows yellowish background but it is more peachy."

From the photo, although not clear, the bracelet appears to be late 1800s, an Antique Cameo Bracelet or a later 1900's reproduction.

Do you know what the metal the bracelet is made from? 14 k yellow gold, 15ct gold, gold over brass and even gold filled were all used in antique bracelets during the mid to late 1800s. The metal composition is critical when valuing a piece of jewelry, also the condition of the cameo.

Examine carefully the front and the reverse of the cameo with a jewelers loupe or magnifying glass. Look for any hairline cracks, fractures or flee bite nicks on the surface of the cameo, paying close attention to the lady's profile, in particular her nose!

If the cameo is "peachy colored" this is the most common color used in Italian shell cameos. The Italians were the masters of cameo making. Cameos have been carved from shell for hundreds of years. They are still popular today. There are some very convincing composition cameos circulating in the market.

You can test yourself if you have a gold testing kit by placing a tiny drop of nitric acid on an inconspicuous place on the reverse of the cameo. (although the nitric acid will not damage the cameo, I do this as a mater of precaution and from habit). Fake cameos will not bubble or effervesce.

Store cameo jewelry separately, away from other pieces of jewelry, for instance, diamonds, which are the hardest on the mohs scale of hardness will easily scratch the surface of a cameo.

Tips of cleaning cameo can be found on this page.

best regards,
Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre
Stay up to date with all the latest Antique jewelry news,
join the Antique Jewelry Investor community here....

Click here to add your own comments

Return to What type of Cameo Bracelet do I have and what's it worth?.

Return to Antique Cameo Help.