When archaeology and art meet
There are beautiful pieces of jewelry - and there are beautiful pieces of jewelry that also tell a story
Such are the pieces made of lava (material from volcanic eruptions).
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius covered the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in lava and ash, freezing an entire world in an instant. In the 18th century, archaeological excavations began, and Europe was astounded: streets, houses, statues—all miraculously preserved.
The inspiration for the art world was powerful. The volcanic earth itself, that lava, became raw material for artisans. From the ancient disaster, new life was born in the form of cameo jewelry.
The excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum ignited a massive wave of enthusiasm for the classical world. Artists, architects, and designers across Europe returned to the Greco-Roman ideal of beauty. Lava cameo jewelry became a coveted fashion object.
Profile carvings of classical women, mythological goddesses, Roman emperors, and historical figures—the dark and dramatic volcanic material, born from the depths of history, gave these pieces of jewelry life.
Italy, and especially the cities of Naples and Pompeii, were a coveted tourist destination. During the cultural journey—the "Grand Tour" of the nobility in the 18th and 19th centuries—lava cameo jewelry became the ultimate souvenir. Delicate and elegant, these pieces are charged with historical significance, symbolizing education, artistic/cultural taste, and social status.
Most lava cameo pieces are unsigned, but it is known that many workshops operated in the Naples area. One of the prominent names is the Italian artist Pio Siotto, who produced carvings inspired by classical sculptures. The art of cameo carving required delicacy, as lava, despite its hardness, demands skill; a wrong movement could cause a fracture. The result is miniature sculptures that carry cultural depth.
Queen Victoria turned lava cameo brooches into a global fashion and an inseparable part of Victorian style. Her love for jewelry with historical value made cameo pieces, especially those carved from lava, a must-have accessory among European women, thus turning the jewelry from southern Italy into an international trend that crossed social classes: European nobility as a cultural statement, Victorian women as part of the fashion of the era, and collectors as an art object with historical value.
Lava—a material born from eruption, destruction, and immense natural power—was transformed by human hands into a delicate work of art, a piece of jewelry that tells the story of entire cities and lives that were destroyed.
At the Albertina Gallery, lava cameos are not just jewelry—they are testimony to a journey spanning hundreds of years. From an erupting volcano, through archaeological excavations, to a work of art worn to this day. Every piece is one-of-a-kind.
