Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-10-04
GOSSIP ABOUT GEMS.
How Engravers ON stone Worked In the
Oiden Time.

Oidsn Time.
Stones were engraved In the days Of
Horace. They we're largely done by
hand with diamond points, like glazier's
diamonds, the deeper and larger parts
of the work were executed with drill.
Emery powder was used, but the wheel
and lathe did not come into use until
the time Of the byzantine epoch. II has
been conjectured that the artists, In ex-
ecuting minute work, used lenses, or,
more probably. globes filled with water.
In the time OF Francis l., Matteo del
Nassaro, of Vienna, cut out the Cruci-
hxion on heliotrope, so that the red
spots seemed drops Of blood issuing from
the wounds of the Saviour. Jscomo da
Trexzo (is67) was the first to engrave on
puted with him. A noted head Of Nero
was engraved on q diamond by one Of
the Castanzi in 1890.
The earliest instance OF an engraved
gem Is the emerald ring OF Polycrates.
TAO b. C. Classic history informs US
that Helen, Ulysses and Pythagoras
wore engraved rings. The father Of the
latter, Mnesarchos, was q noted engrav-
er of gems. 0restes. in the tragedies.
was recognized as the son OF Agamem-
non by the engraved ring which he wore.
Gems, 10 be used as seals, we're en-
graved at an early age of the world A
square singet OF yellow jasper. engraved
about 1450 b. c., Is In the possession of
the British Museum. 1t has engraved
[ upon 1t the horse, and the name and
/ titles OF Amenophis Ii. Herodutus In
forms us that the Ethiopians engraved
signets. In Judea the breast-plate of
the high priest was adorned with twelve
precious stones, with the names OF the
twelve tribes engraved upon them.
/ Strange TO say, however, no Hebrew-en-
graved gems older than the fifth cen
tury are known TO exist. The Bactrians
and the Hindoos are the other Oriental
nations OF antiquity that engraved
gems. The Chinese, early in their his
tory, used gems, soapstone, and porce-
lain for seals. with devices in relief.
In old times the engrayers selected
stones that harmonized in colors with
their designs Bacchanalian subjects
we're engraved on amethysts, marine
subjects on beryls, rural ones on green
jasper. warlike ones on carnelians. sards
and red jasper, and celestial ones on
chalcedonies In modern times as high
as q, 900 has been paid to the engraver
of celebrity for one cameo.
The ancients placed an immense value
on their gems. In looking up the sub
ject find the following quotations: The
pearl given to Servillia by Julius
Caesar was valued at s2i,O 900; the gems
on the scabbard of Mithridates were
valued at ss7. $50; the value of the pear
swallowed by Cleopatra is placed a
SIS, 900; the gems worn by Lolita Paul
ina, the wife OF Cligula, were valued ai
81, 500, 900.
1t is said that the Grand Duchess o.
Saxon Weimar owns the most perfec
collection of jewels in the world. Th'
finest emeralds belong to the house o
Austria. The finest and largest tur
quoises and pearls are among the crown
jewels OF Russia, and the finest sap
phires known are among the crown
jewels of England. Among the crown
Jewels OF Bavaria Is a parure OF pinl
diamonds that would command fabu
ious sum.
Princely gems have been bestowed a
royal weddings. The gifts presented I,
Mile, d'Albe. neice of the ex-Empres
Eugenie. were valued at q. 900. 0oo TIL,
Earl of Dudley presented TO Miss Mon
crieffe. while yet betrothed to him,
bracelet of fifty precious stones and
diamond disdem which was worth $50,
600. On their wedding morning he pre-
sented her with q necklace of Ave row
of pearls of enormous value. Mile. lie
jeune. on her marriage 10 the Prince o
Chimay, among other jewels, received
necklace with an outer circle OF forty
two large brilliants, with inner circles
each of which contained thirty-sevei
brilliants, a magnificent emerald form
ing the medallion. and three super
brilliants the pendants When Mura
took refuge in Corsica, after the battl
of Waterloo. he had two diamonds wort
$4,000 In his pockets, while the dis
monds in his hat-band were worth s1s
900, and those on his epaulets wer
worth $40, ,000.-Keystone.