Engraved gem

Engraved Gem Technique

• Gemstones were cut using abrasive powder from harder stones and a hand-drill or lathe.
• Magnifying lenses were not used by gem cutters in antiquity.
• Medieval gem-carving techniques were described in a guide by Theophilus Presbyter.
• Byzantine cutters used a flat-edged wheel on a drill for intaglio work.
• Gemstones can have their color enhanced using artificial methods such as heat, sugar, and dyes.

History of Engraved Gems

• Engraved gems have an ancient tradition in the Near East and were used in various early cultures.
• Cylinder seals were the usual form in Mesopotamia and spread to other cultures.
• Greek gems emerged under Minoan influence and reached refinement in the Hellenistic period.
• Ancient Egyptian seals often had inscriptions in hieroglyphs.
• Greek gems from the 8th and 7th centuries BC usually depicted animals in geometric poses.

Evolution of Gem Forms

• Early gems were mostly round or oval, with scarab backs and animals or divine figures.
• Gems of the 6th century BC became more oval and showed more detail.
• 5th-century gems became somewhat larger and showed fine detail, including signed gems by Dexamenos of Chios.
• Relief carving became common in 5th-century BC Greece.
• The cameo form reached Greece around the 3rd century BC.

Roman and Medieval Engraved Gems

• Roman gems continued Hellenistic styles and included portraits of philosophers.
• The Romans invented cameo glass as a cheaper material for cameos.
• Antique engraved gems were highly valued during the European Middle Ages.
• Gems were used to decorate goldsmith works such as crowns and book-covers.
• Engraved gems with religious scenes were produced in Byzantium and Europe.

Use and Preservation of Engraved Gems

• Gems were primarily used as seals, often mounted in rings.
• Impressions of intaglio designs were made in hardened wax for authentication.
• Reclining satyr, Etruscan c.550 BC, 2.2 cm wide. Note the vase shown sideways; it is characteristic of early gems that not all elements in the design are read from the same direction of view.
• Relief carving became more common, leading to gems meant for collection or jewelry.
• Impressions of gems were collected in plaster or wax for easier appreciation.

Engraved gem Data Sources