corundum, ruby, sapphire, history.1, quality, gems, glyptic

Sinkankas: This volume is primarily a comprehensive history of the art of gem engraving, enriched with additional material that amplifies or embellishes the central theme. The opening chapter—an extensive 183 pages—is historical in nature, followed by chapters on famous rings and signets, European cabinets of engraved gems, artists' signatures, a catalog of ancient gem engravers, and a curious inclusion: a lengthy ode to the bronze statues in the Gymnasium of Zeuxippus by a certain Christodorus, inserted without a clearly discernible purpose. Subsequent chapters describe the gems illustrated in the plates and elsewhere, concluding with a chapter of detailed notes. Written in King’s meticulous and richly detailed style, the work, like his earlier publications, is a treasure trove of information, particularly valuable today for its descriptions of contemporary gem collections, which now hold significant historical importance. Many surviving copies suffer from weak, embrittled cloth—especially along the spine—and intact, sound copies are rare.