SALE Antique Georgian Andromeda Shell Cameo Brooch Silver Paste Stones

Jewelry : Antique : Fine : Georgian : Cameo : Carnelian Shell : Mythological : Andromeda : Brooch : Silver : Paste Stones

 

Ancient beauty and the beast! This is a very, very rare genuine Italian carnelian shell cameo from the early 1800s (Georgian period) surrounded by green and pink paste stones common in the period. Men even wore them on their shoe buckles back then.

It is finely carved and is a depiction of the beautiful Ethiopian princess Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia. Andromeda is the Greek word for "ruler over men". A classic Greek mythological tale of yore of beauty and the beast!

Offered for sacrifice by her parents after her mother boasted too loudly about the unmatched beauty possessed by herself and her daughter, the lovely Andromeda was left chained to a rock in the sea to be devoured by the sea monster or dragon known as Cetus. As the dragon clutched tightly to her head, she was saved from above by Perseus, arriving on the horse Pegasus. Having just slain Medusa, Perseus turned Cetus to stone with a mere display of Medusa's severed head. Of course, the rescuer and the fair damsel fell in love and all lived happily ever after.

There is even a constellation named after this beauty. To read more about the heroics of Perseus....see our Item RL-00170, 14K Rose Gold Athena & Perseus Shell Cameo!

The cameo in the setting is 1 11/16" by 1 7/16" and the cameo alone is 1 1/4" by 1". The cameo weighs 8.8 grams.

While the epic tale of the rescue of Andromeda by Perseus has been captured in numerous paintings by artists including Rubens, the 19th century painting of Frederic Leighton reignited the interest for this story. His interest was most likely sparked by the fascination of Victorians with both mythology and astronomy. Plus there were now exciting displays of frescoes featuring the story of Perseus and Andromeda gathered from the then recently excavated Pompeii housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy. A Victorian Grand Tour just was not complete without seeing the wonder of Pompeii. Even today, with all Italy has to offer, your Italian experience is not complete without visiting (or should I say experiencing) Pompeii and this fabulous museum located in Naples.

The carving details and features are fantastic, and her beautiful soft face with a touch of blush is very intriguing. And Andromeda is absolutely gorgeous, no? She is set in a silver frame, but I do not know what grade silver, and is surrounded by 4mm amethyst and green paste stones. The stones are claw set and are all still there and whole as this cameo was obviously very well cared for. The pink stones have a unique quality that I have not seen before, magically changing from day to night. In the day, when viewed straight on, such as when you hold it in your hand, the stones have a pale pale violet color. As you turn the brooch, a surge of deep pink, such as that of a tourmaline stone, appears. At night, they maintain a medium amethyst hue. The color play is absolutely fascinating and gorgeous paired with the emerald green paste stones.

Paste stones were cut crystals with much higher lead content (leaded crystal) than rhinestones and can be open backed or foil backed. They are normally shinier, and glitzier than rhinestones because of their lead content and also, they are frequently brilliant cut as these are. They look more like real gem stones. They were common during the Georgian period and Victorian age up through the 1930s and on occasion, in the early 1940s. The brooch pin, that closes with a simple c-clasp, is very long and thick as the clothes of this period were very heavy and thick .

The cameo is in mint perfect original condition and ready to wear! We will be happy to include a brooch-to-pendant converter so that this colorful cameo may be worn as a pendant.

Understandably, since the acquisition of this fabulous piece of mythological history, the combination of the extreme beauty and softness of this lovely lady and small beast on her hat has intrigued me. Like solving any mystery, I was very excited to finally unlock the artisan's unusual secret, which is a big part of the allure of cameo art to me as it is to many.

This is an extremely rare and fabulous cameo that I believe is most likely a true one of a kind piece that will increase in value as a heirloom and collectors item. A perfect cameo for that alluring woman in your life!

For a wonderful present, give a gift from the past!

All our cameos come professionally cleaned and conditioned with instructions on how you can keep them that way for generations to come.

She will, of course, be delivered in lovely presentation box befitting her beauty and value and ready for gift giving. Always free shipping in the USA with a no hassle return policy. We want our customers to love our pieces as much as we do. If for ANY reason you do not, we are happy to refund your purchase price and the return shipping. And none of those ridiculous restocking fees at Cameo Couture. NEVER will be. We pledge and guarantee every item we sell will be loved or totally refunded so you can try whatever appeals to you hassle free.

Item ID: RL-00576

--------------------
Rule Your World