Cameos, a lost art form.
Having no real plans for the day other than loads of shopping, we dropped by the PX for our last few items on our list. At the door was a Cameo salesman. The first ones I saw were the blue Agate ones…I LOVE those ones! I could have stood there for hours admiring how intricately carved these pieces were. I was even gently nudging the hubby to get me one sometime. Then the salesman spoke up, “There’s only one factory left that makes these. Only three men craft out of Agate now, and the youngest is 73.” My heart sank. How can such a beautiful art be left to die?!
He then ushered us over to the Cameos made of seashell. They were just as beautiful, but I love my Agate more! There’s only 24 men left carving out of seashell and they aren’t gettin’ any younger either. He said that there are some young men interested in learning the art but they want to be paid to learn how. Now, usually when you’re an adult, don’t you have to pay for your eduacation? Not to mention this art form takes -years- to learn how to do. I even ventured to the website and every one of those men carving spent years as apprentices.
The interesting thing here is that six years ago when this woman writing this was just 17, she was on a cruise through Europe. She could have sworn she stopped at a Cameo Factory somewhere in Malta or Italy. This salesman perked up, “Naples” in a perfect Napoli accent. Those were our first words exchanged. I went on talking about the tour we were going to. He kept mentioning Pompeii. “Yeah, we were supposed to go there, but the cruise line screwed up and we got a shopping tour in Sorrento instead.” He merely pointed to his sign, “Yes, we have shop there too.” I was at that very factory! I saw the elderly men carefully carving away at the seashells with their tools.
This salesmen even showed us the tools they use on the seashells. Then explained that the Agate ones have to be carved with diamonds. It’s the only thing strong enough to scratch it. No wonder those ones are more expensive!
After admiring many pieces and learning how close the art is to dying and how much these things are going to be worth when it indeed, does die, Bry bought me one. I adore it. It is a woman holding a small child with lovely curled locks of hair. With the magnifying glass you can see each hair carved into the stone. It really brought me back to when I was a little girl, admiring my mother’s seashell Cameo earrings. They were so darn tiny but they were the first thing I’d just stare at in her jewlery box.
I even told my grandmother about this find. She was astounded that there are soon to be no more Cameos made. Her love of Cameos came from her mother. Later in life, she inherited those. Now Gramma wants to pass hers down. I will most certainly treasure those when it’s time to have them. I honestly feel that Cameos are the mose exquisit piece of jewelery to own. Many, many hours go into making just one of them. All the frames they are set in are hand crafted out of gold or sterling silver. It honestly is art that you wear.
Sure you can have a diamond ring or a pearl necklace…those are just sparkly shiny things. But what piece could you look at and never grow tired of? A Cameo.
~Jen
P.S. Just be sure you’re getting the real thing, not some fake hunk of junk. Ask for the certificate and get shown the proof that the frame is really made of gold. This last factory only crafts from 18C gold or sterling silver…and it’s stamped on the back.
