The story of Cupid and Psyche was readily interpreted in many ways . In late antiquity, Martianus Capella (5th century) refashions it as a story or a poem about the fall of the human soul. For Apuleius, immortality is granted to the soul of Psyche as a reward for commitment to sexual love. In the version of Martianus, sexual love draws Psyche into the material world that is subject to death: "Cupid takes Psyche from Virtue and shackles her in adamantine chains". A perfect addition to a collection or a gift to that special someone. ? Maker: Dante unsigned The Museum Masterpiece collection of men's jewelry reaches across two thousand years to recreate the ancient art of cameo carving. These are authentic Incolay stones - exact reproductions of original carvings in our Masterpiece Collection selected from the museums of the Mediterranean where Greek and Roman artisans flourished from 400 B.C. to 300 A.D.. The first cameos, carved only for the well-to-do, depicted gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. It took many years and the fall of Greece to the Romans before cameo portraits became a realistic form of art in great demand. Cameo carving attained its greatest popularity during the reign of Augustus Caesar with engravers using multiple layers of colored onyx to carve elaborate protrayals of heroic scenes, rulers, gods and historical events. The fine, detailed carving of ancient cameos was an art virtually forgotten until the Incolay process was developed. The Incolay stone is a combination of minerals and chemicals and the result of many years of of research and development. Unlike ancient onyx cameos, it will not chip or crack and can be cleaned with any jewelry compound. The Incolay stone re-creates the priceless cameos now housed in museums throughout the world. Each carving will bring a lifetime of enjoyment for collections and recollections ? Material: Cameo, Gold plated metal ? Size: see photo ? Weight: Medium ? Condition: Because these are vintage and pre-worn they are not considered new from the factory,please see photos for any wear or there may be light surface scratches that don’t show up unless you hold them to the light. ) .Sold as is and priced accordingly.. ? Lovely patina! Boxed for gift giving; gift wrapped on request. These are part of a MASSIVE estate collection of cufflinks and jewelry so be sure to check out our other items here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NeatstuffAntiques?section_id=all We don’t polish these previously owned well loved pieces so we can keep the original patina. We try and photograph all of the pieces next to a ruler so you can see the actual size. All jewelry sold as found. NOTE TO BUYER: We Do not offer engraving services of any sorts as we are not equipped to do so I’m sure your local jeweler would be happy to do so, sorry for any inconvenience thank you. All cufflinks ( unless otherwise specified) are considered costume jewelry. We use the descriptions of any stones from the manufacturers titles when they were first produced. When we refer to the stones as moonstone or jade or garnet, for example, we are using how the original manufacturer of the pieces used them. We cannot guarantee the authenticity of a stone in a costume piece of jewelry. ***ATTENTION!*** Shipping rates for domestic and international delivery have skyrocketed! I have adjusted the shipping rates accordingly. If you wish to have another method of delivery (i.e. First Class International) PLEASE convo me before placing your order. My goal is to save both of us money on shipping. April2 2015