This volcanic lava bracelet is another relic from the ‘Grand Tour’. Often originating from the lava flows of Pompeii, the raw material came in various colours and was brought to Naples to be carved and made into jewellery for purchase by the English Victorian tourists. Usually the cameos depicted Greek gods, however, this piece is unusual by the fact that it bears the faces of renownd Italian poets!

The poets are: Dante Alighieri, Virgil, Petrach, Virgil, Horace

Dante Alighieri, Virgil, and Petrarch are all renowned poets, but Virgil and Horace were Roman poets from the Augustan age. Virgil is considered one of the greatest poets of that era, with his epic poem "Aeneid" being a foundational work in Roman literature. Dante, a Florentine poet, is famous for "The Divine Comedy", where he uses Virgil as a guide through the afterlife.  Petrarch, another Italian poet, is known for his sonnets and is considered a key figure in the Italian Renaissance of the 1400s.

So, whoever is the new owner of this amazing piece will truly be wearing a piece of history on their wrist from the 1880s era!

The carving of the cameos are well defined, with high relief and they are set in silver. There are some minor repairs, including one panel that has been re-glued in place with some clumsiness, however, it is not considered worth trying resolve this as the cameo may be damaged in the process and the repair doesn’t affect the look or functionality of the piece (see photos).

The bracelet is quite long, measuring approximately 17cms and will fit a large wrist or can be pushed up the arm to suit. The cameos are graduating from approx 35mm x 25mm.

The bracelet will be sent in a gift box via Express Post for free within Australia and we offer a 7 day money back guarantee.