Grand Tour Naples Cameo Bracelet
A remarkable Grand Tour period cameo bracelet dating from the late 19th century, circa 1870. It was made in Naples as a souvenir for the Grand Tourists, the region being known for its long lineage of gemstone carvers. The seven panels are each carved from a cowrie shell, making excellent use of the colour banding, and are mounted in silver with a gold ropework border. They each depict a scene of Naples and the surrounding areas which we have (attempted to) identify as:
- Castel dell'Ovo (Egg Castle), a
- Peaks of the Faraglioni, the iconic sea stacks located off the coast of the island of Capri.
- Aragonese castle, built on a small tidal island east of Ischia in 474 BC.
- The Gulf of Naples with Vesuvius smouldering away in the background.
- Certosa di San Martino, former Carthusian monastery (now a museum) which sits on the Vomero mountain of Naples.
- The archaeological site of Pompeii, once a thriving Roman city devastated after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (which we see looming in the background) in 79 AD.
- Unknown.
Naples would have been one of the most exciting stops on the Grand Tour. The spot where classical Greece arrived in Italy from the distant shores of the Aegean. The city where Brutus planned the assassination of Julius Caesar. It was besieged by Hannibal, close to the slopes on which Spartacus staged his infamous slave revolt, and overlooked by Vesuvius, the volcano that killed Pliny the Elder and destroyed Pompeii. Shelly was so taken with the place that he penned an Ode to Naples:
"I stood within the city disinterred;
And heard the autumn leaves like light footfalls
Of spirits passing through the streets;
and heard The mountain's slumberous voice at intervals
Thrill through those roofless halls.
The oracular thunder penetrating shook
The listening soul in my suspended blood.
I felt that Earth out of her deep heart spoke…"
Era: Victorian, circa 1870
Length: 7.5 inches
Panel size: 1.9cm by 2.4cm
Stones: Cowrie shell cameos
Marks: None, tested as silver and 9ct gold
Condition: Great antique condition
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This includes a valuation for insurance purposes, item specifics, date, and origins (where applicable).
Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain).
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[Last updated: August 29th, 2025]
Resizing
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Layaway
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Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved and often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff or scrape is quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
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