Grand Tour Olympians Lava Cameo Bracelet
Remarkable antique bracelet set with carved lava panels depicting ancient Roman deities: Saturn, Venus, Minerva, Mercury, Jupiter, Juno, Diana, Mars and Apollo.* Each panel is wonderfully detailed, and they display a range of pastel colours - set in silver with a concealed clasp.
Pieces like this were essentially souvenirs for the tourist market, capitalising on the famous Grand Tourers who roamed the great sites and sights of Europe soaking in the cultures and wisdom of the Empires and civilisations that came before (or something). These will have been sold as "Vesuvian Lava", a term coined by the original Italian artisans who produced them, however the truth is a little different:
"The so-called ‘lava’ cameos provide an interesting case of marketing for tourists. Lava is a volcanic material with a rough pitted texture. How visitors were deceived into thinking that the smoothly polished cameos carved as finely as any in hardstone or shell were lava defies explanation, for they are carved not in lava but in a soft fine limestone native to southern Italy. One can only assume that the palette of muted browns, greys and greens resembled pumice, enabling the myth to spread that it was Vesuvian lava." - Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria by Charlotte Gere and Judy Rudoe
*or Cronus, Aphrodite, Athena, Hermes, Zeus, Hera, Artemis, Ares, and Apollo if you prefer the Greek Olympians
Era: Victorian, circa 1850
Length: 6.5 inches
Width: 12.5mm
Stones: Lava
Marks: None, tested as silver
Condition: Good antique condition, light wear consistent with age. Juno's setting is split be she remains secure
Full appraisal document provided with each item.
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).
Shipping
UPS Express shipping is free of charge on international orders over £300 and it's carbon offset
Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
RM Special Delivery (UK domestic)
US Shipments
US Customs charges a 10% "Reciprocal Tariff" on all parcels coming in from the UK.
We will pay this charge on your behalf (via UPS or Royal Mail) and you will see it collected as a line item at checkout.
[Last updated: August 29th, 2025]
Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£55 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
Leave a note at checkout with your desired size
Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
25% deposit taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
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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