Gold ring set with a cameo on agate representing an antique head profile.
Cameos originated in Antiquity. Their popularity has continued over the centuries. During the Middle Ages, the production of cameos declined, but interest in these objects returned during the Renaissance.
Cameos experienced a new wave of popularity in the 19th century, particularly during the Victorian era in England, where Queen Victoria herself was a great admirer of these jewels. In France, the neo-classicism movement also fostered renewed interest in cameos, with production concentrated in Paris and the Dieppe region.
Cameos are usually engraved on stones with several layers of colors, such as onyx, agate or sardonyx. But we also find cameos made on shells.
19th century
France
