Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-06-06
ANTIQUITY OF JgWeLRY.
Tho Styles Most Popular I'm Anclefi.
Egypt, Grcoco and Rome.


Tho Styles Most Popular In Anclei.
Egypt, Greece and Rome.
Tho practice OF carving precious stones
Is OF remote antiquity, writes Martha j.
Lamb in tho Jewellers Weekly. Through
their hardness they wero susceptible to
the highest polish, and thus retained
hnimpaircd tire lines and figures cut
upon thcni. There arc 10 objects known
which in SO small sphere called for
such elegance of taste and perfect skill
In ornamentation or inscription. The
earliest gems appeared among tho
Egyptians chiefly as hcctle-shapod sig.
nets Worn in rings, and many of them
wcro cxquisitely engraved. Tho form
was oval and pierced from end to end
with hole through which there passed n
strong wire which kept tho stone in place
In ring. When worn the fiat or seal side
rested against the finger, but when used
ds seal it was turned The Israclites
learned tho art of tho Egyptians and
the Greeks adopted it and speedily cxi
cellcd all their predecessors.
Horodotus mentions the famous emer.
old of P0lynates, and tho famo of its en-
Braver, Thcodorus of Samos. This was
about 600 Is. c. Contemporary with the
Greeks tho Etruacans achieved great OK
ceilcnce i'll gem engraving. The art
finally attained it's highest perfection
In Sicily and Magma Gr;pcia.
Gold was much used in Egypt as set
ting for precious stones, and upon it
wero engraved favorito animals, divini.
tics, flowers, coats of arms and hero
glyphics. There are many curious speci.
mems OF early Egyptian art to he seen in
New York City-~in the museum of tho
Historical Socicty-among which is. a
diadem in gold orhamcn.cd with tho
lotus flower; silver ring artistically
engraved with tho name Amunoph Ill.
l430 Is. c.; gold bird with outstretchcd
wings inlaid with turquoise and lapis
luzuli; earrings chiefly in gold and va
rlously ornamcntcd-onc pair terminal
ing in tigers head holding in his
mouth an engraved stone, another in
tho form of cows head with q car
bunclc set in the forehead, and several
pairs terminating with heads of lions,
bulls and tho "dcargazcllc." Thcre arc
also in this flno collection of antique
icwclry tho gold necklace and earrings
bearing tho namo of Nicnes, tho first
Pharaoh of Egypt and the earliest King
In history-supposcd to have been made
27T1 B. C.
The Crooks were extremely ingenious
in devices. They practicod engraving
chiefly in intaglio, and some of their
bost works arc i'll chRlGcdony and car
nclian. Ono celebrated specimen OF
Hrcok Workmanship in carnelian is tho
beautiful seal of an unknown artist
which once belonged TO Michael Angelo
and was preserved i'll tho Imperial Lii
brary at Paris. Tho engraving repre-
scnts vintage, and many copies of it
have boon made. Such stones ne had diff
forcntly colorcd layers, like onyx, wcro
found better adapted to tho relief style
OF engraving. Several OF tho most nota-
bio artists of Greece established them
selves at Rome under tho Emperors.
In the time of Augustus the art reached
its highest excellence, and cabinets Of
gems became numerous. 1t was n mattcv
OF pride with tho. old Roman gentlemen
to possess camoi and intagli of value.
Tho passion for gems spread through
France, Germany and England and in
allcivilizcd countries the art of ongrav-
Ing on precious stones has over been
held in,high estimation. The countries
that have boon foremost in producing
these stones arc llindostan, Pegu, Ccy-
Ion and Siberia. although in modern
times Brazil and Peru have been notable
rivals in this class of gems. The Rus
sias, from their proximity to Siberia,
nave become the most lavish of any peos
plc in the world in their use of gems.
Tho head of tho royal family of Russia
could outshino any other ruler in tho
display OF costly jewels, and diamonds,
emcralds, pearls and opals arc much
worn by the Russian aristocracy. Other
fashionable stones in Russia, brought
from tho mountains OF Siberia, arc the
amethyst, garnet, topaz, aquamarine and
onyx. Engraved gems are for the most
part easily referred by connoissours to
their truo period, country and some
times to tho artist himself. Each had
his own cyphar, which is commonly
found upon tho gem.