Antique Victorian Hardstone Cameo Pendant of Demeter / Ceres with Rose Cut Diamonds and Enamel

This stunning late 19th century agate cameo depicts Demeter in profile, with wavy upswept hair wearing a crown of barley, symbolizing her dominion over the the earth's fertility. The agate was masterfully carved in high relief using the natural banding in the agate to create depth. The cameo is framed in banded black enamel punctuated with with thirty-two twinkling rose-cut diamonds box set in gold. This substantial cameo measures 1 13/16" x 1 7/16". C 1870

Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, was one of the Twelve Olympians in Greek mythology. She was responsible for the fertility of the earth, ensuring the growth of crops and the cycle of the seasons. Her influence was so profound that she was also worshipped as the goddess of sacred law, who upheld the natural order of life and death. Demeter's most famous myth involves her daughter, Persephone, who was abducted by Hades and taken to the Underworld. In her grief, Demeter caused the earth to become barren, leading to the first winter. Only when Persephone was allowed to return to the surface for part of the year did Demeter restore the earth's fertility, giving rise to the changing seasons. Demeter's mysteries were celebrated in ancient Greece, most notably in the Eleusinian Mysteries, a set of secret religious rites held in her honor that promised initiates a blessed afterlife. Her Roman equivalent is the goddess Ceres.

Measurements: 1 13/16" x 1 7/16" x 3/4" 

Weight: 41.2 grams

Notes: When backlit, there is a thin 3 mm hairline from the nose to the edge of the stone and one from her hair to the edge of the stone that is about 1.5 mm. The gold chain is for photography purposes only. This cameo once had a removable brooch fitting.