Cameo with a bust of a young woman, in high relief, with her head in profile to the right and her shoulders and breast in three-quarter view. She wears a tunic. Her wavy hair is swept back beneath a wreath of leaves and fruit. Hair and drapery are both cut in the pink stratum and are not clearly defined.

This late 16th century Beauty may represent Proserpine, a Roman goddess of seasonal resurrection, following an image based on Roman prototypes.

Text adapted from Ancient and Modern Gems and Jewels in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, London, 2008