Cameo-making dates back to the Roman Empire, but jewelry designer Amedeo Scognamiglio's use of alternative materials and contemporary designs revolutionizes the art form. A sixth-generation maker of cameos (two-layered pieces of jewelry hand-carved in bas relief), Scognamiglio taught himself his craft at age 16 — learning the same ancient techniques used by his ancestors for hundreds of years. Today Amedeo is the world's leading manufacturer of handmade cameos, with portraits of refined 19th-century ladies, regal elephants, sweet-looking owls, and countless other designs gracing pendants, bracelets, rings and earrings.