Cameo

What is a cameo and a bit of history :

A cameo is piece of jewellery with a carved relief. It features a raised (positive) relief image, so that the figures project from a supporting background.
Cameos have a rich history with many different variations and meanings. We can trace their origins back to Egypt in 15,000 B.C. where petroglyphs carved in rocks, were used to record events.
Sir Wallis Budge alleged that the noun “Cameo” apparently comes from Kame’o, a word used in cabalistic slang to signify a “magical square”, i.e. a kind of talisman whereupon magical spells was carved.
During the Renaissance a cameo was considered a gift of love and friendship.
A cameo is more than just a piece of jewellery. It is a work of art. These relief carvings are tiny sculptures by the hand of an artist.

The Process:

I use specially selected porcelain known for its vivid whiteness, and glazes that I have developed to complement my work.
Firstly, I hand carve the design into the raw porcelain, using tiny wood tools that I make. From this, I produce a plaster mould into which the porcelain will be hand-pressed. The edges are then smoothed before being glazed.
Similarly the two body technique is made using two layers of different coloured porcelain.
The pieces are then fired at 1280 degrees Celsius. During this process a variety of reactions take place culminating in a piece that is not only strong but also resistant to staining and water.
To complete the process, each piece of fired porcelain is set in sterling silver framing the individual piece of jewellery art.

All the pendants come with a complimentary 45cm sterling silver link chain.