How to Distinguish an Antique Cameo From Cheap Imitations
Although dating back to antiquity, the cameo all but disappeared during the Middle Ages until the Renaissance rekindled interest in the ancient Romans and Greeks. As the middle class grew in Western Europe and the United States during the Industrial Revolution, so too did the popularity of this vintage design. The variety of designs is legendary because you can literally find examples of the design featured in just about every type of jewelry.
The traditional image is what most of us recognize but it is not the portrait itself that can make a cameo valuable. It is common to find many of the cheaper pieces featuring plastic or glass portraits while the better cameos will be made from rarer materials like coral or even bone.
You can learn more by visiting Cameo Jewelry and reading the article on Searching For Valuable Cameos