Earrings with Cameos in Gold and Silver Set

Handmade Cameo Earrings in Italy

Since 1934 Eredi Jovon, on the Rialto Bridge in Venice, has been creating cameos entirely handmade respecting the techniques of Italian jewelry making and still using the burin, as it was done in the time of the ancient Romans. 

Unique and handcrafted jewelry

Every piece of jewelry thanks to the craftsmanship will always be special because it will be able to tell a story, yours, and because like you it will be unique and inimitable.

Two types of shells are mainly used for antique cameo necklace and jewelry in general: carnelian shell with a beautiful red color and a cream contrast and sardonyx shell with a brown background and a beautiful milk-white contrast. In this post on our blog you will find the main differences between the most commonly used shells. Of course, all our materials come from traceable and environmentally sustainable sources.

What are cameo earring?

A cameo earring is a jewelry piece that uses the carving technique so dear to the ancient Romans to create a masterpiece to be placed on the lobe by exploiting the color differences of the carved material.

Our New and Vintage Cameo Earrings Collections

Cameo often means an engraving on a shell representing a lady: shortly the regular cameo brooch. This is absolutely not true! Cameo is a work of art of engraving and like all works of imagination it can represent not only the real but also the ideal. 

Explore the Different Styles of Cameo Earrings We Offer

Starting from the Vintage Cameo earrings that are our most unique and precious piece of jewelry our collection touches all the points of Italian artistry. The antique, old and estate ones are obviously the “most wanted” piece of art of the Eredi Jovon Collection.

But let's talk about our most famous model, the cameo necklace that made Eredi Jovon one of the most authentic and iconic place to buy this typical Italian jewelry.

The Iconic "Grace of Venice"

Grace of Venice is our Flagship Model dedicated to the city and the classy icons we served for years.

Here in our collection of earrings you can admire the classic earring with our best-known model “Grace of Venice” (in blue agate and in classic and traditional shell) representing an allegory of the beautiful lagoon city but also floral motifs, putti with a strong Pompeian flavor, modern style jewelry and the ever-present vintage models. Also noteworthy are in our antique earrings that can go well with your Victorian cameo brooch.

Blue cameos engraved in agate have a distinctly more modern feel, perfectly suited to the fast-paced lifestyle of the 21st century. Their deep blue hue recalls your favorite jeans and pairs beautifully with a crisp white blouse. In short, they’re ready to be worn to a business meeting or a weekend getaway.

Vintage Earrings with cameos

Again, nothing stops an active woman from wearing a piece of jewelry with vintage charm—just like in home decor, where a single antique piece can add character to a modern, minimalist space filled with white furniture.

Materials and Styles

We will now look at the various materials from which we make our traditional cameo earrings.

1 - let's start with the traditional carnelian shell (Cassis rufa) with a creamy white color on a peach background.

2 - let's move on to the equally used sardonyx shell (Cassis madascariensis), the most beloved by great artists, which due to its contrast (dark brown on milky white) allows for great works and the depiction of detailed scenes.

3 - We also mention the shells called “tigrina” (Cypraea Tigris), corallina (Strombus Gigas), “Caparossa,” and “Madreperla” (Pinctada Margaritifera).

4 - Cameo in Stone - Let us now turn to the stones: lava rock, coral, turquoise, lapis, malachite, and ivory.

The mount of this great pieces of jewelry:

Cameo Earrings in Silver

Our cameo earrings are mounted either lobed or dangling in two types of materials:

- silver in its white, rhodium-plated and burnished variants (sometimes gold-plated as well, although we are not very fond of gold-plated jewelry)

Cameo Earrings in Gold

- gold cameo jewelry especially at 9 kt because it is more durable and, not insignificantly, more affordable.

For example a cameo necklace in gold will be more easy to wear with your everyday jewelry because the metal will be harder and more difficult to break. LAst but not least it will be cheaper too.

Variations of frame styles:

1- Our favorite style is definitely the Venetian cord with which we create most of our frames.

2- Let's not forget equally classic frames such as the smooth frame also called “Roman style” and minimal frames such as those called “Russian style” and “English style.”

How can you tell if it’s a real cameo?

Want to tell if a cameo is authentic? Look closely at the engraving-a genuine cameo ring (for example) will never be perfect. Check for any air bubbles or imperfections in the material, which could dirit that it is a vulgar plastic imitation. Relying on trusted and specialized jewelers like Eredi Jovon is always the best way to buy authentic cameos and pay the right price.

Why is Cameo Jewelry so Expensive?

Cameo jewelry, especially that made by Eredi Jovon, which produces in a traditional, hand-engraved manner, is always expensive precisely because of the artisanal processes involved in its creation. Each cameo is engraved by skilled artisans using fine materials such as shells, coral, and mounting these pieces of art on gold and silver. Each piece of jewelry is therefore a unique and collectible piece. As you can easily understand a Victorian cameo brooch or and Edwardian pair of cameo earrings can be really expensive but rare and unique at the same time.

Cameo Earrings for Every Occasion: How to wear them

What is finally a cameo and how you suggest to wear it in all its possibilities in jewelry?

The cameo is the right piece of jewelry for every occasion: it is the perfect graduation gift to commemorate an important moment, it is the necklace to wear on your wedding day to give you that halo of refined elegance, it is the gold cameo earring to put on at the theater with your hair up in a stately "chignon," it is the jewelry to wear every day to bring out your class and uniqueness at a business meeting.

The earring can be stylish in its lobe version or "jaunty" in its dangling version, perhaps adorned with a pearl that enhances its class.

In short, cameo earrings are ment to be worn every day to speak of you and your love for beautiful things that last, are passed on and, in the end, tell a story: yours!

Caring for Your Cameo Earrings

How to take care of one's pair of cameo earrings?

First of all, it is not recommended to sleep or shower with the earrings on.

A good habit is to clean the setting from time to time with a soft cloth and rid the cameos of dust by rubbing them with a very soft (preferably used) toothbrush.

Keep your jewelry in a dry place and separate from other jewelry that could damage it by rubbing.

At Eredi Jovon, however, we offer a dedicated service to restore and preserve your jewelry by designing new mounts and polishes for you in a professional manner with costs appropriate to the skilled work.