Carved gems have the entire gem cut into a design, while engraved gems simply have a design cut into the gem. Carving and engraving are methods with a long history and include cameos, intaglios, and scarabs.
Tumbling produces a polished, although irregular-shaped or baroque bead.
The cabochon cut produces a curved or convex, smooth surface, while faceting creates a highly symmetrical shape, with flat, planar surfaces. Early gem cutting and fashioning usually worked with the shape of the rough material, that is a stream worn pebble would simply be polished. Cylinder seals were used as signatures and beetle-shaped scarabs were common in ancient Egypt. Advanced machinery and techniques would eventually give rise to improved cabochon cuts and faceting, which is more dependent upon the physical and optical properties of gem rather than the shape. The purpose of cutting a gemstone is to maximize the beauty.