working was very simple, as Feuchtwanger notes.1
The polishers prepared the stones on a plate by means of the powder of
harder stones, either round, oval, flat, or in shield form, according
to the designed subjects, and the sculptors cut the engraving with iron
tools or diamond splinters mounted in iron.
The
Egyptians taught the art of carving to the Phoenicians, Etrurians, and
Greeks. The Indians and Persians learned to carve and polish gems
perhaps as early as the Egyptians. Representations of the adored
beetles or scarabs were the earliest known Egyptian engravings, while
the Persians engraved chiefly mythological animals or figures of their
priests. Cabalistic devices and Arabic letters on gems formed the
doubly precious " talismans," and even without talismanic lettering,
marvellous or supernatural origin and powers were attributed by current
superstition to all the notable gems.2 Alexander's seal
typified the sovereignty transferred to his vicegerent, Perdiccas.
Augustus Caesar cherished his seal engraved with a sphinx as a token of
his divine authority.'2
In
the carving of cameos, precious stones with layers and veins were
employed with great skill, bringing out contrasted effects, as where a
face is shown in one color and the hair and dress of a figure in
different colors. Sometimes certain colors were made typical. Thus
Bacchus was carved in amethyst, the color of wine, while Neptune or
nymphs of the sea were cut in aquamarine.3
Such
surface polishing and engraving antedated, however, very far any
grinding or faceting of the harder gems, and the intractable diamond
especially, for uses of ornament. Pliny writes, "The polished
hexahedral Indian diamond thins to a point." 4 As the crystallization of the diamond is much more
1 "A Popular Treatise on Gems," Feuchtwanger, 1867.
2
" De duodecim Gemmis in Veste Aaronis," Epiphanius, 1565. " Gemma-rum
et Lapidum Historia," Boetius, 1647. Theophrastus—" History of Stones
and Modern History of Gems," Sir John Hill, 1746. "Precious Stones and
Gems," Streeter. "A Popular Treatise on Gems," Feuchtwanger, 1867.
3 " A Popular Treatise on Gems," Feuchtwanger, 1867.
4 " Naturalis Historia," Caius Plinius Secundus, 23 a.d.—79 a.d.
