Pam’s Pictorama Post: It has been a while since I have written a jewelry post. It has not been because I haven’t acquired any, I must say. (Meanwhile, one of those other purchase posts can be found here.) I purchased Hercules from a British dealer I have done a fair amount of business with; he was on sale. (@LostOwljewelry or online here.) A simple resizing ran into some issues, and I waited for him quite a while. Ultimately, he showed and I was not disappointed. He has a sloppy bit of solder I am thinking as a result, only noticeable to the person wearing it and because it he is set in rose gold and it shows more against it.
Made in 1880 and of 9 ct gold (typical for a British, Victorian piece) it is hallmarked GG with something else I cannot read even with a loupe. I wrote about another cameo recently (that can be read here and shown below) but what I didn’t say is how I especially like the way these particular rings sit on my hand. They are very comfortable and easy to wear and although are delicate you don’t have that sense wearing them.
Meanwhile, cameos have a very long history, dating back to the 5th century BC. While the internet informs me that the term includes early glass carvings, I generally think of them as carved from shell or stones with contrasting layers to create the low relief image. This ring is a Victorian example of a typical shell cameo.
I am a fan of cameos, if somewhat selectively. One of my very favorite rings is the horse cameo shown here which was also one of my first significant jewelry purchases as an adult. I own not one but two small black stone ones of a woman I can only wear on my pinky – one a long-ago gift from my mother and the other an online Covid purchase. I have a classic pin of a woman my father gave me and another my sister did – I am less of a pin person so sadly they don’t get much play.
One post, a year or so ago, was devoted to a cat cameo I found in my mother’s file cabinet. What could be more appropriate for me. It is a modern piece from Italy my father appears to have bought for her. That post can be found here.
In reflecting on Hercules, it is his grit I admire. To the extent I wear my rings for encouragement (I certainly do) I especially chose Hercules for that. Depicted on my ring later in life, he seems to be working his way through or has completed his 12 terrible tasks, already sporting the skin of the lion he killed with his bare hands as his first deed. These acts were performed as atonement for the horrible act of slaying of his family while afflicted with madness induced by Hera (jealous and wrathful lover, to say the least, of Zeus) who had it out for Hercules from birth. Still, it was his to atone for and he owns up.
This desire to atone and his labors through the 12 labors (originally 7 labors but as they will, it grew to 12) appealed to me as a reminder that we all have various difficult and seemingly impossible tasks to work through. I wear him on the days I anticipate being the most difficult. He is not good luck so much as a reminder that hard work will ultimately win the day; a good reminder when onerous and impossible seeming tasks multiply.
Throughout my day, I can look down at my hands and see stories, gifts from loved ones, rings that belonged to them first or just beauty. I do have to resist the temptation to continuously add to them – it is very addictive, but every day I construct new messages to myself for the day and of course just enjoy them too.
