Cameo from a Capricorn

I was recently asked who my style icons were. Strangely enough, that question through me for a bit of a loop.  You would think I could rifle off celebrity names like nothing, but the first and only thing that came to my head was "my mom, circa 1977". She has a great sense of style now, and always has, but every time I put an outfit together and love, 9 times out of 10 I can say, "I bet my mom would have worn this when she was my age."  I remember growing up my older sister and I didn't play dress up in costumes like the other girls... we played dress up in Mom's closet, and for good reason. My mom's wardrobe housed some pretty inspirational pieces for any young fashionista.Flowing chiffon maxi dresses from when she first started dating my dad that made you look like a lemony Greek Goddess, or little black cocktail dresses that made me feel like Julia Roberts at the tender age of 5 (much to my mother's dismay).

After a few recent trips back home to my parents house, and rifling through tons of old pictures affirmed just how stylish my mom really is. Pictures of me as a baby, pictures of my grandparents wedding, pictures of my parents on their honeymoon, they were pretty wonderful to see. It was those pictures of my mom though, that reminded me that I probably was born in an era too late for my soul, and that I have a pretty chic mom.



My mom and dad on their wedding day...

She's also responsible for giving me one of the most timeless accessories any girl can ask for- a genuine cameo.  There has always been something intriguing to me about the Victorian era in terms of fashion. I was always curious about how details that are so incredibly feminine can end up looking a bit... Gothic. Go figure, I'm drawn to dichotomy (have I mentioned that yet?) I'm a bit of a girly girl and tend to be drawn to lace and ruffles and bows, all very prevalent of the era, so along with that came my fascination with cameo's a piece that has come to be so representative of the time period. I had a few fakes growing up, the kind made of resin or plastic.  But starting in high school, set out to find a real one. I'm not much a jewelry person, I have the few pieces I wear all the time... and the incredible pieces given as gifts, but I've never really "invested" in jewelry. A cameo though, was something I was willing to invest in.  So the hunt began, and it went on, and on and on. I traveled all around the world, and still never came up with the perfect one. Even touring through Italy for months on end, I was determined I would come back to the US with the perfect one, but no dice. Nothing called to me.  I had almost given up hope.  Then, one Christmas morning about 3 years ago, I opened a little box from my mother, and inside was a gorgeous vintage caramel colored cameo pendant on a gold chain.  It was perfect, exactly what I had been looking for! I actually teared up at the sight of it.  Of course I couldn't find what I was looking for, because I was looking for something new! I had a vision of something with weathered character, something that looked, "authentic"... more so in terms of time rather than materials.  My mother (who always knows best) knew that vintage was the way to go with a piece like this, and of course she was right.  Now, its one of my most frequent accessories.

If I may make a bit of a personal aside, this scenario is very typical of my mom. While we all know she has great taste, she often forgoes the latest for herself so that she can enable the addiction to clothes all four of her daughters seem to have.... (hmmm now i know where we get it from!) She's always incredibly selfless, giving, and generous with the time, talent, and impeccable taste.  (Not just to us four girls who are part of the gene pool I should add. She's spent the past 15 years devoting those remarkable qualities to help hundreds of children grow as a Teacher, Technology Director, Choir Director, Drama Coach, Debate Coach, and Special Needs Tutor at the very same school I went to as a kid).

Now, back to the cameo- I mentioned a few times earlier there being fake cameo's and genuine ones and I'd like to take this time to put my Well-Versed Wardrobe two cents in on this.  Most people think of cameo's as a type of design seen in jewelry, generally a girl in profile (or a surprise appearance by a celebrity if you really, really aren't into fashion). This is not always the case though. A cameo though, is actually any piece,  made from a particular method of carving. That would be the main point of difference between a real and a fake.... the fake ones made of plastic or resin are cast pieces layered on top of each other  The real ones are carved out of many layers of stone, shell or glass, and worked in relief.  Cameo's can be dated back all the way to the time of ancient Egypt and Greece. Then they were carved from lava rock, onyx, and semi precious gemstones (particularly agate). A small motif was chiseled away in intricate designs to tell a story, or to act as somewhat of an i.d. People would wear them as a badge of rank or status.Today, traditional cameo's are worn as jewelry and made of  shell  or glass.

They were also made like this in the time of Queen Victoria, who is responsible for skyrocketing the cameo, as we know it to fame.The most common shell for a cameo to be made of is the conch shell (you know, the ones that you can hear the ocean in) which is what gives it that traditional  pinky coral color.

But it is important to remember that the Cameo is all about a method, not a material, so depending on what it is carved out of it can have  a range of colors from black to slate blue, to the most powdery of pinks.  Mine happens to be made of sardonyx shell which is why it has that cafe latte color. No matter which way you chose to go, its a jewelry piece that will always be timeless.