How to Carve Cameos
The art of cutting shells and gemstones to highlight their different colored layers was well-known in the ancient world. The first recorded cameo was carved about 330 B.C., and the technique for hand-making cameos has changed little over the centuries. In modern times, most cameos are partly or wholly machine made. There are two styles of cameo: "relief," in which the image rises from the material, and "intaglio", in which the cameo is carved into the material. This is the way to carve a relief cameo using conch shell.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Conch shell
- Fine saw
- Engraving tool set
- Pencil
- Paper
- Grinder
- Jewelers' glue
- Strip of gold or silver
- Soap
- Water
- Soft brush
- Olive oil
Instructions
-
Mold the Cameo
-
1
Draw an oval shape on the shell with a pencil and cut along the line using a thin-blade, fine-tooth handsaw. The oval shape can be perfected on a grinder.
-
2
Mark on the shell, in pencil, the outline of the shape which will be "raised" from the shell. This is called the profile.
-
-
3
Mold the profile using a graver, a metal scraping tool. Called a "bulino" (which means graver in Italian), it is one of four gravers traditionally used for making cameos. The others are flat-faced, round and three-cornered. During this stage the top layer of shell is removed. This can be done with a grinder to save time.
-
4
Soak the shell in olive oil when the profile has been cut.
-
5
Clean it with soap and water and polish with a soft brush.
Engrave the Cameo
-
6
Sketch a picture of what the finished cameo image should look like.
-
7
Engrave the cameo's detailed features, following the sketch, and with the shell held firmly in place on the workbench. The same four gravers can be used for all parts of the work.
-
8
Clean the finished cameo with olive oil and then carefully remove the oil with soap and water.
-
9
Fix the cameo in a setting. Traditionally this will be hand-made and usually is of gold or silver. The simplest settings are made by cutting wafer-thin lengths of gold or silver just slightly wider than the cameo. These are wrapped around the edge of the cameo, glued lightly with jewelers' glue, and folded over. A clasp or pin can be glued to the back for attaching the cameo to clothing.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Polymer clay can be used for making cameos and is less costly than natural materials.
There are several varieties of manufactured settings available from craft outlets.
Engraving tools are very sharp, and care is needed to avoid injury to fingers or damage to the cameo.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
