Part of a parure, a pair of drop earrings with two oval cameos; early 19th century pendants with late 19th century surmounts (with later ruby and old brilliant-cut diamonds).

Left: the cameo shows a pastoral scene of two figures shearing sheep. The male figure on the right sits astride a sheep, holding it in place, while the figure on the left, possibly a female, holds a sheep over her lap in order to shear it.

Right: the cameo shows a nude male figure and large bird. The male figure approaches the bird from the right carrying a large drape or net. The man may be attempting to capture the bird.

Interchangeable sets of jewellery - parures - became fashionable in the 19th century. The ladies attending Princess Charlotte, on her marriage in 1816, wore matching sets of amethysts, chrysolites and topazes given by the Prince Regent. Empress Joséphine and her court were the first to embrace the fashion of Greek dress and cameo jewellery. Ancient, Renaissance and modern Roman copies of engraved gems were set in magnificent parures. By the 1850s the jewellers Castellani and Giuliano from Rome had revived the interest in Archaeological styles in jewellery and gem cutting. Earlier, in England Queen Charlotte is also known to have had a collection of cameo-set jewellery, including a parure with a bandeau of five large and eight small cameos.

Text adapted from Ancient and Modern Gems and Jewels in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, London, 2008