Antique, buy shell cameo, hand carved, one of a kind, mounting with rhinestones , brooch or pendant, early 1900s, carved flowers with portrait

I love cameos. Especially shell cameos. Imagine taking a sea shell (usually conch) and carving from the outside down to the orange-pinkish, shiny, smooth part of the shell. A good cameo carver will look at the shell and determine the best part to carve to make a beautiful portrait. This cameo is very unusual. First off, the carving is wonderful. It is said to look at the nose to tell if the cameo is a quality one and then go from there. The carver has taken the color variations of the shell for the highlights of the hair. There is a flower in her hair that is on top of the hair, not in it. Her face is exquisite. The fold of her cheek, the iris of her eye, the nostril in her nose, the wisps of hair on her forehead all make this a high quality cameo. The strands of hair, the folds of material laying on her bosoms, and the flowers on her shoulder are further evidence of a master carver. The frame or mounting around the cameo is very unusual in that there are 6 topaz color rhinestones set into the frame. I'm not sure of buy the metal content. There are no hallmark markings. It appears to have some copper in it. The back is unusual in that it has a square opening inside the back mounting of this piece. Maybe for reinforcement? This piece is in good condition. The rhinestones bezel seems to be made out of a metal that has tarnished some. The closure pin is bent but fits nicely into the closure that has a safety catch. There is a bail that either has been repaired or added later to the piece so that it can be worn either as a brooch or a pendant.
Shipping costs are included in the asking price.



*Sold used and as is, pre-owned condition. Vintage and antique items, by nature have some ware, imperfections, and signs of use, age, and time. This is what makes them unique. :)

**I do my best to describe all of my items to the best of my ability. If you find that your purchase has been misrepresented or is not in the condition described or photographed, please let me know. Returns for these reasons are accepted within 10 days of purchasers arrival.