Cameos, delicate carved sculptural reliefs admired as art or worn as jewelry, have been popular since ancient times. While their popularity waxed and waned, cameos never truly went out of style. In the ancient world and during the Renaissance, cameos were carved directly out of semi-precious materials such as 
agate, 
jasper, and 
onyx or cheaper materials like glass or seashells. Modern cameos are still made out of the same materials but often use a technique where a carved portrait is set on a contrasting colored stone.
While today we typically think of cameos as brooches or necklaces, in the ancient world they were often found carved on signet rings. Large cameos were also carved in ancient times as decorative objects, not jewelry. The Greeks carved cameos out of stone as far back as the 3rd century BC. Just as many aspects of culture and religion transferred from ancient Greece to the Romans, so did an appreciation of cameos. Roman emperors had intricate cameos carved for them, including the famous Great Cameo of France, made for Roman Emperor Claudius. The Great Cameo of France is the largest surviving cameo from the ancient world, showcasing 24 exquisitely detailed figures carved into onyx. It was meant to be displayed as a beautiful work of art. Cameos during this period were also often carved on cups and vases, such as the Portland Vase, a Roman dark blue glass vase with white carvings depicting seven figures. As a historic example of Roman cameo art, the Portland Vase is a prized possession of the British Museum.
The type of cameo most of us picture when we hear the word became popular in the Victorian era. Queen Victoria was known for setting many fashion trends, among them the fashion for white wedding dresses. She was also very fond of jewelry, and in particular of cameos. During her reign cameos became so popular that they were mass produced. Victorian era cameos were typically worn as jewelry and depicted everything from mythological scenes to portraiture to flowers. In addition to brooches, necklaces and earrings, Victorian cameos were often worn as charms on bracelets. Queen Victoria often gave cameos as gifts to her family and friends during the holidays.
It was around the Victorian era that the use of shells for carving cameos became more common, making cameos less expensive and more accessible to the growing middle class. Cameos quickly became popular as commemorative gifts. Because unlike stone cameos, shell cameos only took a few days to carve, portraits of a specific person could be easily made to order, making them popular personalized gifts. Jewelers specialized in setting the finished cameos in different frames, surrounding the carvings with anything from gold to pearls to enamel. These finished pieces were then worn as rings, bracelets, necklaces or brooches.
While a number of artists still hand carve personalized cameos, most cameos these days are made using an ultrasonic mill and produced in bulk from a single design. Agate, often dyed to enhance its color, continues to be a popular material for cameos. Mass produced resin cameos are also widely available as costume jewelry, often depicting the head of a pretty young girl. Popular colors for cameos are white on a background of black, blue or reddish-brown.
Cameo jewelry is seeing something of a modern revival, putting the finishing touches on the outfits of many a fashionista these days. Cameos showed up on the runway of French fashion design house Lanvin in 2012. Models strutted down the runway wearing large white on black cameo pendants hung from black velvet ribbons. Italian fashion brand Miu Miu featured blue cameo earrings and necklaces in its recent advertising. Celebrities known for being fashion forward, such as Rihanna and Sarah Jessica Parker, have also recently been spotted wearing cameo necklaces and brooches. When it comes to cameo jewelry, classic style never goes out of fashion.
