By Ann Marie Quigley
I remember the first time I saw a cameo, beautiful, delicate, and translucent. It was love at first sight. My first cameo was a gift from my grandmother. It was a beautiful blue and white given to her by her best friend, Mrs. Tracey. Unfortunately, it was stolen from me when I was in Paris.
Cameos have been loved, worn, and collected throughout history. A few famous people who have shared my love of cameos were Napoleon Bonaparte, Queen Victoria of England, Pope Paul 11, Queen Elizabeth II and the Swedish royal family. Napoleon loved them so much that he founded a cameo carving school in Paris.
One of my friends in the military who knew of my fondness for cameos sent me one from the far east. When I saw the whole shell cameos, I had to have one, then another, then a third. To me they are the most beautiful art pieces.
