Molded cameos are usually made of glass.  They usually consist of either one or two colors.  Often the colors are swirled together. Glass cameos are usually quite shiny.  Molded cameos are also molded from plastic. The wedgwood style cameos were made from plastic.  Plastic makes a terrific imitation shell cameo. Older cameos were often made with celluloid using two colors.  Occasionally, but not very often, natural materials are molded.  One way to tell if a cameo is molded is to look for a roundness in the detail and a lack of sharp and precise lines.  To identify glass cameos look for the presence of mold marks and ridges or dimples on the back.

Shell cameos are carved from a single piece of shell.  Shell is soft, so it is very easy to carve.  Shell cameos are usually two colors.  Shell cameos have a thin concave back, with the exception of abalone and mother of pearl which are usually flat on the back and somewhat thicker. Coral Cameos are usually a single color, and also have a flat back.

Agate cameos are carved with the same technique that shell cameos are carved.  Agate has one main advantage, because the carver is able to see the layers of color from the side and knows that these layers will basically be flat.  Stone is much harder to carve.   A good hard stone cameo is often under carved at the junction where the portrait meets the flat plaque.  At a quick glance stone often looks like an applied cameo, however upon closer examination one can determine it to be stone.

Amber Cameos are rather new to the market place. Amber cameos are carved from natural amber with the reverse intaglios being hand carved.
Practice will make it easier to tell molded cameos from carved cameos:  Usually natural materials are carved, while glass and plastic materials are normally molded but could be carved though not very likely.  Molded cameos can be two colors by the simple device of pouring one color into the mold in a thin layer and then following with a thicker layer of another color.

If you are buying for value distinguishing the type of cameo could be very important.  However, if you are buying because you simply “love” the piece, then determining the type of cameo and the value are not nearly as important.  We suggest if you are purchasing a cameo because you want to add it to your jewelry wardrobe then choose what your heart falls for, just be certain you are not overpaying for what you are getting.

Cameos make a wonderful fashion statement! And they never go out of style.

Whether you are looking at sterling silver for a gift for that special someone or looking to add to your own jewelry to make that fashion statement, it’s important you understand the terms that are used throughout the industry.  Once you understand the terminology you will be better equipped to choose quality pieces of sterling silver jewelry and you’ll be able to complete your purchases with a lot more confidence.

It doesn’t matter whether you are buying on line or at your local store.  It doesn’t matter if you are buying in the USA or Canada or in Europe or China.  The terminology used to describe silver are the same around the world.

Sterling silver jewelry has always been popular and remains so today.  Sterling silver estate jewelry has also shared it’s time in the limelight but in recent years its popularity has exploded.  That’s because buyers are looking for something a little more unique than modern sterling silver can offer.  Everyone knows how beautiful sterling silver is and how durable it is, that’s one of the reasons it’s such a popular choice.  And of course let’s not forget how affordable it is!

Silver has it history into ancient times, but has not survived as well as gold.  Unlike gold which has no ill effects from age and exposure sterling silver does.  It deteriorates over time.  Throughout history sterling silver has experienced bursts of popularity where it was far more vogue than wearing gold jewelry.  Today is one of those periods in time!

Silver is the most common of all the precious metals.  Fine silver is pure silver but it not commonly used for jewelry because it is way too soft and bends and breaks far too easily.  Instead fine silver is mixed with copper.  925 parts of silver are mixed with 75 parts of copper which is just enough copper to firm up the silver to make beautiful jewelry.  This 925 grade is called sterling silver throughout the world and is recognized as the purest form of silver available for jewelry.

This is the mark you are looking for. Either that or the actual sterling mark.  Both will guarantee you that what you are buying is sterling silver and not some cheap base metal like nickel which will wear and look awful very quickly.

Silver has many benefits over gold.  It is much lighter weighing about half as much as gold.  It is much more flexible but not as malleable so it allows for beautiful jewelry creations.  Lastly it is much less expensive yet it will last you your lifetime and probably those of a couple of more generations.  Two exact pieces one in silver and one in gold.  The gold piece will cost 5 to 6 times more than the sterling silver piece.

Current fashion trends which include a lot of black or dark materials have added to the popularity of sterling silver as it looks very well with black.  In fact it has much more of a dramatic impact than gold does.

Silver likes to be worn.  It helps keep it shiny and beautiful.  Left hanging for any length of time means you’ll need to polish it to remove the tarnish.  In our fast paced world silver is an excellent choice.  Just as we have wash and wear clothing silver is an excellent grab and wear style of jewelry.

So the next time you are in the market for some quality sterling silver jewelry be sure to check out estate silver jewelry!