Definitive : On Pins and Needles
In Hollywood, a cameo is a minor but key role, usually played by a notable actor who doesn’t spend much time on the screen. In the world of jewelry, however, the cameos and other styles of pins have been on the scene for hundreds of years.
The cameo is a kind of brooch carved in relief on certain gems or shells so that the raised design, often a head in profile, is usually in a layer different from its background. (An intaglio is the opposite, featuring a recessed design.)
Stones commonly used for cameos include onyx, sardonyx and agate. Artificial cameos also are made of shell and fine glass. Shell yields delicate cameos.
Cameo appearance. The art of cameo has been around a long time. Both the Greeks and Romans produced excellent cameos. A famous example of an imitation cameo in glass is the Barbieri Vase in the British Museum. It was made in Rome about 100 BC. The cameo technique later was used for brooches as well.
What a gem. The Romans also often used gems in their jewelry. They used gold settings but placed greater emphasis on precious gems.
Pin your hopes on it. Pins were one of the earliest forms of jewelry. People began wearing pins at least 20,000 years ago. Jewelry was worn as part of religious ceremonies or to show rank. People believed that certain jewelry had the power to prevent sickness and protect them from bad luck.
Prehistoric people made pins from splinters of bone, wood and thorns, using them to hold clothing together. Later, pins were formed from iron and bronze. As early as 3500 BC, craftsman learned that gold heated with fire could be pounded into thin sheets and then shaped. Silver and copper were also used.
By the late 2000s BC, Egyptians were using gemstones in jewelry including brooches. They believed that gems had magical powers and could bring good luck. They buried people with jewelry in their tombs because they believed it could be useful in the next life.
Brooch the subject. Throughout the years, various types of pins have been popular. Large ornamental pins called brooches were popular in the 1800s. At that time, women wore them in the center of the bust, but today they are frequently worn to adorn lapels or at the neckline of a blouse or dress. Heavier fabrics sustain brooches best, because on lighter fabrics the weight of the pin causes sagging or distortion of the clothing.
One nice thing about brooches is that they are so feminine, still strictly the domain of women. Some men wear earrings, necklaces or bracelets, but so far they closest men come to pins are tie tacks, which are so small they don’t count, and which women borrowed from men anyway.
Stick to the point. Straight pins known as stick pins were originally used in the 1800s and early 1900s to hold men’s ties and cravats in place. Today, these pins, which have gems, initials or emblems on top, are also worn by women as an accessory with scarves or on lapels. These usually have an element that slips onto the end to keep the pin in place and cover the dangerous point.
Pin points. The now look is big and bold. Try a giant rhinestone dragonfly; bugs of all types are in. Also popular, tied in to current clothing fashion, are rhinestone pins of animals such as leopards and zebras, whose stripes and spots have captured designers’ imaginations.
