With The Odyssey‘s A-list cast, Christopher Nolan’s epic is sure to be a major influence on Greek-inspired fashion and accessories, Elle Spurr, a researcher at New Orleans–based antiques dealer M.S. Rau, told JCK recently.

That got us thinking: What else might blow up because of the star-studded epic? If you ask designers such as Seal & Scribe’s Shari Cohen, Erica Weiner, Rebecca Rau, Castro Smith, Monica Rich Kosann, and Francesca Villa, they’ll say intaglios.

These designers and many others have become known for reimagining ancient intaglios for new pieces as well as taking a fresh approach to this age-old motif—and we’re here for it. Many say they anticipate more of these pieces showing up on red carpets and on clients’ shopping lists.

“Intaglios are the true definition of quiet luxury and were worn as a personal declaration of one’s individuality, much like the locket,” says Kosann, who started collecting vintage intaglios as a longtime antique and vintage shopper.

“As a storyteller, it was natural for me to use an old-world method to create modern, wearable versions of something so cool,” Kosann says. “These incredible expressions of self are having a moment because everyone wants something specific to them. My intaglio designs are just that: unique vessels for a customer to tell a personal story.”

Antique jewelry experts including Sotheby’s define an intaglio as a carving into a piece of glass, metal, or gemstone that creates a hollow, recessed, or sunken image. As the parallel to the raised cameo technique—which grew more popular among the Victorians—intaglio signet rings, pendants, and brooches waned.

Today, intaglios are growing in popularity among jewelry lovers. Some seek out the antique versions for their craftsmanship and artistic value; others are attracted to the more modern interpretations, especially as pinky rings. (Marion Fasel saw intaglio and pinky rings coming, by the way, as a major 2026 jewelry trend.)

Add in jewelry designers who repurpose classic intaglios, those who create entirely new versions for a modern age, and collectors looking to add a custom piece that tells their story to their jewelry wardrobe, and you can see why intaglios could get even bigger in 2026 and beyond.

Cohen debuted Seal & Scribe in 2016 in California after spending years of collecting and curating her starter collection of antique intaglio seals. She started lovingly restoring each piece as if it were a tiny etching in need of a new frame, she says.

“When I first began collecting intaglio seals, I was drawn in by the mere fact that they were teeny tiny etchings that contained such minute details—it really blew my mind,” Cohen says. “Then, as I began working with them from a jewelry design perspective, I was captivated by their storytelling magic. They are tiny treasures, and I am continuously fascinated by their layers.”

Cohen says she and her clients are drawn to intaglios because they have such a rich, unique history. They, at their core, are utilitarian objects created for a specific person or sentiment, meant to be carried as a little “literary amuse-bouche” that the recipient could linger over and wonder about before they even opened the correspondence contained within.

When Cohen places that original intaglio into a new setting, it feel like it not only gets a second chance at being worn, but it adds another layer to the story.

“I am always happily surprised when a client tells me what their intaglio means to them, because oftentimes it is not what the original message was, or my interpretation of it all these years later,” Cohen says.

The next generation also can inherit a Seal & Scribe intaglio piece, wearing it to remember her loved one, adding another layer of story.

“A tiny, solid object really morphs into a many-chaptered tale, beginning in the Georgian and/or Victorian eras, and continuing on today, just as fresh with meaning as the day they were created,” Cohen says.

Top: Erica Weiner Victorian Vous la Meritez Dog Wax Seal necklace ($1,500) with chalcedony in 14k gold 

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