Il Cammeo di Conchiglia

 

How a Shell Cameo is Born

The marine shell is a gastropod whose shell is essentially composed of calcite and aragonite held together by an organic substance, conchiolin.

The shells most commonly used by our company for cameo production are of two types:

Cassis madagascariensis: Its common name is "Queen Helmet," belonging to the Cassidae family. Its average size is about 30 centimeters, with colors ranging from white on the shell to brown on the underside (or base). It comes from the tropical Western Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea.

Cypraecassis rufa: Also known as "Bullmouth" or "Red Helmet Shell," it belongs to the Cassidae family. The average size of this species is about 16 centimeters, with a light flesh-colored shell and various shades of orange on the base. It comes from the coast of Southern Africa, Northern KwaZulu-Natal, and Mozambique.

To transform these valuable shells into jewels, the following steps are followed:

Seasoning: To achieve good production yield, the shells must lose the residual moisture retained by the mantle. Therefore, they are exposed to the sun for about 6 months.

Cutting: Once dry, the shell is cut, separating the periostracum, called "cup," from the lips. This is the outermost, most convex part, and the most used for engravings.

Marking: This is the process through which the cameo begins to take shape. Using templates, the skilled hands of artisans, and indelible markers, a design is drawn on the outer part of the cameo.

Shaping: At this point, through a chiseling process using specific cutting blades, we obtain the semi-finished, still angular, cameo.

Smoothing: This is the last phase before engraving. With the help of an abrasive wheel, the shaping is perfected, thus obtaining a harmonious shell cameo, ready to be engraved.

Pitching: The semi-finished shell cameo is fixed onto a wooden spindle with a mixture of Greek pitch to keep it steady during the engraving process.

Roughing: With the aid of broad-tipped gravers (specific tools for cameo engraving), the most superficial part of the shell is removed, preparing the cameo for finishing.

Drawing: The engraver draws the desired subject onto the cameo's surface.

Engraving: With the help of gravers with varying tip sizes, a true work of mini-sculpture is performed.

Finishing: With high-precision gravers, the figure is completed in its minutest details.