What is the name of a piece of jewelry with a profile?

A cameo is a piece of jewelry carved from precious or semi-precious stones. Unlike intaglios, in which the image is recessed, cameos always have convex images. The art of making such jewelry is called glyptics. Cameos became widespread in the ancient world. Special stones were chosen for them – jasper, agate, sardonyx – with even, straight layers. Figures and portraits were cut out from the light layers, and the darker ones were left as the background. The cameos depicted Greek and Roman heroes, gods and goddesses, poets and philosophers. Cameos were worn by both women and men. They were awarded to soldiers for fearlessness in battle. The Hermitage in St. Petersburg houses the world famous “Gonzaga Cameo”, carved on three-layer onyx (sardonyx). It is rightly called the pearl of glyptics. It was made by a master of the 3rd century. BC. in Alexandria. It depicts King Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his sister-wife Arsinoe in profile. The history of this cameo is long and complicated. It is known that in the middle of the 1814th century. it was in the treasury of the Dukes of Gonzaga in Italy, and after several changes of owners it fell into the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte. In XNUMX, in Paris, his wife Josephine presented the cameo as a gift to Emperor Alexander II, by whose order it was transferred to the Hermitage for storage. With the capture of Rome by the barbarians, the art of cameo making was forgotten for a long time. Interest in them arose again during the Renaissance. Images of famous contemporaries, made in the style of antique cameos, became popular. Craftsmen often inserted cameos into frames made of gold, multi-colored enamels, and framed with precious stones. Queen Elizabeth of England loved to give cameos with her image made of sardonyx, some were so small that they were used to decorate rings, several larger ones often served as medallions. And the queen herself loved to wear cameos. It was fashionable among noble ladies of the time. Cameo depicting Elizabeth I Cameos came back into fashion at the end of the 18th century. The popularity of cameos was promoted by Napoleon’s conquests in Italy and Egypt, from where the emperor brought a lot of jewelry in the classical style – gems. If you believe the portraits, noble ladies decorated their outfits with them, in particular, Napoleon’s wife, Empress Josephine. (Please note that there are cameos in the head decoration and dress decoration). Portrait of Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte At the same time, cameos carved from mother-of-pearl shells gained popularity. New materials for making cameos have also appeared: for example, volcanic lava of various shades – white, beige, olive, gray, brown. Scotsman James Tassier proposed casting cameos from multi-colored glass and setting them in silver and gold. The Wedgwood porcelain manufactory in England began producing cameos from faience in white and blue. They were made in round, oval, octagonal shapes, framed in gold and silver. Mother-of-pearl cameo Porcelain cameo Volcanic rock cameo In Russia, cameos were especially popular at the beginning of the 19th century. They were inserted into brooches, medallions, rings, and sprinkled with diamonds and emeralds. They depicted ancient scenes, as well as Russian emperors and empresses. At the same time, the stones and subjects corresponded to their intended purpose. Thus, mourning cameos were made from black stones, on which Persephone was often carved, abducted by the god of the world of the dead, Hades. Wedding ones were made from carnelian, often with images of Cupid and Psyche – a symbol of true love. Marine scenes or figures of Neptune and Tritons were carved into aquamarine. On the amethyst, which supposedly protected against intoxication, is the god of fun and winemaking, Bacchus. Lawyers and judges wore blood-red jasper jewelry. Beginning of the 20th century – the time of the beginning of mass production of cameos from shells. Italy was famous for this. But many of them were fakes – heads were cut out of white shells, which were then glued onto a pink shell or agate. And soon they came up with the idea of ​​​​making cameos cast from plastic – brooches and medallions for the poor. Such cameos are the most common nowadays and the most budget-friendly of all. Thank you for attention! If you liked the article, write comments. I will be happy to answer all your questions. Don’t believe those who say that brooches are hopelessly outdated: these people simply do not understand anything about elegance and refined taste. Yes, this jewelry will look alien in combination with a sporty look or brutal casual (although there are exceptions), but for an elegant lady who has chosen a laconic business style or “putting together” an evening outfit, the brooch will only add a sophisticated charm. So, let’s figure out what kinds of brooches there are, how they can be attached to clothes (and not only) and choose the perfect decoration for yourself!

Types of brooches

These impressive decorations are so diverse and multifaceted that the types and names of brooches cannot be even roughly classified.

The most recognizable and classic type of this jewelry is a brooch with the profile of a woman, which is called a cameo. These exquisite decorations have been known since Antiquity, when the noble art of filigree stone carving originated.

• Materials. All brooches can be divided into two broad groups: jewelry and costume jewelry. Jewelry brooches are the quintessence of high taste, realized in gold, platinum or silver and decorated with pearls, diamonds, other precious and semi-precious stones or rhinestones. Jewelry brooches are much more diverse: they are made from beads and beads, metals, wood and stone, leather and textiles, glass and ceramics, lace and fur.
• Type of processing. The type of processing determines the design of the jewelry. When applied to jewelry brooches, this can be inlaid with precious stones or crystals, stone carving with a convex or in-depth relief (cameo or intaglio), openwork weaving, processing in the form of a diamond facet, filigree, mother-of-pearl, enamel painting – there are countless options.
• Design. The trend is the so-called “catwalk” brooches, which appeared in jewelry store catalogs straight from fashion shows. One of the most striking examples is the logos of famous fashion houses. Models with strict geometry, chains, and all kinds of balls and spheres do not leave the pages of glossy magazines. Spectacular bow brooches and elegant jewelry with all sorts of symbols are held in high esteem: from zodiac signs to totem animals. And, of course, butterfly flowers – how could we live without them?

• Style. The word “brooch” most often evokes an association with luxurious vintage style and airy romanticism. However, these are not all style trends that are complemented by brooches: for example, miniature, discreet options with pearls perfectly complement business outfits, and playful jewelry made from affordable materials are irresistibly combined with boho-style looks.
• Purpose. Most brooches are universal: they are worn not only on the chest, but also on the shoulder, collar, under the chest, on the belt, hip and so on. Brooches are used to decorate hats and handbags, fasten scarves and stoles, and decorate shoes and chains. However, there are not only women’s, but also men’s jewelry, as well as interior options that are used, for example, to fasten curtains. There is also a special type of brooch called a “fibula”: it fastens the edges of clothes, simultaneously performing a decorative function. Brooches were once very popular until buttons were invented.

A textile brooch on a men’s jacket is called a boutonniere. This type of decoration is usually in the form of miniature flowers or bouquets. They are worn on the lapels of jackets on special occasions (usually weddings).

Types of Mounts

Almost any brooch consists of two elements: a base and a clasp attached to it. The type of lock for a brooch largely determines not only the design, but also the way the jewelry is worn.

The types of fasteners on brooches are less diverse and more structurally simple than, say, fasteners on chains, but some variety, giving freedom of choice, is present here:

• Pin. Perhaps the most common option for jewelry and most jewelry brooches is a safety pin. As practice shows, a brooch pin is the most reliable fastening: it almost never unfastens spontaneously. Moreover, this is a rare case when a fastener can exist without a base: safety pins in jewelry form can be decorated with all kinds of stones, pendants, chains and represent independent jewelry. And the pin itself can be modified in any way: attached to a hinge, have additional protection against unfastening, and so on.
• Needle. A brooch of this type has the simplest design: essentially, it is like a tailor’s pin, but with a decorative head. These jewelry always embody either grace or laconic brutality – brooches and pins are never massive or flashy.

• Screw-nut. A not very common option: on the base of the brooch there is a threaded screw that is used to pierce clothing. A decorative nut is used for fixation. The fastening is very reliable, but there is a caveat: after removing the jewelry, an impressive hole remains on the clothing.
• Barrette. An interesting and multifunctional accessory that can serve as both a brooch (clings to the collar, neckline or any other edge of clothing), and a scarf clip or hair decoration. The type of fastening is an ordinary spring-loaded clamp.
• Clip. A clip brooch is an accessory that does not require making holes in clothing, which is why it is convenient. But it can only be hooked onto the edge of clothing or a tie, which narrows its scope of use. In the men’s version, tie clips often exist in this form. However, there is another type of clip, with a puncture. The base has a pointed pin that is used to pierce clothing. On the back side, such a brooch is secured with a clamping clip, which firmly fixes it on clothing.
• Barbell. A rather rare brooch attachment is a barbell. It is fixed on clothing using miniature screw-on balls and their various modifications. Due to the design features, such brooches exist mainly in the form of the above-mentioned brooches and are worn on a shirt-type collar. Because of this, the bar brooch acts primarily as a male accessory.
• Magnet. A very convenient, but very unreliable option. There are multi-polar magnets on the base of the brooch and the fastening element. Theoretically, such a brooch can be fastened anywhere, and clothes will not be damaged; in practice, such decoration is easy to lose, therefore such locks are not used for jewelry.

The safety pin was not invented in Foggy Albion. It was developed by the American Walter Hunt. The American engineer quickly patented the invention, which did not prevent the Englishman Charles Rowley literally six months later from obtaining a patent for the pin in his homeland.

How to choose a brooch?

Choosing a brooch is quite difficult, because we are not talking about an ordinary one, but about an elite piece of jewelry that can either make a bow perfect or catastrophically ruin it. It must be remembered that the brooch does not accept a bright neighborhood, being the conceptual center of the image. It can only be combined with a basic chain – necklaces or pendants will already look redundant. But a bracelet, ring or watch in style is perfect!

For a special occasion, you can choose a large vintage brooch of exquisite design with precious stones. For a laconic evening look, you can opt for a mainstream brooch with lace or a textile bow. Femme fatales traditionally love snake-themed jewelry, not neglecting large representatives of the cat family.

For a romantic nature, elegant jewelry in a distinctly feminine manner – with graceful lines and floral motifs – will suit you. A young girl or an active, cheerful person can emphasize her mischievous character and ineradicable optimism with a brooch with a playful kitten or a cheerful dolphin.

For a strict business outfit, the ideal would be a small but very sophisticated brooch – for example, a jewelry needle with a large irregularly shaped pearl, which will emphasize its natural origin. The second great option is a geometric brooch with provocative notes of asymmetry.

Even a confident city woman who prefers brutal casual or looks stylized as a biker outfit can choose a brooch that matches her character – why not look towards large pins with massive chains?

If you want to emphasize your impeccable taste, choose a brooch to match your handbag and shoes. You can play up the toes of shoes: sharp – a brooch with pronounced corners and elongated elements, rounded – decoration with soft smooth lines.

A win-win option would be a brooch with a sign of the Zodiac, some well-recognized symbol, an animal or an object that emphasizes a certain character trait. Or, again, the ubiquitous pin, which can be decorated with any pendants you like and change them to suit your own mood!