The Metaphysical Site

Cameo jewelry makes the perfect Mother's Day gift because the design is timeless and may well help to rekindle some fond memories of days long since past. One of the best parts about purchasing a cameo for mom is the wide assortment of jewelry it may adorn, including:

• Brooches
• Pendants
• Earrings
• Tennis Bracelets
• Rings
• Necklaces
• Bracelets

However, while the cameo design is certainly one of the most common and respected in the jewelry universe-it can be difficult to identify the valuable ones while avoiding the cheap knock-offs. Materials vary greatly among pieces and probably play the largest role in value determination. Natural materials used to create the portrait tend to be found in the more valuable pieces. Just a few of the natural substances used to create cameos include: Ivory, Bone, Coral, Shell, Agate, Wood, and even Stone.

But looks can be deceiving and there are a lot of great imitations out there made out of plastic or even glass. Carved cameos will be the ones made from the natural materials whereas molded versions are made from glass or plastic.

The molded cameos designed are designed to mimic a natural substance but they also tend to weigh less than their carved counterparts. In addition, the plastic cameos will also have less detail when viewed up close. Glass cameos can be easily spotted by looking on the back for mold marks, dimples, or ridges.

Carved Cameos

Carved pieces tend to command greater value because the materials are rarer than man-made materials. In addition, these carved pieces tend to be hand-crafted making them both unique and more valuable.

Complicating the identification process is the fact that the specific features that distinguish a carved and molded piece will vary according to the specific material used to create it. Authentic carved cameos made from shell will tend to feature a pair of colors and will be crafted from a single shell.

Cameos made from carved mother-of-pearl or abalone will also have a great amount of detail. However, they will tend to have a thick, flat back unlike the more valuable carved stone cameos. At first glance, even a stone portrait may appear applied just as would be the case with a glass imitator. The key to positive identification is the back of the portrait which will seem concave or "under-carved" while the glass imitator will not.

Jon Kreps is a cameo jewelry expert at Vintage Temptations which specializes in vintage costume jewelry and authentic Native American jewelry.

Agates - Inexpensive and Beautiful Stones for Today's Fashion Jewelry

Agate jewelry has been very popular for several centuries now. Jewelry designers choose this stone because it is readily available virtually on all continents, it is relatively inexpensive, and can be found in a wide range of patterns and colors. To further increase its popularity, the stone can be colored and treated to improve its appearance, and to make the colors move vivid. Agates today are often framed in sterling silver settings to create beautiful silver pendants, brooches, pins, and a variety of other jewelry items. The color and pattern combinations available in nature give jewelry designers an opportunity to express their creative and artistic talents and tastes through the superb jewelry that they produce. Jewelers typically prefer to cut the stone into cabochons or beads; facet cut pieces are rarely used. It is interesting to note however, that the use of agates for jewelry and other ornamental purposes also occurred to the Ancients. For examples, records show that the Sumerians and Egyptians used agate as part of their burial rituals. Artifacts found from archaeological digs include amulets, jars, and other ornamental pieces.

Agates are a form of silicon dioxide or quartz. Since quartz is found in great abundance throughout the world, it is logical that agates are found in a multitude of countries around the world. The structure of agates can best be described as cryptocrystalline or microcrystalline. In plain English, this means that the quartz crystals in the stone are so tiny that they certainly cannot be seen by the naked eye, and in fact, are invisible even under low magnification. This crystalline structure makes agates particularly strong. Typical agates have a hardness of about 7 on the Mohs’ scale. Most agates are opaque, or in some rare instances, translucent. The colors defy imagination – ranging from whites and creams to bright blues, hues of purple, and bright red. The complex patterns and vivid colors of Botswana agates are well known in the world of jewelry. Agates generally occur as nodules and veins. If the layers of quartz are concentric, the stone is cut to reveal the banded or striped patterns associated with jewelry grade agates. Madagascar, India, China, Russia and Australia are some of the largest producers of agates in the world today.

The myths, folklore, and legend associated with agates are rivaled only by the colors and patterns in which they are found. In the old days, agates were believed to help protect the wearer and promote strength and healing. The stone is also believed to protect the wearer from bad dreams. There is a quite energy associated with agate, and the stone is particularly beneficial to subtle bodies. Agates also help promote positive energy and optimism.

About the Author

Dale is a geo-professional in the Southwestern United States, and an avid and amateur gemmologist and a silver jewelry buff.

silver plating natural stones?

I see some geode and agate slices are silver plated on sides. How they do that?

just a guess. --silver leaf.

New and Exciting in PLoS ONE [A Blog Around The Clock]
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