This estate 14 karat yellow gold Italian shell cameo brooch with diamond accent is a mid-century masterpiece dating to the 1960s, stamped "14K Italy." The hand-carved sardonyx shell cameo measures 1.75 inches by 1.25 inches, weighs 7.62 grams, and features a round brilliant diamond accent weighing approximately 0.01 carats with H color and SI1 to SI2 clarity, making this a true fine jewelry cameo brooch. A foldable bail allows this piece to be worn as a brooch or a pendant.
The finely carved female profile is rendered in high relief, her elaborately upswept coiffure adorned with delicate flowers and a ribbon. What makes this Italian cameo brooch truly exceptional is the addition of the diamond set into the carving itself as a tiny necklace. This intimate and imaginative detail, a real diamond depicted as jewelry within the jewelry, is a mark of the extraordinary skill of the mid-century Italian artisans who created it. The 14 karat yellow gold mounting is finished with a classic twisted rope border.
Italy has been the world's foremost source for carved shell cameos since the nineteenth century, with the workshops of Torre del Greco near Naples producing the finest examples for international collectors. Mid-century Italian cameo jewelry...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
