Antique Victorian Lava Cameo Brooch

A lovely high relief lava cameo with a bust of a woman in a khaki color.  Her hair is upswept and decorated with what appears to be a comb.  The cameo is set in a silver gilt frame with a tube hinge and c-clasp.  

Lava cameos became very popular after the excavations done around the Mt. Vesuvius area.   The most popular was Pompeii.  These cameos were carved from the lava in those areas and were purchased as tourist souvenirs.  It made a Victorian gal very happy to have a lava Cameo from Italy because when worn it showed that she was well travelled.  Many were purchased during Grand Tours of Europe.  

Condition:  In very good condition with some loss or tarnishing of the plating.  The cameo is intact with a small amount of soiling.  There is a small bend in the pinstem, but the pin and hinge work well.  Please see photos.