Fallen Aristocrat | Cameos & Intaglios

21 Jun 2023

 

Featuring

CAMEOS & INTAGLIOS

 
One of our earliest art forms as a species came about when humans chose to carve stories into rock and bone. As early as 5,000 B.C., Sumerians chiseled beaten gold into the images of their gods, but it was the Ancient Egyptians and then the Romans who truly perfected the art of intaglio. 
 
 
Intaglio is the carving of an image into flat stone. It can be raised, formed by chipping away the surrounding surface until each detail is lain bare, or more often driven deep into the surface so that the impression might be difficult to see unless pressed into wax—making it the premier choice for signets rings as the centuries wore on. 
 
Due to their intricate, reverse designs, intaglios required not only high levels of skill, but stones hard enough to maintain detail without chipping or dulling easily: Carnelian, Amethyst, Turquoise, Garnet. Gems to last the ages.
 
Cameos are raised in relief against a different colored backdrop, presenting a more striking image that was popular among Ancient Grecian artwork and later, Victorian era jewelers. Sometimes made of moonstone or agate, cameos were more often shaped out of shells which has led to the unfortunate loss of most pieces over time. 
 

A chain of large, antiqued gold circles lies over a watercolor illustration of Paris, and delicate hand-written script. At the center of the necklace chain is a rectangular bobble covered in glass, depicting the cameo profile of a woman with loose, curly hair looking to the side against a darker background.

 

Our play on the typical cameo comes with a trick taught by Ancient Rome, in which artwork was set beneath polished glass to achieve a dynamic effect. A classic portfolio is highlighted by pops of gold, yielding a soft, romantic effect in this German Cameo Necklace. 

Yet another twist came with our Valour Studs, seen in the opening image. Originally, Napoleon wished for a lion to lie at the heart of his crest, but after much debate, the emperor crossed it off his decree to be replaced with the eagle history knows. These dark, regal earrings feature the crest of a lion raised over an onyx-black background, representing a charge in heraldry, courage, and nobility.

And then these vintage-style, hand-painted intaglios depict a golden saint in front of a blue sky, surrounded by a shimmering gallery of stars. The name of the earrings, Mixta Persona, stems from a traditional Russian coronation. 

A white woman with dark hair in a low bun looks to the side, tears in her eyes. She's wearing a pair of light blue, circular earrings framed by tiny crystals, bearing a central motif of a religious figure with hands spread low in a holy stance. The earrings are seen closer up to the bottom right of her.

“I know not how it falls on me,
This summer evening, hushed and lone;
Yet the faint wind comes soothingly
With something of an olden tone." 
 
Emily Brönte

 

An ivory-colored oval cameo features a woman in Classical Greek robes, her hair down and arms outstretched toward a series of three doves in flight around her body. It's framed by antiqued golden loops and a stick chain that ends in a three-leaf charm with a tiny, green glass stone.

 
 
Create your own piece. 
 
If you'd like assistance, or to see how a certain collection of charms might lay on the chain of your choice, email or DM us on instagram and let us play with you!
 
We can assemble pieces, and exchange photos/video so you can see how your choices go together before purchasing. Swap them out, and explore to find just the right style. 
 
 
All links may be found by clicking through images.  
Explore Fallen Aristocrat further here.

 

 

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