Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-08-06
CAMEO.currlkG.
Artistic Engraving Upon Minerals Which
Does Not Pay Very Well.

Artistic Engraving Upon Minerals Which
Docs Not Pay Very Well.
The art of cameo-cutting was intro
duced into the United States in 1850.
1t has made no progress. Finished
canoes sell for less now than they did
then. The only two manufacturers OF
canoes in the United States are in this
city, and they find very little work to
do. The greater part of this trade is in
initiating antique gems or in matching
canoes brought from Europe. There
is, probably, no business requiring so
great artistic skill and such delicate
manipulation in which the pay of the
workman is so poor. One of the man.
ufacturers of this city said: vv
'Any man would be fool to learn
the trade with the hope of making
money by it. have to import all my
workmen from Europe. tried to
teach two apprentices, but they found
that the skill which they acquired would
prove more valuable in the making of
artificial teeth and in the end they be-
came dentists. and now one of them has
= large practice"
Great numbers of came os are made in
Italy, but the finest come from Paris.
The quartz blocks from which the
canoes are cut are imported into this
country in shapes ready for cutting.
The kinds OF quartz most commonly
used are onyx, sardonyx, chalcedony,
jasper, turquois and certain species of
shells. They can also be cut on any
stone or jewel except a diamond. A
cameo differs from an intaglo in that it
is executed in relief, while the latter is
a sunk engraving. Canoes are best cut
in minerals which present various bands
of two or more distinct colors. The
raised engraving is generally of one
color, while the background is of a
strongly contrasting color. The former
is generally white and the latter dark.
The cutter draws with a lead pencil on
the white surface of the block the design
which he intends to produce in cameo.
He then follows the outlines with a
diamond and cuts away the white parts
outside If the stone is small he cements
it on the end of a stick; if large, he
holds it in his hand, and proceeds to
work upon it with fine drills. He sits
at table like sewing machine
1 tdDic, anu w
works a small lathe situated al
his right. At his left is frame filled
with drills made of steel wire and of al
varieties of shapes. The ends of the
drills are covered with diamond dus
ground in olive oil. The dust is OBJ
tanned by crushing uncut diamonds b.
blows of hammer in a small steel NOR
tar. The cutter has placed before hin
picture or model of the subject to b.
made. Every thing then depends upol
the correctness of his eye and his artist
ic instincts. The work is inexpressibl
slow, b,t when completed it is marvel
ously perfect. Although very small, tn
figures delineated are as complete il
every detail as though they were tel
feet high. A skilled workman will oftel
make an elegant cutting or even por
trait without any model whatever. Thi
making of cameo portraits is one of tn
most steady sources of revenue in tn
business. They are made of variOu
sizes, and the likeness is very striking
The price varies from fifty to three hur
dred dollars each. The average time {
, cutting one is about one hundred an
twenty hours. Y. Mail and EIpres