When I got this I wasn't sure it was gold but I tested with 14k acid and it passed. I was wondering a couple things.
1. Is the person anyone special?
2. Is there any place I can find comparable fair prices for a piece like this? I searched Google and a couple auction sites but found very few like it.
3. There is a white powder like substance on the cameo. Has anyone seen this on malachite before? I'm wondering if it is indeed malachite and if so maybe it was cleaned with something that created this look?
4 should it be cleaned or sold as is? (I like to keep patina so I rarely clean antiques)
5 how old would you guess it is? Victorian?
As always thanks for any help
Here are a couple microscope photos of the stone and carving. Could the red spots be copper deposits? Just a guess but they are in a couple areas.
My understanding of the evolution of cameo jewelry/art is that the earliest examples are usually portraits or mythological, and either the scene or an attribute of the figure(s) will make obvious who/what the image depicts. Like Apollo with his harp, or Noah boarding the ark, surrounded by animals. When they're portraits, they tend to be of the emperor, his wife, or similarly aristocratic woman.
If I were guessing, I would put my $2 on it being Helen, as there is no attribute to distinguish her from any other goddesses or mythological figures. The depth of carving is exceptional, and the facial features are very important to the determination of age and origin. The fact that the nose is a proper Greek style (combined with the style/mechanics of the gold setting) means its at LEAST 19th century at the latest, and the enlarged eyes and torsion of the figure means that the style (If not the actual age of the carving) is late classical on the verge of Byzantine, when eyes got huge and details and motion were flat or non-existent.
Its possible that your piece was carved in the 2nd or 3rd century AD (or the late 1600s, once the craze for religious themes had subsided in favor of a return to classical motifs) and was sold and set during the late 1700 to mid 1800s by someone who had just been on their Grand Tour, likely purchasing it in Italy.
Notice how these examples all have some kind of identifying element, like grapes, animal skins, grape leaves or, in the case of Medusa, gorgon's snakes.
Please check back with what you find!!
Thanks for your replies. You have provided a lot of very helpful information.
I thought it was Bacchus after matching some very similar faces, but you're right, if it were him it would probably have the identifying grape motifs. This piece in particular is what made me think it was him based on looks. (See picture). Just a note this piece does include grape decorations in the hair.
Is the Helen you refer to Helen of Troy? I was thinking about finding an expert who could possibly help narrow down the date. If it was a 2 or 3 A.D carving that would be very interesting and exciting. I think it's likely 17 or 18c., but I would love it if it were that old. There's something very cool about having relics that have so much history.
I am definitely going to keep digging and see what I can come up with.
@sarahd53 wrote:Here are a couple microscope photos of the stone and carving. Could the red spots be copper deposits? Just a guess but they are in a couple areas.
Glass.
