Gemstone Craving Art



                Dioskourides, Gemma Augustea                                     Gemma Claudia                         Dioskourides, Gemma Augustea, detail of upper register with (left to right) Roma, Augustus, Oikoumene, and Oceanus

 The art of gem carving(https://smarthistory.org/the-art-of-gem-carving/). is the same process today that it was over 2 thousand years ago. Although one mustn't forget that the tools available today aren't the same ones they used back in 500 B.C. This art takes precision, dedication, and time.  First, the artist will select the stone depending one the color of the stone they want. Then the artist will grind the stone down to achieve the desired shape during this process they will use water to prevent overheating. They will leave the stone a little bit larger to leave room for craving. Then they will begin by removing the core for the stone. During this process they will use olive oil with an abrasive compound like emery to remove the core of the stone. The artist can enhance the color of the stone by either heat or soaking it with rusty nails. Next they will sketch a design on the back of the gem, this could be something like an insect.  They will use differently shaped tools to carve out different designs and shapes. They will use softer tools like a piece of leather and wool to polish in a mixture of finer abrasive called a slurry to give the design more detail as well as a smooth surface. On the front of the stone the artist also begins with a sketch. For some of the detailing they will be freehand and basically blindly. Seals and cameos were popular items. It is absolutely amazing the detailing these artists achieved. 


The J. Paul Getty Museum, "The art of gem carving," in Smarthistory, December 21, 2015, accessed September 16, 2020, https://smarthistory.org/the-art-of-gem-carving/.  

      

     

Comments

  1. Ashley MSeptember 18, 2020 at 2:27 PM

    I see what you did here. If my name was emerald I would be interested in knowing everything there is to know about gemstones too. All that aside, I found this to be a very informative blog. It is so amazing that there were people who took the time to figure out how to do this with such precision. These artifacts are astonishingly meticulous. I can't even imagine what must have possessed them to take on the task, but somehow they worked out a system. I agree with your assessment of it being amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Luna VelarSeptember 18, 2020 at 7:17 PM

    Hi Emerald!

    I really liked how you went into detail on how the artist would carve the gems. The artifacts you chose to represent the old way of gem carving are very astonishing to look at. I can only imagine how much time and effort went into creating it. Great post!

    ReplyDelete

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