A 2026 Guide by Sellingantiques
18ct Yellow Gold Vintage Italian Carved Agate Cameo Drop Earrings, 1950
Priced at £595 from AgAu Jewellery
Roman craftsmen carved the earliest examples from hardstone to commemorate rulers and military victories.
A major revival during the Renaissance. Wealthy patrons commissioned intricate mythological scenes across Europe.
Look for a surge in production during the nineteenth century.
Grand Tour travellers bought these pieces in Italy as souvenirs of their Mediterranean visits.
Tommaso Saulini ran a busy Roman workshop producing both shell and hardstone pieces.
Most nineteenth-century items are unsigned works by regional Italian artisans working in small coastal towns.
Benedetto Pistrucci carved complex hardstone examples before taking a post at the Royal Mint in London.
Victorian Lava Cameo Brooch of Demeter, Silver Mount, C.1860, Victorian
Priced at £285 from Touch of Time Antiques
The 2026 retail price guide for Antique Cameos is drawn from a proprietary archive of over 1.1 million retail prices indexed by Sellingantiques since 2003. This guide relies exclusively on their own internal data; no external sources or auction records are used.
Analysing nearly 25 years of UK antique market history alongside current retail values, the data indicates that typical UK retail prices for Antique Cameos range between £300 and £2,800. Entry-level prices generally fall under £300 and premium examples upwards of £2,800.
Raised relief carving contrasting against a differently coloured flat background.
Classical profiles facing right are standard on most nineteenth-century pieces.
Turn the piece over to check the mounting for a hinged pin and a basic C-clasp on the back.
Rare Museum Quality Victorian 18ct Gold Cameo of Goddess Flora, C1860, 1850
Priced at £1,800 from Touch of Time Antiques
Artisans used hand-turned steel burins to scrape away the upper layers of shell.
Hardstone required abrasive powders like emery mixed with oil to slowly grind the material down.
Study the faces. Profiles evolved from sharp classical features to softer rounded Victorian faces over the century.
"Sometimes carvers managed to use three or four distinct colour layers in a single piece of sardonyx."
"Men wore them as stick pins and watch fobs just as often as women wore brooches."
"The mythological scenes often copy famous marble sculptures housed in Italian museums."
Based on almost 25 years of Sellingantiques UK antique market data, Antique Cameos appeared 1414 times (out of 1,100,000 antiques) which gives it a rarity score of 75/100.
This score measures scarcity within the Sellingantiques archive only and is not a survey of the entire antiques market, so these statistics may not be indicative of the general availability of Antique Cameos elsewhere.
Dust them lightly with a soft, dry brush. Shell is porous and absorbs liquids easily.
Keep them away from harsh chemicals. A slightly damp cloth works for stubborn dirt.
Jewellers do this regularly. They solder a small folding bail to the top edge of the bezel.
You can then thread a chain through it without removing the original brooch fittings. It keeps the antique hardware intact.
Leave the pin as it is.
Antique metal becomes brittle over time and snaps easily when forced. Have a jeweller adjust it with the proper tools.
A soft makeup brush lifts away most loose surface dust. Don't use a needle or pin to pick at the crevices.
If the dirt is caked on, a cotton swab dipped in warm water is usually enough. Pat the shell dry immediately afterwards.
Avoid soaking the piece. Moisture weakens the glue holding the shell in its mount.
Please note: This Antique Cameos guide and its associated pricing data are provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute formal financial, investment, or appraisal advice and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any commercial activity, purchasing, or sales decisions. Sellingantiques.co.uk accepts no liability for any actions taken in reliance on this information. Always consult with a qualified professional or independent appraiser.
