Cameos

"Since the late 1700s, Italian carvers have been in enamored by the figure of Cupid. Therefore we see all kinds of scenes depicted on classic cameos from Cupid and Venus together, to Cupid playing with goats-and often Cupid shooting an arrow. I believe that the ultimate love-god Eros is the most beautiful of all mythological gods and the most powerful. Through Eros' love, he inspires all living things to gain love-defeating mans wisdom and carefully laid plans."

From Diana Jarrett in her personal communication with collector/dealer Jan Campbell.

Several Victorian and more modern cupid cameos have hidden symbolism. Interpreting its secret message adds another element of enjoyment to cameo collecting. The Victorians were fond of sending covert sentimental messages hidden in flowers, gemstones, and cameo carvings. For example, a cupid riding a lion might mean "Love conquers all". The cupid in a cage would be construed to mean "Prisoner of Love" in our modern vernacular. And the cognoscenti understood that cupid portrayed in cameos might be as moody as the real lovers who gave and received cupid cameos.

Cupid, part of the Goddess of Love Venus' inner circle serves dual purposes of expressing tender affection for the living and paying tribute to the dead. Cupid may not always appear 'baby-like'-but may instead be portrayed like a winged youth.

On a piece of mourning jewelry, Cupid may be seen leaning against an urn or column. When someone is mourning in real life, people will often ask: "How are you holding up" So the image is quite literal with the leaning Cupid. When Cupid conveys sorrow, he is shown in a somber pose with a pensive facial expression. The cameo background is generally black onyx, or something dark, and the

piece may be mounted as a brooch, pendant, or locket.
From the book "Cameos: Old and New", 4th Edition, Originally written by Ann Miller, extensively updated by Diana Jarrett.

Chrysoberyls Gemstone

Color

Standard color light to medium yellow to yellowish green, greyish green, brown to yellow-brown to light blueish yellow to greenish but several other types have color effects:

Color change effect in Alexandrite is primarily red to green, depending on whether it is viewed in lamplight or daylight. These two colors were coincidentally the royal colors of the Russian Czars, hence its popularity in old Russia

Cat's eye Chrysoberyl is yellow to yellowish green; greyish green; brown to brownish yellow

Clarity

Non-phenomenal chrysoberyl is transparent to semi-transparent, comprising a range of colours.
The alexandrite variety contains gems that vary from transparent to semi transparent, and whose colour appears different depending on the light it is viewed in.
Cat's eye chrysoberyl is opaque to semi-transparent, containing minute parallel inclusions that cause chatoyancy.

Cut

Normal Chrysoberyls and alexandrites occur in a variety of standard cuts
Cat's eye chrysoberyl occurs in cabochon due to the nature of the effect (chatoyancy)

Treatment

No known treatments in significant numbers
One case known of brown cat's eye chrysoberyls in the 1990's which was irradiated in a nuclear facility to deepen the brown colors

Care

With excellent hardness and toughness, chrysoberyls of all types are extremely resilient for use in jewelry and may be worn under daily conditions.
Alexandrites and cat's eye chrysoberyls are quite rare to begin with and as such highly collectible due to their exotic, phenomenal qualities. A premium is placed on gems that contain strong colour change qualities, since with alexandrites a predominantly "muddy" mix of greens, browns and reds tends to be the norm, resulting in a vague colour change.
With cat's eyes, a strong, sharp and unwavering silvery line that is visible from girdle-to-girdle is highly desirable, accompanied by rich green, yellow or brown colours.

Chalcedony Gemstone

Color

Some of the most common types of chalcedony are:
Bloodstone: a dark green chalcedony with deep red spots
Agate: curved or angular-banded varieties of chalcedony
Chrysoprase: translucent to semi translucent, light to medium yellowish green
Onyx: larger slabs of straight parallel layers of different colors

 

 

Clarity

Chalcedony is a gem composed of cryptocrystalline (microscopic) quartz crystals that form in tightly interlocking, fibrous masses. All chalcedonys are semi-translucent to opaque but rarely will eye-clean cut stones be cut form it

Cut

Chalcedonies may be porous, so care must be taken not to immerse the gem in substances that could change its appearance
Use damp, soft cloth, or scrubbing with a soft-bristle toothbrush
Chalcedonies possess an extraordinary toughness, allowing them to be carved in large flat cabochons, intaglios, cameos, tablets or even plates or bowls. Idar-Oberstein, twin cities in Germany, have been known for developing the cutting and carving industry for this gem since the 1700s.

Treatment

Dyeing: chalcedony can be dyed in practically all colours, due to its porous nature. Much of the black chalcedony sold on the market is dyed black. In banded material, some bands may be dyed while others remain white.
Heating: some yellow to brown material may be heat treated to result in redder colours.

Care

Chalcedonies may be porous, so care must be taken not to immerse the gem in substances that could change its appearance. As with most gems, a damp, soft cloth, or scrubbing with a soft-bristle toothbrush, are the best ways to clean these two forms of quartz.
Chalcedony exhibiting unusual banding or landscape scenes are particularly prized, as are agates containing dramatic dendritic inclusions. Iris agates and fire agates exhibiting strong iridescent colours are also collected. Finally, carved chalcedony, such as intaglios or cameos, may be collectible if they have provenance that can be identified as typical of a certain era. Signed gems from a known lapidary artist are also collectible.

Beryls Gemstones

Color

Red: Bixbite, only found in one location in Wah Wah Mountains, Utah, USA

Bright yellow: Heliodor. If yellow becomes deep toward orange: "golden Beryl"

Colorless: Goshenite

Deep blue: only found on one location in Brazil: will quickly loose its color if expoed to daylight

Green: too light to be considered emeralds. Problematic as a green beryl is much cheaper than an emerald but sometimes still sold as one

Clarity

Considering the range of beryls clarity can vary from eye-clean to very included

Cut

Beryls may be cut several different ways, though emerald cut and oval cut gems tend to predominate

Treatment

Color: Heating can take out a secondary color rendering a deeper, more saturated color
Color: Sometimes colorless beryls are irradiated to produce yellow colours. This colour is considered stable. Maxixe beryl is almost always irradiated is often irradiated in a laboratory. Color is not stable. Some colourless and light pink beryl from Minas Gerais is irradiated to produce maxixe beryl
Clarity: colourless oil and resins are sometimes used to hide fissures in red beryl

Care

Beryls are generally quite hardy unless they are strongly includedRed beryls tend to be more like emerald in this respect and may be fragile if the gem has many surface reaching fissures. A dampened, non-abrasive cloth is best used to clean beryl jewelry.
Large beryls with high level of saturation
Rare beryls such as Red beryl
Special effects such as "cat's eye"
Borderline beryls: "is it an emerald or is it a green beryl"

Color

Different varieties: purple is a rare variety from Maine. Blue stones from Brazil with colors rivalling Paraiba tourmaline are most in demand
A light green variety of apatite carries the trade name "asparagus stone"
The recent availability of the neon blue-green variety from Madagascar has gained popularity

 

 

Clarity

Eye clean larger stones are quite common

Cut

Cabochon or creative cut by lapidary artists

Treatment

Color: Most apatites are heat treated to enhance color

Care

Apatites are delicate - especially when subjected to heat, temperature changes, changes in air pressure (such as in an airplane)
Dampened soft fabrics with no abrasive or chemical additives, or a soft bristle toothbrush doused with water
Not recommended to use in rings

Aquamarine Gemstone

Color

Main colors: greenish blue to blue green
Light in tone and transparent
Some milky quality if lots of inclusions
Most collectible colors: aquamarines that have saturated, light blue colours are especially desirable, though a few beryl collectors prefer a slight greenish tinge

Clarity

They frequently possess a vitreous clarity not found in emeralds. For this reason, aquamarines may be fashioned as exceptional clean gems and carvings
Lower grade aquamarines can have a milky appearance if the crystal has a lot of inclusions
a potentially desirable "cat's eye" effect occurs when miniscule, hollow growth tubes form parallel to one another

Cut

Relatively large stones can be cut due to its hardness and relatively large crystals (up to hundreds of carats) without inclusions
Unusually cut gems are also popular, especially in gems that have been fashioned by an important lapidary artist.
Aquamarines and other beryls often lend themselves to sculptures because of their size

Treatment

Consider every aquamarine heat treated
Heat treatment causes them to loose their secondary greenish color and create a more "aquamarine blue" gem
It is generally impossible to gemologically determine whether an aquamarine has been treated or not

Care

Aquamarine can be worn in jewelry under normal use. Larger aquamarines should be worn with care, especially in settings such as rings that can be easily knocked
Cleaning: sudsy water and damp cloth

Most collectible:

Saturated, light blue colours
Gems that have been fashioned by an important lapidary artist or cut in unusual ways
Aquamarines from desirable localities, such as Santa Maria aquamarines from Itabira, in Brazil, are collectible in accordance to their legendary depth-of-colour

Ametrine Gemstone

Color

In ametrine, a unique form of quartz mined from a single locality in Bolivia, the colours are both yellow and purple in areas of zoning

Clarity

Ametrine, just like most crystalline quartzes is often eye-clean

Cut

Ametrine can also be cut to blend the two colors so that the resulting stone is a mix of yellow, purple, and peach tones throughout the stone
Ametrine is most typically faceted in a rectangular shape with a 50/50 pairing of the two colors
Sometimes a checkerboard pattern of facets is added to the top to increase light reflection
Ametrine is also popular among artistic cutters and carvers

Care

Because the bi-coloured ametrine comes from only one mine in the world, it is sometimes collected if the depth of colour and the division of colour is strong, or if it has been skillfully or cleverly carved.