METAMORA – Cameos and pearls will the topic of the May 14th meeting of the Woodford County Historical Society. Jeweler Nina Jones will explain how both are made and give participants some guidelines on determining if their cameos or pearls are real. The meeting will be held at the Historic Metamora Courthouse at 7 P.M. and is free and open to the public. Cameos may be made from shells or from stone such as carnelian or agate. The subject matter is usually of a woman’s head, but other images have been carved into cameos. Good quality and antique cameos are quite valuable, and even modern cameos that have been done well are valuable. In the 20th century imitators have exploited every possible medium to make cameo jewelry. Recently the use of lasers has allowed mass production of the objects.
The iridescent surface that makes pearls so lovely is nacre which coats an irritant inside a clam shell. When harvested, the pearls can be of any size, color or shape and perfect ones are quite valuable. However costume jewelers have become proficient in making look-alikes, so it is sometimes difficult to tell if a strand of beads is made of real pearls or fakes.
Nina Jones operates a jewelry store on Main Street in Eureka. She specializes in unique, stylish pieces and watch repair. Her business is located in what was formerly the Gangloff Jewelry store.
The Woodford County Historical Society seeks out speakers who can present programs of interest to the public. Meeting the second Thursday of each month, March through December, at different places within the county, the group welcomes any and all. There is neither a pre-registration requirement nor any entry fee.
The June 11th meeting will be “The Pictorial History of Eureka, Illinois” presented by Jim Fyke, president of the Woodford County Historical Society. The meeting will be held at Maple Lawn’s Memorial Hall, Eureka at 7 P.M.
In July the group will enjoy a presentation by Gary Sutton and Kevin Engquist on antique tractors and steam engines. This meeting will be at the Snyder Village Community Room in Metamora.
For more information, please contact Karen Fyke (467-4525) or Barbara Bradle (467-3106).