Cameos in Italy
 

In which city should I look for Cameos? We are going to Rome, Venice and Florence. Any suggestions of specific stores?

I bought a few at one of the places they're made in Naples and they are for sale all over that area. I'm sure they're in Rome as well.

I purchased a beautiful cameo in my hotel in Rome! Damama,they are ALL over Rome--you won't have any trouble finding a lovely one! Good luck.

Good evening, damama
One manufacturer is Giovanni Apa, out of Torre di Greco, close to Naples, however they used to have a store in
Rome, however might check their web
site for additional stores in cities
which you will be going. Most jewelry
stores still carry a pretty good assortment of cameos. Richard of LaGrange Park, Il.

I found lovely cameos in all of the cities I visited, from Naples to Venice. Do be sure to find out exactly what the metal is--it can vary from 18kt gold(marked 750), gold-plated sterling silver(vermeil, usually marked 925), to sterling silver(marked 925). Of course, some pieces are not precious metal at all, and likely would not be marked. I found a beautiful 2 inch vermeil cameo for less than 30 euro, and have received many compliments. Cameos set in 18kt gold will cost 100 euro or more, but of course are then a more valuable piece of jewelry. Vermeil must be treated as sterling siver, and rubbed with a jewelry cloth occasionally, as it can tarnish even with the gold plating, and if it pits, it can't be polished without removing the gold plating. The brown and white cameos are the most traditional--they are carved from shell, but you can also find blue and white agate cameos as well. The most important thing is to choose a face with fine details, as some carvers are much better than others. Hope this helps--Barb

Thank you all for such great information, especially Barbara for my lesson in cameos. I now know what to look for.