Shell cameos are much easier to cut than those made from gemstones. Also, the raw material is cheaper and easier to acquire. They were popular in the 16th century and then again in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the passion for carved gemstones led to a parallel explosion in the market for cheaper shell cameos. They are still popular today. The Old Testament figure of Judith holds aloft the severed head of the Assyrian general Holofernes. By using her beauty and charm, Judith had gained his favour and, while he lay in a drunken sleep, decapitated him. The scene was often viewed as an allegory of virtue triumphing over vice.