Finely ornamented gem (discoloured agate). The first motives were sculpted in Greece around 400 B.C.. Then this technique was passed on to the Romans with whom it was very popular. In the Middle Ages, cameos served to adorn objects, often of a funerary nature. After thriving in the 14^th century, cameos were again used as jewels in the 15^th. A decline followed in the 17^th century, but they regained their popularity in the 18^th, when they were decorated with portraits.