Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Part 1: General characteristics
• Method 2 of 3: Part 2: The characteristics of carved cameos
• Method 3 of 3: Part 3: The characteristics of painted cameos
• Tips
• Necessities

A cameo is a particularly elegant piece of jewelry that has recently become completely fashionable again, but it is precisely because of this popularity that there are more realistic imitations today than ever before. It can be difficult to tell if a cameo is an authentic piece or a modern imitation, but there are a few clues to look out for.

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Method 1 of 3: Part 1: General characteristics

1. Know which materials are the most authentic. Real carved cameos are made of shell or natural stone, while real, painted cameos are usually made of porcelain.
   • As a general rule, any carved cameo made of natural material may be considered genuine. Some commonly used materials are shell, agate, carnelian, onyx, ivory, lava, coral, jet, bone, mother-of-pearl and various gemstones.
   • A cameo is considered inauthentic or fake if it is made of plastic or resin.
2. Inspect the cameo for cracks. Hold your cameo up to the light. Regardless of the material and age, you should not see any cracks or chips in the base material.
   • Soft plastic flakes faster than shell, porcelain and stone. Hard resin is also quite resistant to chips.
   • This says more about the value of the cameo than about its authenticity. A cameo with flakes off can be real, but the damage will cause the market value to decline.
3. Look at the direction of the face. The majority of antique cameos have a figure facing to the right. After that, a left-facing figure is most common, followed by a forward-facing figure.
   • Since figures on authentic vintage cameos can see in all three directions, this in itself is by no means an indication of authenticity.
   • If you have another reason to doubt whether a cameo is real or not, the fact that the figure is facing left or forward (as opposed to right, as is usually the case) can give you even more reasons. to doubt.
4. Study the facial features. An authentic cameo will have very detailed figures. The natural curves of the chin and mouth should be reflected in the design, and the figure will usually have rounded cheeks.
   • Portrait cameos with straight noses are usually from the Victorian era.
   • Portraits with powerful "Roman" noses are usually from before 1860.
   • A nose that looks "cute", or like a button, usually means it is a newer 21st century cameo. If the nose is curling up and the features are flat, this could be a sign that this is a fairly modern cameo, probably made with lasers, and thus not authentic.
5. Pay attention to the pin type. Turn the cameo over and examine the pin on the back. An antique or vintage cameo usually has a regular "c-clasp".
   • With a "c-clasp," the brooch loops under a crescent shaped piece of metal. There is no roll closure to keep the end in place.
6. Consider the details. While some authentic cameos are very common, many valuable antique pieces have finer details in the engraving or painting. These types of features often include things like earrings, pearl necklaces, loose curls, and flowers.
   • Note that certain details can actually indicate that a piece is fake. For example, many laser-cut imitations have a faint white stripe near the outer edge of the piece.
   • Some real cameos are attached in a 14K or 18K gold frame. Silver and gold metal frames are also common. However, this is not always the case, and there may be no list at all.
   • These frames can also be decorated with valuable gemstones, but this is not always the case.
7. Weigh the cameo in your hand. Plastic and glass cameos are often mounted on heavy metal frames. As a result, they are often heavier than shell and porcelain cameos.
   • However, this is not always the case, so the weight alone is not a good indication of the authenticity of a cameo.
   • Many stone cameos are often heavier than those of shell or porcelain.

Method 2 of 3: Part 2: The characteristics of carved cameos

1. Look at the finish. Turn the cameo over in your hand and watch the light fall on it. A real conch cameo should have a somewhat dull appearance rather than be shiny.
   • In fact, this is true of most carved cameos, as many natural materials are difficult to polish after being cut.
   • However, some real stone cameos can have some shine, which means that this test is not really flawless.
2. Inspect the back. Hold the cameo upside down and swipe the back with your index finger. If the cameo is made of real shell, you should feel a slight curve or curve.
   • Shells naturally have a curved surface, so a cameo cut from a shell should have such a curvature as well. However, this curvature can be slight.
   • However, this need not apply to cameos that are hand-carved and made of natural stone or other materials.
3. View the cameo in bright light. Hold the cameo with the back facing you against the sunlight on a particularly bright day, or against bright, artificial light. You should then be able to see the full silhouette, if the cameo is made of shell.
   • Note: this does not apply to most cameos made of stone.
   • Although this is not common, some plastic cameos are also very thin and reproduce the silhouette. So the conclusion is that this, in itself, is not a flawless test either.
4. Look for scratches with a strong magnifying glass. Inspect the front of the cameo with a very strong magnifying glass or double magnifier. You should see faint scratches made by the cutting tool around the cut parts of the jewel.
   • This is a useful clue for all hand-carved cameos.
   • The cut lines will usually follow the lines and curves of the design. Scratches that do not seem to follow these lines are usually no different than scratches and should not be considered a sign of authenticity.
5. Feel how warm the cameo is. Hold the cameo in your hand for about 30 seconds. A cameo made of shell or stone will remain slightly cool to the touch, but a plastic cameo will heat up quickly from the temperature of the room and the warmth of your hand.
   • You can also hold the cameo against your wrist or chin. These spots are usually a bit cooler than your palm and can give you a more accurate indication.
6. Test the hardness of the material. Gently bump the cameo against your teeth and listen for the sound it produces. If it sounds dull or hollow, it is probably made of plastic.
   • A cameo that sounds mostly solid, on the other hand, is probably made of stone or some other natural material.
   • Be careful with this test. Do not hit your teeth too hard as you can damage the jewelry and your teeth.
7. Prick the cameo with a hot needle. Heat a needle over a small flame or under hot water and poke it into the cameo. It will melt soft plastic easily, but it will not damage a shell or stone cameo.
   • Note, however, that many modern resins are too hard and will not melt as easily, so this test will not work with them.
   • Work carefully to avoid accidentally burning yourself while holding the needle. Wear heat resistant gloves or hold the needle with plastic tweezers.

Method 3 of 3: Part 3: The characteristics of painted cameos

1. Examine the cameo for paint or varnish chips. Examine the paint or varnish on the decorative front of the jewelry. There should be almost no deep scratches or chips to be seen.
   • The quality of the paint and varnish used by the earlier artisans is usually more durable than that used by today's counterfeit cameo manufacturers. Real cameos were made for life, so the jewelry should still be reasonably intact.
   • This is also an indication of its value. Cameos with scratches will reduce the value of the jewelry.
2. Ask yourself how new the jewelry looks. While the cameo should be damaged as little as possible, a real cameo will not look new. Expect faded colors, a few light scratches in the paint, and other signs of wear.
   • As a rule of thumb, if the paintwork and the piece itself look brand new, it probably is.
3. Check the cameo under a magnifying glass. Use a magnifying glass or magnifying glass to examine the front and back of the piece for signs of lighter, less obvious wear.
   • Even though it should have few scratches that are clearly visible to the naked eye, with this magnification you should be able to see some faint scratches on the surface.

Tips

• Consider showing the cameo to a professional jeweler. It is almost impossible for an amateur to determine the true market value of a cameo, so if you want to find out what a piece is really worth, ask a professional. Do this after you are reasonably sure that the cameo is real to save yourself time and money.
• When buying a cameo, do it from a well known dealer. In particular, look for a dealer who can guarantee the authenticity and value of the purchase to some extent. These are more likely to inspect the jewelry beforehand and only sell genuine, high-quality pieces.

Necessities

• A strong magnifying glass or a double magnifier
• Needle
• Flame or hot water
• Heat resistant gloves or plastic tweezers