By Marco Jovon

2015- Copyright of

Eredi di Jovon Bruno

The Cameos

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ABOUT US:

Let me introduce myself. My name is Marco Jovon. I was born in the Venetian Republic in 1500 and

I'm an immortal… well, no… this sounds a little too much like Highlander. Let's try again. My name

is Marco Jovon, I was born in Venice in 1973 and I am the heir of a very ancient art.

Yes, my family works with cameos. This passion began three generations ago. Cameo is a very, very

ancient art whose roots have always been in my country-Italy. This is why I challenge each one of

you to deny that “made in Italy” (when it is really and totally made in Italy) is not synonymous with

quality and guarantee of great craft.

I struggle every single day to champion and carry on this philosophy. My motto is: “for every tourist

visiting Italy, one single quality item is better than a hundred cheap souvenirs that fill cases with

useless weight”.

But let's get back to the beginning ...

Many people ask us: why “Eredi di Jovon Bruno” (heirs of Bruno Jovon)?

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Because my father Bruno was a great man and we all wish his name to be forever bound to the activity

he founded and developed.

Actually, our business was born with my grandfather in 1934.

My grandfather Luciano was a great tradesman who learned this art at the beginning of the twentieth

century and passed it to my Father Bruno who eventually taught it to me and my brother Alessio.

Who is Alessio? What a question... it's the other guy in the picture. We are just like Batman and Robin

(I feel more like Batman, though… actually I am Batman!). And then it's her, the real boos. Let me

introduce to you a real legend – Gabriella, my mother. She still works with our historical customers.

As you have already guessed, our business is a family one whose roots date back to the past and

whose glance is towards the future.

You think this is not a professional presentation? Professionalism is demonstrated with facts, not

words. As my Father used to say: “Everyone can speak and everybody is good at something a priori.

Facts are the only things that matter and real people are revealed by their actions.”

I'm also sure you already guessed this book follows an unusual approach, let's say a friendly one. This

book is about cameos and will tell you something nobody ever told you before. I will do my best to

never get you bored but give you answers. You will see Eredi di Jovon Bruno, after more than 80

years, can still be considered a leading authority in the field of Cameos.

We are not saying we are the best (you will always have the final word) but we can say we learned

from the best.

One last thing: if you are getting bored, tell me... uh, no, it's a book ... then send your feedback

to info@eredijovon.com because I am open to your suggestion, in order to improve this e-book for

you and with you.

The journey is about to start (fasten your seatbelt because there will be lots of surprises)

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WHAT IS A CAMEO?

“When we talk about cameos, we mostly refer to a certain type of workmanship rather than a product.

In fact we talk about cameo workmanship.

Taking advantage of the material, one carves a stone, a shell or a coral, enhancing its characteristics

and making a bas-relief or even a high relief.”

I know, it may sound vague. Being a definition, it has to be a very general one. Let me explain:

1) There are many materials to be used: from shells to coral, from ivory to stones

2) Not all cameos have colors on different levels, that is, not all cameos exploit all the chromatic

properties of the materials, as we will further see.

3) Not all cameos are high reliefs, some are bas-reliefs (for instance, seals and carvings)

Am I boring you? Am I getting a little too much on the technical side?

Let's try like this: when a real artist holds a material in his hand (either a shell, some coral, a stone or

whatever else,) he already sees the cameo inside. All he has to do is to set it free (as Michelangelo

Buonarroti, indeed not an ordinary man, used to say).

This is a cameo: a work of art imprisoned by too much raw material. When ready, it belongs to the

one who really loves it.

This is the crucial point. Every cameo sends a calling to only one person. If this person can hear the

calling, he/she will be totally fascinated and will fall in love with it. It will be impossible not to own

it. As we say in Italy, “you can't rule your heart” because what the heart wants the heart wants.

WHEN WAS THE ART OF CAMEO BORN? (A BRIEF HISTORICAL DIGRESSION)

This art is a very ancient one, even older than what people generally say when quoting the famous

Augustus Cameo, now displayed at the British Museum in London, indeed a very beautiful cameo.

The word cameo probably comes from the Arabic kamea, meaning talisman, amulet. So it's something

you should absolutely wear!

Cameos are part of our history from time immemorial, though its first, concrete development dates

back to the Roman Empire.

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Today we live in a world where image is becoming the ultimate essence (unfortunately, I should add!)

We take selfies, speak with a friend across the Ocean using Skype and more.

Our ancestor painted frescoes, carved marble and also made fine cameos, with the intent to fix the

moment. There were no pictures, but a king was able see the face of a lady, in order to choose the

new queen.

Photoshop was not available, but the best artists, if well paid, could improve the best features of a

face and conceal defects. God only knows how many weddings were celebrated thanks to good artists

and how many of them were not paid because the “copy was not close to the original”...

“Let's Get Serious!”

A great time for cameos was Renaissance. The return of classic harmony and the love foe anything

related to humanity had a great effect on this art.

The Medici Family, the Gonzagas and other important dynasties were important cameo collectors.

Another important time for this art was the Victorian period in England, the times of Queen Victoria

and her son Edward.

Today it is still possible, although quite rare, to see some of these Victorian cameos. I want to tell

you a secret – these cameos were made in England by Italian artists. A school for cameos was actually

opened in London. It was closed after a few years because of the lack of mentors. We Italians are

great in creating and manufacturing things, we've always been!

Cameo is still an important form of art. It has its ups and downs (my Grandfather used to say: “A

cameo can get sick but it never dies!”) but it is still considered a high class piece of jewelry which

can be worn on many occasions.

Some of you, Ladies, may think: "It's a thing for old women!". Ask one of my models who expressly

asked to wear one of my cameos as a belt buckle. Here is what she will say: “You must be able to

wear something. A woman must be creative in wearing things, otherwise she is a man!"

Now, after telling you where cameos come from, let me tell you how to make one

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HOW TO MAKE A CAMEO?

Be patient! Patience is the most important factor.

In our shop (some cool guy would call it atelier) my brother and I used to have a cameo that still

needed some finishing. As you know, we make custom cameos, starting from a picture provided by

our customers.

I say “we used to” because after a few years we understood we were making a big mistake. In order

to make a cameo you need patience, and you cannot take a break from this work because there are

other things to do. You need to stay focused on your task. That's why we take some time in turn to

totally focus on carving.

On the other hand, it is true that, in order to keep a high level of concentration, one should work on a

cameo for a certain time and then on another one. The final result will be much better and, mostly,

our customer will be happier.

Here you can see our VIDEO

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The manufacturing process is divided into four different steps:

1) Choosing the shell (or, in general, the material)

2) “Scoppatura”, marking, molding and shaping(aggarbatura), pitch setting

3) Drawing

4) Engraving

1) CHOOSING THE SHELL (or another material)

As a great general will carefully choose the battleground, so a great engraver will see what different

materials can give him. Wherever a profane will maybe see a defect, he will see a unique opportunity.

Experience and the ability to see what can be done with different materials are essential

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2) MESSA IN OPERA

The shell must be cut (Scoppatura), shaped (not always, but often), rounded (Aggarbatura) and placed

on a support allowing the artist to engrave leaning on a flat surface. Some pitch is used to fix the shell

into the support, in order to keep it still for the engraving part. The pitch is heated up so the cameo is

fixed to it. After the engraving, it is heated up again and removed.

3) DRAWING

A draft gives an idea of what the final result will be.

The drawing can be sketched on a piece of paper or on the cameo itself.

4) ENGRAVING

Now you are all by yourself. You can make all your dreams come true, give your feelings and your

heart a shape. In other words, now you can produce!

So here we are. The Musketeers were four, and so are we, because we too have our own D'Artagnan.

From left are: Alessio, Mimmo and myself … and Giorgio, experience personified.

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When it comes to engraving, experience is always the

most important factor. You can easily tell when an

artist teaches young people and they learn, even if

he/she no longer engraves.

Eyes may soften but the heart and the passion can still

teach many things, something to be cherished.

I say one more time: our art is a very old one. Not

understanding the past means not being able to look at

the future. If you do not learn from the path you've

been on, it is hard to see future developments and

opportunities, even for a single cameo.

Giorgio, I must say, is the best of us !

I’m forgetting someone? Ops …. Yes …

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I want to add another step in the manufacturing process

5) MOUNTING (or FRAMING)

The goldsmith must create a unique handcrafted frame for every cameo... if this is not art, how would

you call it?

Every cameo has different dimensions and thickness. Every frame is developed and adapted for a

single piece .... My dear Ladies ... I want to introduce to you the team (Marco e Ciro) that works for

you, to make sure your cameo fits your persona and becomes a custom object expressly created for

you.

These are the people who turn your cameo into a pendant, a ring or a brooch that matches your style

and your preferences.

Let's get back to the most frequently asked questions …

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WHICH MATERIALS ARE USED FOR A CAMEO?

The answer I am about to give may be traumatic (let the drums roll) the first material used for cameos

was PLASTIC!

Are you crazy? You will surely say. You are talking about a millenarian tradition, something hand

made and then you say plastic?

What about the Made in Italy you were talking about? It mostly ended up in other countries (guess

which ones…) and then came back accompanied by endless advertising!

Don't worry, this is not the case. The polemics about this false Made in Italy does not belong to us.

We invest our time and energy only in this products. Every single cameo is our trademark and our

best brand.

Back to plastic...

INDEED! The first thing you should be aware is that most of the cameos available on the market

(especially online) are made out of resins and plastic and are sold for a few Dollars/Euros. If you do

not take this into due consideration, then it is hard to understand the real value of a real and genuine

cameo. Such works of art often have a very sophisticated mounting whose aim is essentially to distract

your attention away from the item you'd want to buy, the cameo itself. In other words, if a beautiful

mounting distracts your attention from the cameo, you are in trouble!

I often use this example: if you could buy Leonardo's Mona Lisa, would you really be interested in

the frame? You can change frames, not the painting!

That said, back to our serious discussion, I am sure you now appreciate the real cameo handmade in

Italy even more.

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Let's analyze in detail the DIFFERENT MATERIALS:

SHELLS:

Most cameos are engraved in shells.

CORNELIAN shell (Cyprecassis Rufa) has two layers, a white and a red one. The white part is

carved and taken away until the red part is reached, making a chromatic shade which enhances both

tridimensionality and contrast.

This is a crucial point: the material is only a shell, not something white mounted on a red base. The

artists uses two different colors of the same material and creates a three-dimensional effect. This is

the answer to a question I am often asked (NO, it is not ivory mounted on coral.)

SARDONYX (Cassis Madascarensis) is brown colored. Its characteristics are the same of the

previous one. It allows a much bigger contrast (white and dark brown) and therefore a bigger

prospective effect.

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Other shells, more rarely used but loved by collectors are: CORAL LIMESTONE, TIGRINA,

MOTHER OF PEARL.

STONES and OTHER MATERIALS

The biggest problem about stones is that they often do not have this two-colored structure and

therefore do not have this chromatic effect.

On the other hand, materials that are ticker than shells can be the base for great sculptures.

CORAL: this material is extremely precious (in some cases coral is more expensive than gold) and

therefore requires a high level of mastery when engraving. No mistakes allowed!

TURQUOISE: same as coral, even though this material is generally cheaper than coral.

IVORY: its trade is forbidden since the early 70s. As a material for cameos it is extremely interesting.

We can carve great sculptures, but their chromatic contrast is very poor, being substantially a mono-

chromatic material.

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LAVIC STONE: these are monochromatic stones which you can find near volcanoes. Cameos made

with these stones have only one color. If well engraved, though, they have a beautiful

tridimensionality. Lavic stones are green, auburn, yellow, gray, brown.

AGATE: this colored is colored, in order to create a second level and eventually engrave it to have

both contrast and tridimensionality. Its colors are dark blue (also known as black), green, red or light

blue.

So far I told you about the making of a cameo. Now I'd like to leave room to you, readers and

customers. Your questions are always about things that are interesting to you, and that's what really

matters. Last but not least, I made a promise I want to keep: I don't want to bother you with excessive

technical matters.

“Let's start with the most obvious one”…

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HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PRODUCT

Now that we finally understood the real value of a cameo, we want to know how to keep it beautiful

and long lasting. If possible, we would like to pass it on our future generation. A cameo has both an

economic and an emotional value.

First tip (unnecessary for some ladies, but not for all): never leave your cameo with other jewels.

Leave it in its box, better in a cool, dry place. Rubbing your cameo against other jewels may cause

scratches or even break it.

To clean a cameo you simply need a soft toothbrush (better a used one) or a brush with soft bristles.

My opinion is that some dust and a little wear give the cameo a beautiful patina of age and a better

tridimensional effect.

When cleaning the frame, be careful not to use chemical stuff. Do not use silver cleaning stuff, as

they could irremediably damage your cameo.

HOW TO TELL IF A CAMEO IS REAL OR FALSE?

Good question! Come work with me!

Jokes, apart, here are some tips to help you. Bear in mind that, in this as in other works of art,

experience is what matters the most.

If you want, you can hire Giorgio by the hours. Be aware, though, he eats a lot and, mostly, talks and

talks. I know, I know, I have to be serious...

I often tell my customers that after spending 5 minutes with me they already know 50% of the world

of cameos. The remaining 50% needs an entire lifetime and I am still working on it (this book

confirms that. I had to read up a lot and I discovered something I didn't know).

That said... Be suspicious of cameos without imperfections, those which, even with a 10x magnifying

glass, do not show engraving signs or small imperfections.

Distrust earrings where the right is exactly like the left one - every cameo must be at least slightly

different from the other one, cameos without some transparency (this, of course, does not apply to

cameos made of stone), cameos whose mounting is very sophisticated (sometimes this is done not to

make you realize the cameo itself is made of plastic.) Oftentimes, if not all the time, fake cameos are

serial replicas of the same original. This is why two cameos that are alike should make you suspicious.

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Of course, these are only tips and good advices. If you still have doubts, ask for a written guarantee.

An honest man will never have problems in writing one. As we say in Italy, verba volant scripta

manent!

HOW CAN YOU TELL THE QUALITY OF A REAL CAMEO? (either new or old)

When you buy a real cameo, you have already made the right choice. You are buying a real, hand-

crafted jewel made in Italy. Why is it a very good choice? Because you bought a high quality product.

Recent statistics show that only a few tourists coming to Italy bring back a real made in Italy item. If

you are one of them, let me congratulate to you for your good taste and for the good sense in spending

your money in quality items rather than useless souvenirs coming from god-knows-where (well, I

know but… won't tell you!)

Quality things have a price and artists have talent. Some of them a bigger one than others, but they

all do!

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If you want a series of parameters and guidelines that helps you choose at best, no problem – here it

is!

I gave my best trying to summarize things, in order to make your understanding an easier one. And,

again, experience remains the best factor.

A) ITALIAN HANDMADE CAMEOS

B) HIGH QUALITY HANDMADE CAMOES

C) A SIGNED ARTISTIC CAMEO (not all the time!)

A) The ITALIAN cameo is a handmade one, often produced by young artists learning this art or

artists who, in order to improve their engraving skills, end up producing a great deal of them.

The final product is totally handmade in Italy even if, as my mother Gabriella says: "There is a big

difference between driving a city car or a coupè with your hair in the wind."

B) A top quality cameo differs from the standard cameo for its care and its details.

Nothing is casual. In a high quality cameo you can see the skilled hand of a gifted artist aiming at

both quality and care of tridimensionality. Face, hair, neck and cheeks are perfectly balanced one

another.

Every cameo shows the evolution of an artist. Years of experience, continuous improvements in the

sculptural technique and an ongoing awareness if his/her own potential turn an apprentice into an

artists and finally a master (if he/she can still see, of course!).

C) The artistic cameo, being it signed or not, defines an even higher quality level. In this type of

cameo the artist experiments, designs, looks for the very soul of its intentions. In order to pass his on

to the future generation, the artists often signs his/her work.

HOW CAN I DISTINGUISH AN OLD CAMEO FROM A NEW ONE?

In the past, cameos were produced only for a few people. Now the number of people interested in this

form of art has enormously grown. We could say that less customers meant more time for every

cameo, therefore more patience and finally… better cameos! We could say this rule applies to every

high quality product, couldn't we? Yes, that is absolutely true, though something else need be said.

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There are tradesmen that always kept a high standard and even after many years still offer top quality

products. And I am not talking only about myself!

I will then speak only about distinctive traits or an old cameo, what distinguishes it from a new one.

I will give you three simple tips to recognize them.

1) the most visible one: old cameos often picture e Greek nose, resembling classic statues. Upturned

noses, are a trademark of modern engraving techniques.

2) the shell is often very thick, since the raw material was a better one. Pollutions has damaged shells

too!

The tridimensional effect was therefore easy to produce because of the better raw material.

3) Old cameos look more like a sculpture rather than a drawing. Features are essential but well

expressed and the three-dimensional effect is absolutely fantastic. Even in this case a cameo reminds

a realistic sculpture rather than an “ideal” painting with lots of details and frills. By adding number

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two (a thicker shell) it is easier to understand the following sentence: "An old cameo reminds of a

sculpture. A new one a painting."

Let's now talk about the most asked question…

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF MY GRANDMOTHER'S CAMEO?

The most correct answer should be: “Show it to me, even in picture, so I can estimate it”.

But this is not what you want, right? You want to give it an economic value, since the emotional one

is priceless. It belongs to you and you only, and I understand and deeply respect that.

The most important thing is, of course, QUALITY

after that we must consider its DIMENSIONS, the MOUNTING (gold or silver) and its AGE.

These are the four variables we should assess in order to give a rough economic estimate. Let us give

these variables some real values.

For a handmade cameo engraved in Italy we give a 4

For a top quality cameo we give a 8

For a top quality artistic cameo we give a 20 (sometimes even more than that)

For a silver mounting we give a 2

For a gold mounting we give a 8/10 (leaving the different weighing in carats aside)

If the cameo is an old one, these values should be multiplied by 2 or 3

Here is the Formula

DIMENSION * (QUALITY + MOUNTING) * AGE

LET'S MAKE AN EXAMPLE

A handcrafted 30 mm cameo (1,2 inches) from 1930, standard quality, silver mounting. According to

the formula:

DIMENSION * (QUALITY + MOUNTING) * AGE

30 mm. * (4+2) * (2 or 3) = 360.00 €/540.00 € or 400.00 $/600.00 $

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Test this formula with an excellent cameo, maybe an old one made of gold. You may be holding a

work of art of great value in your hands. If so, contact me, I will be glad to buy it and add it to my

private collection.

Yes, that's right. I am in love with cameos too! I have my private collection. It couldn't be anything

but that! I think you already guessed I am a man who loves what he does.

Now comes the final question, the most important one

WHICH CAMEO SHOULD I BUY? WHICH ONE WOULD YOU SUGGEST?

The cameo you love the very moment you see it! You must love the cameo you will wear. When a

new customers asks me if I have another cameo just like the one she saw somewhere else, I say: “Go

and buy the one you saw there.” I am not interested in selling one more cameo. I want customers to

be happy and in love with my work, I want them to keep coming back to me for years. For this idyll

to last, you must fall in love with my creation.

A satisfied customer will never let you down! How can you satisfy a customer? Being careful and

respectful, showing you are always there no matter what, answering her emails the very same day

you receive them, showing you are the right person to satisfy her needs.

This is what I offer. This is my product. Not everybody likes but I don't want everybody to like me.

I want you to like me. You are the customer I was looking for and I am what you have been looking

for years. We only needed to meet each other.

Thanks for your time, for wishing to know more about this precious art my family and I proudly carry

one from almost a century.

With Appreciation,

Marco Jovon

Eredi di Jovon Bruno snc

San Marco (Ponte di Rialto) 5325

30124 Venezia – Italy

www.eredijovon.com

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Acknowledgments:

I wish to thank the following people

Who came before me and showed me the way: my father and my grandfather

My mother and Alessio for their tips when writing this book

My companion, who bears with me and supports me every day

My nephew and niece, who allow me to be 100% myself when I am with them

Monica Cesarato for proofreading

Chris Faron for teaching me the secrets of the web

Michael Finco for designing the Eredi Jovon webiste

Margie Miklas, Victoria De Maio, Marjorie Stern, Susan Nelson for believing in me and

making me feel important every single day. You are important to me!

All our customers, their questions and curiosity, which made this e-book possible

Marco, Ciro and everyone at the workshop, constantly working to deliver on time

Mimmo, who is my personal “life insurance”

Giorgio, for his liking and vital force

Nicola Menicacci for translating this e-book

Tripadvisor for the 2015 “Certificate of Excellence”

Venice … cause it’s Venice!