For connoisseurs, the most desirable agate cameos are those that incorporate three or four layers of color into the portrait. The hair might be medium brown, the skin white, the dress a contrasting tone, the background darker still. Coral is another colorful cameo stone, popular during the Victorian era as a symbol of good luck. Cameos carved from colored stones such as opal, lapis, emerald, amethyst and ruby will satisfy those with a taste for the exotic. However, these are even rarer and can be much more expensive.
Image Counts Imaginative carvings are often valuable.
The face on a cameo was usually important to the buyer who commissioned it. Weber says that the most important thing to consider when purchasing a cameo is the subject that's carved on it. These include several subjects, such as a man and an eagle, within one carving. Crisp detail is also essential. Ideally, you should be able to see a thin wisp of hair or even the weave of a fine lace collar.