Cameos and intaglios are cousins. Both are carved pictures set into jewellery, and both go back to the ancient world. The difference is the direction of the cut.
The one-line answer
- Cameo: the design is raised. The carver cuts away the background so the picture stands up from the surface, like a sculpture in relief.
- Intaglio: the design is sunk. The carver cuts the picture down into the surface, so it sits below it, like an engraving.
The fingertip test
Run a fingertip gently across the face. If you feel the figure rising up, it is a cameo. If the surface is smooth or the figure dips away under your finger, it is an intaglio. With carved glass intaglios the cut is often on the back of the stone, so the front feels completely smooth and the picture appears to float inside.
Why they were made differently
Intaglios began as working objects. A seal stone carved into the surface leaves a raised image when pressed into wax, which is why rulers, merchants and officials wore them in rings. Cameos were made to be looked at rather than used, often cut from layered stone or shell so the raised figure shows in a contrasting colour against the background.
How they look when worn
A cameo reads clearly from across a room: light figure, dark ground. An intaglio is quieter and rewards a closer look. Light passes through the glass and picks out the carved lines, and the colour of the stone carries the piece. That is why an intaglio in deep blue or green can look rich from a distance and detailed up close.
Which should you choose?
Choose a cameo if you want a bold silhouette. Choose an intaglio if you love colour, light and a design that reveals itself slowly. Our whole jewellery collection is built around carved glass intaglios, from earrings to cocktail rings.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cameo more valuable than an intaglio?
Neither is automatically worth more. Value depends on the material, the quality of the carving and the age of the piece.
Can a piece be both?
Not in the same carving, but some jewellery combines a cameo and an intaglio in one setting.
Why do some sellers call intaglios cameos?
Cameo is the more familiar word, so it is often used loosely for any carved stone. Strictly, a design carved into the surface is an intaglio.