The gracious turn of the head, the half smile on her lips, skilfully transfered to a cold stone, and an overall mood of the cameo, makes the piece a true work of art.

size of the amethyst cameo – 1 1/8 x 7/8 in. (31 x 22 mm)

size of the open work 14K gold bezel – 1 1/2 x 1 1/8 in. (39 x 28 mm)

A master carver who produced this exceptional piece of jewelry, was almost certainly from the German town of Idar-Oberstein.

In the late 14th century, some rich deposits of amethyst were found in the area, and a long history of gemstone carving began.

In the middle ages, amethyst was considered extremely precious, as it was one of the five “cardinal stones”.

Idar-Oberstein carvers prospered and reached their zenith in the 19th century. They were most renowned for unmatched quality of amethyst cameos, although various other objects were made from a wide range of imported hardstones.