Pendientes Camafeo, "silueta agraciada"

These graceful cameos are hand-carved in the southern Italian town of Torre del Greco, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, using the pink and ivory of the conch shell. The artist delicately carves away the outer layer of the shell to shape a young woman's profile. Cameos became popular souvenirs for English tourists visiting the newly rediscovered ruins of Pompeii during the Elizabethan era. These elegant button earrings showcase the cameos in bezels of sterling silver.