In ancient Rome and throughout the next few millennia, cameo carvers used banded agate to create two-color carvings. The black layer could serve as a background, while the main subject could be raised in white relief, or vice versa. Sometime around the mid 19th century jewelers started cutting banded agate into shallow cabochons to show off the stripy layers without imagery. The concentric circles speak for themselves.
MATERIALS: 10k gold (tests), 7 bullseye agate cabochons
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good - bezel on the central agate has a small score
SIZE: 6 1/2" length, 1 1/8" width, 2 3/4" safety chain