Is My Shell Cameo Antique?

Today I will discuss a few simple ways to judge if your shell Cameo is real or, a close second. Please forgive the letter spacing as the blog has gone a little wonky on me.  Let's start with a cameo I have in the shop and take a look at what you should look for when buying an antique shell cameo....

     Lets begin by looking at the back of the cameo. In the first photo above, you will find a smooth surface. It isn't uncommon to see scuffs or fine cracks from age and use. Don't run from the cameo if you find them, they are normal and should not worry you too much. Deep cracks will lower value. The cameo back should feel smooth and have a bit of a glass like shine. Most shell cameos are in ranges of pink (or blue). Not all, but the majority. So far, all looks well. What you do not want to see are small pits or pinholes all over the back. Another thing you do not want is a milky color or, melted look. These generally do not indicate an antique piece and you should probably keep searching.The next thing you should see is a concave back. This means the Cameo's shell should be indented. Imagine the indented bowl of a teaspoon and you will exactly get it. If it is a little hard to tell, as in this photo above, feel it. As your fingers run along the face they will feel the indent. The outside of shells are not flat. Neither should your Cameo be flat. Hold the Cameo up to the light. It will be translucent. You should be able to see the opposite side of the cameo just slightly, as if looking through a haze.

     The third thing you want to do, and I caution you on the danger, is to heat test your piece. Now if you are going to spend money on an expensive antique Cameo, make sure whoever you are buying this from (other than a reputable jeweler) is willing to do this for you. It does not hurt the piece. It doesn't damage the piece in any way. Unless, it's fake. There is no reason I can think of where a person would not heat test the Cameo for your piece of mind. Below, is the implements that I used to heat test this particular piece. You can do this as well, it isn't hard. For this you can use any small metal sewing needle, piece of wire, anything small metal and pointy. For this photo, I chose an old brooch that was beyond help. I am using a clamping item available at any hardware store in the fishing aisle. They are used to pull hooks out of a fish but, they are useful for jewelry if you want to change bails or jump rings. This pair locks shut so there is no chance the pin will come out and burn you. Stuck? Use a set of locking vice grips. Whatever you do, make sure your holders lock. The pin will be very hot. Too hot to touch. You don't want to slip up and get a nasty burn. So, don't just use a set of regular pliers. Any item you use should lock. O.K., enough safety blah-blah-blah.

 

 

  Unlike me, you should now lay your Came upside down on a towel or, other soft item. The next thing we need to do is to get that pin hot! Use a lighter, use a torch, use your stove (watch your sleeves) anything at your disposal. Once you have your pin hot, lightly place it on the Cameo in a prearranged inconspicuous spot. If it creates a hole, you don't want it to be the first thing you see if you intend to keep the fake. I prefer to test the lower portion. As the pin is hot, you will not need a lot of pressure. Hold on to the count of three. Remove the testing items and set them down on a heat friendly surface like the metal on your stove top. If your Cameo is a genuine shell, no harm will have been done. What you don't want to see is a hole left by the pin. This means the piece has melted and is not a true antique or vintage shell Cameo. Sorry....

  Now lets take a look at the front. Here we see a lovely young confident lady. Lets take a closer look at her details. The details you should look for. Turn the Cameo on its side. The white on the front of the cameo should just graze the surface. You don't want to see a large lump of excessive white. Though not shown, between the nose and hair you can see the shell and a thin coating of white. Make sure you check all angles because the white can appear to be large face on but, on closer inspection it is not. The next thing we will check on this lady is her hair. Notice how the hair is upswept. Most antique Cameos have this feature as opposed to hair hanging down which is more of a vintage Cameo trait. We next want to look at that cute little nose. It should be Romanesque. This was the style most adopted for antique Cameos. Another common feature of an antique shell Cameo is the attention to detail. Crisp, distinguishable lines as seen here in her hair, mouth, eyes, and chin. Flowers are another great sign. They were often used to adorn hair and clothing in a Cameo of the era. Cameos of this age can face either right or left. Right facing Cameos being the most common. This one was possibly made by a "southpaw".

 

Again, on the bottom we see lots of attention to detail. The dress neckline has nicely carved lines and is adorned on the left with a spray of leaves and flowers.

    Just one more part on the front to focus on. The edges of the shell Cameo. How did they create these miniature works of art? Well, they were carved by craftsmen. And, that is exactly what you want to see. Check the edges for cuts or "whittle" in the shell as shown under the prong in the picture below. Look a little further up and you can see the edges are not perfect. They have been expertly whittled down to create the masterpiece from a single shell.

     In the end, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Real, not real, shell, stone, coral, everyone has their own idea of what they want in a vintage or antique Cameo piece. Real antique cameos are not an everyday wear.  You should consider buying a vintage, rather than antique, Cameo piece for those non formal occasions. But the beauty of a true antique cameo is a thing to behold. Either way, here are the end things you should know about your antique shell Cameo. The settings. They came in a surprising number of materials including silver (like ours), gold (but not white gold), and brass. Brass was a surprise to me but I have seen garnets more than enough times set in brass.  At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any suggestions or you feel I should correct something, just post a comment and I will get right to it. I am not an expert or jeweler but,  I hope this has helped in your Antique Cameo quest. 

Please note that there are very nice fakes out there that will pass the heat test. Please take all things into account when choosing your Cameo. If in doubt, consult a vintage jeweler specialist.

 

My personal antique Cameo checklist:

 1. Cameo must have a concave back.                                                                                   

 2. Cameo does not have a lot of small pit marks.                                                                 

 3. Cameo does not have a white, milky, or foamy looking back.                                         

  4. Cameo has very sharp, distinct, carving.                                                                           

  5. Cameo has ornate flowers and other adornments.                                                             

   6. Cameo has upswept hair (not hair that hangs down which indicates a vintage Cameo).   

  7. Cameo has an older style setting with patina-unless cleaned.                                           

 8. Cameo's white parts are low to shell and blend into the carving.                                     

 9. Cameo has carving marks on, and around, the edges.                                                      

10. Cameo's nose is not "rounded".                                                                                      

 11. Cameo should be translucent when held to the light.                                                                                                                                          

 

      

AUTHOR: Rob Marshall           

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How To Put On Button Covers. The Cuff Link Alternative.

"How To" 

Lets give a quick rundown on the best way to dress up that non French Cuff shirt. You would just love to wear cuff links but, between the price point of a French Cuff shirt and the added expense of cuff links, what's a guy or gal to do? Welcome to the world of the "button cover". Button covers are generally less expensive and, can be just as handsome as any cuff link on the market. Just for today, we are going to wave goodbye to the cuff link and say hello to an old standard even your kids can operate. The "Button Cover".

Let's take a quick look at these amazing little pieces of wrist candy called...

                                                           THE BUTTON COVER
                                                        

 

     Button covers come in an array of shapes and sizes. They aren't all round and, come in as many interesting styles as a regular cuff link would. One thing does remain the same though, the attachment. No matter what size or shape they take on, the back will always be the same.

                                                   THE BUTTON COVER BACK

 

     Here we have the back of a button cover (they come in sets but, we will just look at one). The user friendly piece is that odd shaped metal on the back. This is the part that will slip under your button. Let's drop down a photo and see the "guts" and, how the mechanism works.

                               

                                                       OPEN BUTTON COVER

     Here is the button cover ready to be used. It is in the open position. To open these is quite a simple task. Just pull on that odd shaped piece of metal. It is hinged and, only held in by clips that nestle against the inner wall of the button cover. So easy, that even a child could do it. What you now have is an open and ready to wear inexpensive pseudo cuff link. Let's put it on.

                                             
                                                     INSERT THE BUTTON COVER

 

     The first thing we want to do is slide that odd looking metal piece "under" your button as shown above. It slips in very comfortably with no resistance. These are a dream for any man, or women, in a rush to get out and get going. Such a quick little invention. The best part is they will work on any shirt with a button. You can even use them to dress up your top neck button. Great stuff. Now let's take a look at what happens next....

                                                 SEAT AND CLOSE BUTTON COVER

     Here we have pushed the button cover all the way under the button. As mentioned earlier, it is amazingly easy to do. Our next step is to just close the cover (top). That's it! Ten thousand times easier than struggling with cuff link holes. They can be worn on anything that has a button. Let's take a look at how this all turned out. No different than any cuff link and, at a fraction of the cost.

                                                        THE COMPLETED LOOK

     A very smart and easy look to employ. Button covers are extremely comfortable as well as secure. For those with metal allergies, the great part is that no metal touches your skin. Kids love them, adults love them, it's a "win win". Fantastic for anyone in a rush. What?! No French Cuff? No problem! 

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Is This Brooch Vintage?

Disclaimer: Please be aware that there are varying views out there as to dating antique and vintage jewelry. The observations below are based on research and my general acceptance as to what constitutes dates and time periods for vintage and antique jewelry closures. If unsure, or have an opposite view, please seek a professional second opinion. Especially in the case of expensive gold or silver pieces. This blog deals with costume jewelry typically for sale in the costume jewelry market today. Thanks for stopping by and,  tell your friends about us if you found this interesting.

 

  How does one tell if a piece of jewelry is vintage or not? With today's remakes it can be hard to tell. Be on the lookout for the words "Vintage Style", "Vintage Look", and "Vintage Like". These generally mean you are getting a piece of jewelry (or jewellery as we in Canada spell it) that has been recently manufactured to look old. Not always, but about 90 percent of the time.

  Old pieces should have a bit, to a lot, of age showing up as discoloration or wear. Most of the wear is bound to show up where the piece meets the body or clothing. Please be aware that there will be some pieces referred to as "NOS" which simply translates to "New Old Stock", generally implying that the piece is old, just never worn. These come from store closeouts etc. where the items have sat around for years before being rediscovered. As it is today, some will buy a piece of jewelry and wear it a few times only to let it sit in a jewelry box for the remainder of their lives. So how do you tell?

  One of the quickest ways (though no one way is foolproof), is to check the back of the piece. Look for a brand name. Vintage companies, like all companies,  had a beginning and ending date range where they were in business. Just type "research vintage jewelry" into any browser and you should be able to find the dates and company stamps for most manufacturers on various websites. Although you will get a "began in 1940 ended in 1979 etc.", there are ways to muddle through the process of elimination to narrow down that date. Some stamps were only issued between certain years and changed as the company progressed in years. This could mean a different look to the way it was spelled. Maybe printed during certain years and then written out in script writing for a few more. You will also be surprised to find out some companies would change their product names completely as with Krementz, who added a Dept. Store line stamped simply "Diana".

  Now lets get down to the meat and bones of discerning a piece without research. Again, look at the back of the piece. The pointed pin and roll clasp get used the most, so look for wear and discoloration on these parts. Next, we will look at pin/brooch closures in photo's:

 

The wide C Clasp closure below dates from the 1800's to around the 1910's. The pin nestled into an open C that did not close around the pin. This closure may still be found on later pieces in the 20's-50's and right up to present day. If you have this closure, and see wear, rest assured you have an antique to vintage piece.

 

The next closure you see here is another type of C Clasp Closure. This is the type of closure, and wear, you really want to see in an antique piece. This was a simple thin wire that was open, and held the pointed pin in place. Notice the pointy part of the pin also extends past the brooch itself. These were unique, and quite rustic, with a simple closure to keep that brooch in it's place. Generally these are found on older, heavier pieces from the 1800's-1910. You do have an antique piece if you see this type of closure.

 

Also in the mix will be the "Trombone Closure" or "Tube Closure". This secure little closure is definitely in the antique/vintage category. These have been described as being from the 1800's-1940's. Personally, I often date these between the 1920's and 1930's. These are quite often found on European Celluloid brooches, as well as on a few metallic pieces. You turn the closure and pull out the end to expose the pin, and put the piece on. You then push the end back in and turn to secure. On another type, you just pull out the end (which is a simple tube), position the pin, and push the end back in place with no turning required. This, in my opinion, is one of the most secure closures you can find on an antique/vintage piece.  More commonly seen in European, rather than American pieces.

 

 

The next closure I want to show you is the "Roll Clasp Closure". All it contains is a covering that rolls/spins over a C-clasp to lock the pin in place. These will date from the 1920's to today. The general consensus is that they were invented in the 1920's and caught on rather quickly with the manufacturers of the time. The first clasps had a rather shorter "head" that you grab onto to turn. Some also had just a spring mechanism that you would move outward, put in the pin, and then release to secure it. As they evolved, todays popular closure took on the modern look.

 

 

Finally you are going to come across, guaranteed, a false C-closure. This is just a closure that has lost it's spin head. It looks like a C-Clasp closure, but is not. This piece can be anywhere from the 1920's to now. If you aren't a purist, then a fine example with a broken spin clasp should do you no harm. There will be a decrease in resale value though. The first photo shows you the components that used to be part of the brooch. The last to photos show the piece missing the spin head but, still functions well as a pseudo C-closure. How can you tell if it is a C-Clasp Closure or a broken Spin Clasp Closure? Easy. The "C"  will be slightly wide but very thin. See my last two photo's. The exterior sides of the fake "C", will probably have scratches where the head constantly rolled over it. Real C clasp closures are "thicker" or "flare out" in thickness.

 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this little info blog and will return with more on dating a brooch soon.

 

 

 

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Miscellaneous Vintage Tips

Here are a few tips that I decided to enlist into my latest blog as the shop has slowed down quite a bit. They are common and, not so common. I hope one will be suited to your needs. Instead of more blah, blah, blah, here we go.  THIS RING'S TOO LARGE BUT I REALLY WANT IT. There's a fix for that and it's available on that famous auction site as well as every jeweler in town. It's called a "ring guard adaptor". It fits into that ring that is too large to wear on your finger so that it instantly adjusts to the perfect size. Neat little item. I have also had a plain gold band "enlarged" at the jewelers for a nominal price. So, keep your options open when you see that awkwardly sized vintage piece. HEAVY BROOCHES. I JUST CAN'T WEAR THEM. Sure you can. You knew I was going to say that. There's a trick to wearing a cumbersome brooch. Do what some Military men do with their heavy medals. The trick is to slip a piece of light cardboard (cereal box etc.) behind the pin. Floppiness gone. My wife tells me you can also pin the brooch to your bra strap or just pin it "around" the bra strap for a great hold. Don't let the size of a brooch delegate your taste in jewelry. FUR CLIPS! REALLY? The fur may fly, but the clips live on. Think of fur clips as an accessory that didn't end in tragedy and, is still up to date in todays world. Originally meant to pin through a fur hide, they now adorn purses, sun visors, and wallets. They don't just look great as a vintage item, they can still be used as a smart bling accessory! WHY DRESS CLIPS? Let's take a look at dress clips. Those barbs look awful scary! Not really. The dress clip can be used for unlimited uses. Did you know they were originally invented to be worn on the center V of the dress neckline? Well, today they are being worn as a convenient piece of clip and go jewelry. They look great clipped to the front pocket of a pair of denim jeans jacket cuffs, collars, or top pockets. Get creative and clip one to a hair scrunchie. Get a pair of pliers, flatten the barbs, and wear as a one of a kind scarf clip. Best yet is the fact that most come as a set of two. You end up with twice the product for the money.

History Of Cuff Link Closures. 1800's To 1970's.

These are my observations as I perused (one by one) the patents from the 1800's to 1970. Please don't hold me too accountable for omissions or small mistakes. I have highlighted years and styles for quick reference. 

 Here we go, I hope you enjoy.... Cuff links and closures. The cuff link has gone through a strange and varied history. Cuff links are not just limited to men's wear, and the ladies are finding them just as fashionable as men. This is not a new idea, as women wore them ages ago. Going through Patents, I will try to give a brief history of the cuff link and closures.

1800's. Bean Backs, Button Backs, Ball Backs, Clip Backs (finger prong). 

Cuff links generally reflect the times they were made in. Cuff links fall into a few categories. Bean backs were one piece cuff links with the back looking somewhat like a small bean, or football. Ball backs were just that, a small roundish ball at the opposite end of the cuff link. Button backs had a small button at the back that could be either fixed (not moveable), or on a centred pivot. Clip backs (as I call them) were generally square and had two clips at the back as the attachment of choice. These clips moves up and down to close or open. Their common name known to most collectors are "Finger Prong" cufflinks. The last photo shows the open and closed position. You would open the cufflinks, put them through the cuff holes and simply close them. The prongs look quite smart as they show on the opposite side of your cuff. See examples of all cufflink styles below:

These were the styles to choose from in the 1800's. All were functional and my favourite are the clip back just because of the closure mechanism. Stones or depictions of flowers, nature, and work (like mining picks, shovels, wheelbarrows etc.) were the norm. Cuff link closures basically did not change much during this era and fine examples are still to be found. Sometimes an older clip back or cuff links from this era will have the patent month, day, and year, or the last two numbers of the year stamped into the back. Antique examples are very unique.

1900-1910 bean back and ball back.

Bean back and ball back cuff links continued into the early 1900's. Although the styles were changing with a bit more design on the fronts, button back and clip backs were falling out of favour.

1920's. Snap cuff links, swivel back, double sided, retractable chin, and the collar button with tie stay.

The 1920's went into high gear in the cuff link trade. Types of closures seemed to spring up everywhere and were all vying for top spot. Two piece snap cuff links (second photo) had just emerged. See below.

Other styles included cuff links with ends that moved on each (or one) end connected by a bar or wire. Swivel back ( a smaller example of the button back pivot, and over all looking a bit like a bean back) became popular. Double sided stationary cuff links, that did not move, connected by a single shaft. Pull out spring loaded cuff links.  The first retractable chain cuff link. Collar button with tie stay, (looks like a small button with an elongated triangle on the opposite end). The button half went through the collar holes and the triangle part hooked onto the tie. The first patented crude tie clip with jagged teeth. Cuff links connected by a chain. The options and choices must have made them feel like modern times had finally arrived!

1930's. Snap cuff links, double toggle, and large bullet toggle.

were having their final decade. Some of them were being made with semi oval extensions in the hopes of wooing the public. But the snaps were thought to be hard on clothing and they were fast falling out of favour. 1936 brought in the first patent on the modern day toggle closure. Pat. # 002052437 was attributed to H. G. Anderson. Amazingly, a double toggle also came out. The cuff link was comprised of a toggle closure on each end. That's it. That was the cuff link! The first solid closure that I refer to as a "bullet" toggle also came out. Unique in shape. See photo below:

 These "bullet" toggles are rounded off at each end like a bullet. This style was more the exception than the norm. They will be smooth with no cut in circles at the ends. The toggles will be longer than those produced in the following years. I think they look cool as hell, by making a smooth classy transition to the end of the cuff link. Some say toggles were not widely accepted during the 1930's but, by the look of the number of patents on them, they sure were waist deep in 1930's cuff link history.

1940's. Today's rounded end toggle, oblong toggle, flat end toggle, and slanted end toggles.

Cuff links finally settled in to look more like today's closures. They were rounder and the ends had that little extra cut in piece for aesthetics. Some toggles were "fixed" and did not move so were clearly not toggles at all. The first "oblong" toggle was out. See photo below:

          Below: Classic 1940's cuff links feature "lines" on toggles and shafts.

Unlike the round bullet style, the oblong cuff link closure was flat on all the lengths and only rounded at the end tips. Sides were not rounded. Closures also included a flat end toggle with four straight sides, imagine a rectangle. Chain cuff links also came into vogue. Two metal ends with a simple chain to connect them. The 1940's were moving closer to today's standard.

1950's Clip on cuff links, barbell toggle, hinged folding cuff links, whale tail, short bullet toggle, and a double top V cuff link. 

We kept on using some of the same closures. The oblong toggle was one that  held strong and continued into the 1950's. A new addition was a clip on cuff link where a toggle went through the button hole on one end, and a money clip looking attachment ran around and just slid on to the opposite cuff. A unique toggle that appeared in the 1950's was a toggle that looked like a barbell. Round in the middle with a ball on each end. Actually, quite a nice look that just didn't seem to continue for whatever reason. The barbell toggle was a very classic 1950's addition. The double toggle cuff link also resurfaced. Two toggles and a shaft. The toggles were the cuff link heads. Odd, but serviceable. Folding cuff links were having a resurgence as well. Most of these were cuff link heads attached to what would look like the bottom half of a safety pin, but with a working hinge. Another type that should have held on, consisted of a "V" shaped wire. The toggle was at the bottom of the V cuff link. The two ends of the V each held a small cuff link head. Imagine, two cuff link heads on each button hole! Great invention, but unfortunately it also got passed by. The fifties had kept the standard closures,  while the experimental types never seemed to make it far enough down the runway to fly. The slightly rounded two piece whale tail toggle. They took a slightly rounded head piece and added a flat bottom held on by two metal clips. See photo below:

I'm not sure why, but I believe this was probably a cost saving measure as this made the inside hollow and less expensive to produce. The first patent I have seen for this was in 1949. 

1960's. Rectangle toggles with round ends, mesh cuff links, and double toggle cuff links with rounded (rather than square) ends.

Rectangle toggles with round ends also came in fashion. Bullet toggles also returned but were shorter than the originals. Another style was a solid toggle that when viewed from above was wider in the centre and then slimmed down to rounded ends. Somewhat like the bullet style, except with a much wider centre where it met the shaft. Finally today's classic toggle had arrived. Round with etched machined points. Another curiosity had returned with a slight twist. The two toggle cuff link. Only now, each end was now oblong instead of rectangular. It kept trying.... In 1968, the first wrap around mesh toggle came out,  Patent # 0003418699. A new style had finally been developed and time would be the judge of its longevity. It didn't last more than another decade. See photo below for an example of a mesh wrap around cuff link:

1970's. Cuff link bracelet, interchangeable cuff links, cuff links with a safety chain for the toggle, and a toggle with safety wire wrapped around it.

Cuff link designs were more about safety than reworking the closure mechanisms. The mesh style cuff links as shown above seemed to have waned with the seventies, and their popularity began to fade. One interesting design that did come out though was the "cuff link bracelet". It consisted of a bracelet that went around the outside of the cuff and was held together by a toggle or a separate cuff link put through the bracelet's end holes. Imagine a more bejeweled and larger sized mesh wrap cuff link. You ended up with the best of both worlds. A snazzy bracelet and a pair of cuff links! The next idea I personally think was great. Interchangeable cuff link heads. Didn't like the look for tonight's presentation? Snap on another look, and be a new man in seconds! The seventies seemed to be just as much into securing your cuff links. A small plate was invented to fit over the toggle when it was in the open position. When the toggle closed, it held the cuff link securely in place so if the toggle turned a bit, the cuff link would not fall out. Cuff links with a safety chain. The chain ends had rings. One ring was attached permanently to the shaft. The other ring slid over the toggle after it had entered the button hole. Secured! Another unique invention, the wire toggle. This was a wire that wrapped around the toggle which prevented the toggle itself from moving in either direction. Looked as good as it worked. Well, there's my quick rundown of cuff link closures. I'm sure I have probably missed a few. I was just looking through the patents from the 20's to the 70's and thought I would post this as a small info. blog. Please bear in mind that quite a few of these designs carried on into later years and the beginning dates are just that, the years of patented invention. I hope you enjoyed this small look at cuff link closure history. Please visit my online vintage shop to see some of these examples for sale. Just press the link below.