video of carving relief in shell material

[diane b]

check out this video. it's very cool. sorry if this was already posted - first time i have seen it. i hope this links works. thanks for looking at this
diane

https://www.facebook.com/ilpiccolomuseodelcammeo/?fref=photo

 

[Brian Marshall]

I used to mount cameos for a guy from that town who used to come over here twice a year. Fairly expensive ones and lockets - $1,000 plus in '89.

I met him down in Taxco, Mexico, and that's all he did was cameos. Then one year he never came back? Dunno if he died or what...


You can't make much money doing them in silver, but gold and gold filigree have some wiggle room...


Brian

 

[Boomhower]

Some cool stuff

 

[Roger Bleile]

Does anyone know why the carvers keep a rag between the graver and their thumb? Is the rag kept wet?

 

[Brian Marshall]

Shell dust and chips are toxic and that might be a reason for a wet cloth... but I would bet a wet wipe would give you the transparency necessary to see what the thickness of the layer you are working in might be. It can be detrimental to the look of the piece if you go too far - or not far enough.

We do something similar in lapidary carving if it involves layers.

I think one of the "Docs" on here carves cameos, he might chime in?


Brian


“Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.” ― Mark Twain

 

[rodsta]

I believe that the cloth is a friction buffer for his thumb as he moves the graver in a sawing motion and I'm sure it would wear a hole in his thumb fulcrum otherwise.

Rod

 

[Brian Marshall]

Only way to know for sure is to find someone who does it and ask 'em... your guess is good too!


B.

 

[rbauman]

fwiw, Idar-Oberstein for cameos in agate