Victorian Cameo Brooch

Circa 1890. This exquisite 15kt yellow gold Victorian cameo features the profile of (possibly) the Virgin Mary. The ethereal carving highlights the woman's gentle beauty. This cameo is carved using the sardonyx shell, which is considered to be the most valuable of the traditional substrates due to its rarity in nature. Both Queen Victoria and Napoleon adored cameos and spurred their popularity in the 19th century.