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Cameo brooches are timeless pieces that can give your look that trendy vintage edge. Clip one onto your favorite cardigan or pin one onto casual T-shirt to give it a little sophisticated bling. You may have one that's a family heirloom, or you may have bought an imitation as a fun fashion piece.Typically cameo brooches depict a silhouette of a woman, or sometimes flowers, gods and goddesses or loved ones. Ever wonder how these little portraits came to be? They actually date back far beyond just your grandmother's time.
Cameo Brooches in the Ancient World
The tradition of cameo brooches are much older than you may think. We've seen women wearing them in our favorite Victorian era movies, but they actually were popular even before then. While they may not have been worn as brooches, cameos themselves date back to 300 BCE in Alexandria. Cameos were worn as identification and to show where people's loyalties lay. They were carved out of semi precious rock or crystal or sometimes coral. During ancient times cameos were actually called petroglyphs. These semi-precious cameos were sometimes believed to have medicinal, supernatural powers. Women in Ancient Greece used to wear cameos in hopes of snagging an available man. They would specifically wear cameos that depicted Eros, a dancing figure, thought to be a love charm.
Cameos as Social Symbols
Today we wear cameos brooches to add a little vintage charm to our outfits, but in the Elizabethan period cameos were worn to show social status. Even men, such as Napoleon Bonaparte would wear them. Napoleon liked cameos so much that he founded a school for students to learn the art of carving. In the 19th century Italian carvers began to carve their cameo designs out of shell, which became a popular and inexpensive medium.
Victorian Era Cameos
The popular woman's profile cameo that's often replicated today, first became fashionable in the Victorian era. These cameos were usually carved out of shell. They were usually worn as brooches or pendant necklaces. The pendants were attached to velvet so that they would appear more casual and could be worn as a perfect day to night piece. They were also shown with images of garden flowers and even beloved pets.
Cameo Brooches Today
Today you can find cameo brooches in all shapes and sizes. Some are genuine family heirlooms passed down through generations for centuries. Others are fun fashion pieces, made out of plastic or acrylic. You can even have your own custom portrait cameos made out of glass or metal.
