Incredibly beautiful pendants, similar to cameos, adorn the beautiful necklines of the Venetian ladies, lively Cameo intaglio earrings appear under the elaborate wigs, a riot of curls and cotton, and theatrical brooches embellish the brocade dresses, whose rustle of skirts fills the streets between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The skill of the creation, by means of diamond-cut engraving, sublimates the nascent French fashion and brings the jewelry sets of the royal courts across the Alps even in the lagoon. The highest pinnacle in history certainly comes with Murano glassmaking production. In fact, many of the Intaglio jewelry represent mythological scenes and some are even casts of coins or Roman friezes. The period of true splendor for Glass intaglio jewelry begins with the Renaissance, first in France, then in Italy, where the discovery of ancient Roman sites and the unearthing of finds rediscover the taste for the classic motif of Hellenistic mold, made of busts and ethereal faces, in plastic poses, evoking a beauty to contemplate. Together with Altino, Aquileia is one of the cities where future Venetians lived before escaping from the barbarian invasions of Attila. Originally, only semi-precious stones were carved, but glass, which came from trade with the East, became a very valuable alternative.Īnd what does this have to do with Venice? In reality everything starts from Aquileia, the Roman city of the famous mosaics declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. It was born in the beginning as a method of creating seals, to be pressed on wax, but soon it was also used in jewelry making. The art of intaglios comes from far away, from ancient Greece and Rome. One of the works that have most exalted it, has been undoubtedly intaglio carving, a technique that excavates, through a work of engraving, the surface, creating images. This material has found its role in antique cameo jewelry for hundreds of years. The role of glass paste over the centuries Let's investigate more in depth how glass paste creates the intaglio jewelry. This ensures a gradual return to room temperature, without a sudden heat shock causing it to explode. The mixture is stirred for up to 18 hours and allowed to cool in particular furnaces, called "tempre", for an entire day. Its compound requires very long processing times. It is a mixture, based on silica, in which sodium, calcium and colored pigments are added and melted by cooking it in a blast furnace at 1300 degrees. Bring in your family heirlooms for an appraisal and offer.Ĭomments, questions or suggestions for this column, please send to. Many dealers don’t understand the true value of these pieces. It depicts a Greco-Roman scene of lovers with cupid and has an auction estimate of $3,000-5,000. The 1790s carnelian pictured is more valuable because it is older, larger and 18K gold with French hallmarks. The 14K gold amethyst version pictured is American circa 1910 and is only valued at $800-$1,200. Quality of carving and age make a huge difference in valuation of intaglios. With the introduction of gummed envelopes and postage stamps, the need for wax seals – and intaglio art – dropped off. As cameo jewelry grew in popularity, intaglios were used mostly for seals or impressions on important documents. At the turn of the 19th century, a hand-carved semi-precious gem intaglio was a rare and treasured possession. Intaglio jewelry can be traced as far back as 5000 BC and comes in many materials, from inexpensive synthetic stones to amethyst and carnelian.Īn intaglio is a recessed image that has been carved into the back of a stone – the reverse of a cameo, which protrudes from the front of the stone.
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