A handcrafted jewel symbol of the excellence of Made in Italy.
An ancient splendor that is rediscovered all over the world.
The ancient art of the cameo
is back in the limelight: from Hollywood stars, to royal stages, to Italian celebrities, the cameo starts
from the goldsmith tradition of Torre del Greco
to reach all over the world creating the perfect combination of ancient and modern.
A long story that starts with the ancient Romans who sculpted precious stones to represent war scenes and that reaches the present day with a precise thread: the skilful craftsmanship of the master engravers who make a jewel entirely by hand starting from a simple shell.
This jewel enjoyed periods of splendor in the Renaissance, in the Elizabethan age and also in the Napoleonic period both in England (as also shown in the famous TV series Bridgerton), and in France with the transalpine emperor who donated the famous tiara to his wife Giuseppina. of cameos, now a Swedish crown jewel and worn by Princess Victoria at her royal wedding.
A charm that has arrived intact to the present day and has not left the international stars indifferent: the singer
Rihanna has in fact created her own collection of cameos
composed of rings, earrings and pendants going to reinterpret the precious classic and declining it with particular attention to feminine inclusiveness.
From the informal occasion, to aperitifs on the beach to gala evenings: celebrities wearing cameos alternate on the red carpets.
From the young Demi Lovato to Cate Blanchett (who wore the jewels produced by Cameo Italiano for Liz Swig's Lizworks project on the Venice red carpet), Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Demi Moore, Gigi Hadid, Claudia Gerini and Caterina Balivo: these are just some of the stars who have let themselves be fascinated by handcrafted creations wearing earrings, bracelets and pendants on special occasions.
A trend that, as often happens, has already infected social media in a short time, where the hashtag
#cameojewelry
is the protagonist of almost 30 thousand posts, dedicated to the excellence of Made in Italy jewelry and also the fashion influencer with 5 million followers
Alexa Chung has been immortalized with a cameo (cameo in English) on a pendant
.
Just Rihanna has shown herself several times in public showing off cameos in combination with a youthful look, wearing a cameo as a brooch on the cuff of her jeans and on her knitted hat.
"We have made a long journey of research to make the cameo current and we were pioneers in the conception of this" prêt-à-porter "jewel, thus clearing it of the concept that it was only for queens and ladies - says Gino Di Luca, founder of Cameo Italian, a leading company specialized in the creation of cameos - We have created permanent collections but we also have lines in constant renewal where we offer a more modern and young style where the cameo can be worn as an accessory in everyday clothing, even with a simple t -shirt and jeans ".
A jewel capable of tracing centuries of history and reaching the present day, still giving a vintage, romantic and feminine atmosphere: "Surely there are more factors that contribute to the
rediscovery of this jewel
- explains
Bianca Cappello
, historian and critic jeweler and professor of History of Applied Arts at the IED in Milan - Today wearing a cameo fits into the contemporary aesthetic of the
mix-and-match
in which the combination of elements from various styles and various eras reveals the creative ability and taste of the wearer.
Since the cameo has an ancient material and technical history, those who decide to wear it today demonstrate that they have made a conscious choice linked to the craftsmanship and cultural roots of a territory ".
Each jewel represents an original work of art: carving
a cameo is a meticulous job
which requires great attention and high manual skills, skills jealously guarded by the master engravers of Torre del Greco.
“In a world of mass production, the new artistic cameos offer an innovative and seductive touch of a classic art form.
Rooted in the history of art, the cameo is placed with certainty in the contemporary artistic canon, where generations of artists continue to explore and expand its rich narrative potential.
Even today, no jewel releases art, history, beauty and power like the cameo ”, says Cristina Del Mare, ethnologist and applied arts scholar in the publication Multum in Parvo where the story of the cameo is told.
A jewel that symbolizes the Italian artisan tradition and the exceptional dexterity of the master engravers of
Torre del Greco, a town in Campania where the art of shell cameo making spread in 1800
.
At that time, in fact, ships returning to the Gulf of Naples from the African coasts loaded large quantities of shells as ballast to weigh down the boats and make the return crossing easier.
With all that raw material in port, it didn't take long for the local inhabitants to understand how to enhance it: right from that moment the art of shell engraving and the long tradition of the master engravers of Torre del Greco developed.
Today we are talking about
a business of about 300 companies
which employ about 2000 people.
"We are witnessing a strong international demand for our creations, especially in the East within the thriving Chinese, Japanese and Korean markets: a clear sign of the growing appreciation of this jewel all over the world - explains Di Luca - We can find two interpretations of this success: on the one hand the great dexterity required to engrave these handcrafted creations is exalted while, on the other hand, people are rediscovering the classicism of these jewels in a modern and current key ".
A constant search for innovation and design that is carried out while remaining in the classicism of the jewel and in the hand-working technique.
"The beauty and expressive power of a cameo engraved with the profile or body of a woman,
do not depend on the subject as much as on the artistic and artisan quality of the hand that made it - concludes the expert Bianca Cappello - Who decides to wear a cameo revisited in a modern key, in dimensions never seen before or with new trendy subjects or made to measure or witty, proves to have a strong, curious character and love the possibility of surprising others with a new and personal point of view.
Inserting a new image in a cameo with an ancient taste creates a destabilization based on the playful effect of a false historical artefact, thus stimulating the effect of surprise and fun ”.
in dimensions never seen before or with new trendy subjects or made to measure or witty, it proves to have a strong, curious character and to love the possibility of surprising others with a new and personal point of view.
Inserting a new image in a cameo with an ancient taste creates a destabilization based on the playful effect of a false historical artefact, thus stimulating the effect of surprise and fun ”.
in dimensions never seen before or with new trendy subjects or made to measure or witty, it proves to have a strong, curious character and to love the possibility of surprising others with a new and personal point of view.
Inserting a new image in a cameo with an ancient taste creates a destabilization based on the playful effect of a false historical artefact, thus stimulating the effect of surprise and fun ”.