Knowing a little about how to make cameo jewelry will help you understand what to look for before you head to the art store. Cameo jewelry may have reached the height of its popularity during the Victorian era. Today, cameos are a favorite among experienced collectors and lovers of jewelry alike. Crafters have long known the pleasures of working with cameos. Cameo jewelry making projects do not have to be difficult. In fact, you can make easy cameo bracelets and cameo necklaces with just a few supplies.
Understanding Cameos
Genuine cameos are created using natural materials such as shells, ivory, stones or coral. Cameos made from hardstones such as agate, lapis or amethyst may be higher in value than other cameos because they are more difficult to carve than many other types of cameo materials.
Cameos are carved in two different styles: relief, the more common of the two, and intaglio. A relief cameo is carved out of cameo material, and an intaglio cameo is carved into the stone or cameo material. In days gone by, intaglio cameos were used not only for ornamentation, but also as personal stamps.
Today, most cameos are mass produced. The materials used may include resin, polymer clay or poured agate. Lasers and other modern equipment carve today's cameos instead of the human hand. One clue that a cameo has been mass produced is that its etchings or carvings look too perfect to have been handmade.
Basic Projects
The hardest part of making a cameo might actually be choosing which cameo to make. After you've done that, you will have to set your cameo so that it can hang from a chain.
You have several choices when setting a cameo. You may find a flat setting that you like. A flat setting requires gluing your cameo in place because a flat setting doesn't have prongs. Use a jeweler's glue to set your cameo in place, making sure that the glue will not destroy or damage the cameo's material.
Another possibility is a snapset. A snapset includes prongs that will hold your cameo in place. You can adjust the prongs using a rubber tipped jeweler's pliers.
Now you can design your cameo necklaces and bracelets. Do you want the cameo to be the focal piece of your jewelry or are you going to add beads or pearls? What materials are you going to use for the basis of your jewelry, wire, chains or ribbon? Take your imagination and pocketbook and have fun!
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