Dating from the second century AD and known as "The Snettisham Jeweller’s Hoard", it consisted of hundreds of finished rings and unmounted carnelian gemstones found inside a narrow-necked Roman pot, possibly hidden by a Roman jeweler in a moment of crisis.
The discovery was made during building work in 1985. Historical evidence shows that carnelian, an orange colored form of quartz, was one of the most favored gemstones for the Romans.Ī great example from history of the popularity of orange carnelian gemstones in men's rings was found in the town of Snettisham, which is in Norfolk, England. The gemstones used were usually cabochons of garnet, purple amethyst or orange carnelian. Hence many Roman rings seem too small for modern fingers. These rings were typically worn in front of the knuckle, rather than behind it as rings are worn today. Previously, all of this was done by hand, and required both imagination and unbelievable patience.Roman men usually wore only a single ring, however, this was not the case in the early first and second centuries when rings were often worn on all ten fingers. The technology behind cutting precious stones has not changed substantively for many centuries, except that electrical propulsion and optical tools are now employed. Petersburg, Russia - across the variety of displays, there are roughly 20,000 pieces.Ĩ. Today, the biggest collection of gemstones in the world is in the Hermitage Museum in St. This is how the artist Goethe could afford to have his own collection of antique intaglio works that were replicas but, nevertheless, considered by him to be one of his most prized possessions.ħ. Those who did not have the means to buy originals could instead collect their cast replicas. Reigning monarchs were not the only ones attracted to collecting intaglio pieces but also aristocrats, scientists and artists. Consequently, her gemstone collection survives in the form of gems which have been mounted into classical settings.Ħ. What’s more, for her the value of a piece was entirely vested in the carved gemstones themselves- she would readily ‘demolish’ jewellery, chalices, and furniture so as to re-set and fully enjoy the potential of the intaglio gemstones which they contained. She called her passion a “gem disease as contagious as scabies,” acquiring individual gemstones found in Pompei, as well as entire collections, such as a selection of jewels that belonged to the Duke of Orléans. Empress Catherine II - commonly known as Catherine the Great - was one of history’s most avid gemstone collectors. A seal in ancient times was applied not only to letters, wills and official documents, but also to chests and boxes containing valuables, amphorae of wine and oil, and if we are to believe the comic playwright Aristophanes, jealous husbands would even stamp their seal on the doors to the gynaecea (women’s quarters)!ĥ. Eloquent inscriptions that remain attest to this - on one gem in the 6th century B.C., we read: “I belong to Hermotin.”Another states: “I am the seal of Tersis, be careful not to break me!”Ĥ. As property and ownership developed, jewels were used as the personal stamps of their owners the impression of a gemstone in wax or clay replaced a signature. People started to carve distinctive symbols and images onto them, believing that this would improve their chances of success and happiness.ģ. As a result, gemstone intaglios were made into amulets.
The optical and electromagnetic properties of gemstones spotted by those living in ancient civilisations engendered a belief in their supernatural powers. Thereafter, the spread of intaglio pieces widened throughout the ancient world.Ģ. The first traceable evidence of intaglio is when the technique emerged as fairly well-developed in the East in the 4th-3rd centuries B.C. Intaglio designs surfaced earlier than the more widely recognised cameo, their initial appearance lost in the depths of time. During my discussion with Yaroslav, I was introduced to several interesting facts on the art of intaglio:ġ.