Victorian mid 1800s Italian Grand Tour Lava Cameo Brooch 12.3g 55mm JR698

Beautiful mid-1800s Victorian lava cameo brooch. Set in gilt metal. Unmarked. Made in Italy.
Good condition, showing wear.
Size: 55.0mm, the center cameo is 22.0 x 18.0mm
Weight: 12.3 grams

"During the 19th century, colored lava excavated at an archaeological dig at Pompeii was used to make highly detailed, three-dimensional carvings. That’s where many of the women who were traveling to Italy for their Grand Tour picked up their lava cameos. More than a perfectly portable souvenir, these lava cameos became status symbols, proving that a woman had indeed traveled abroad."