gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio, magical gems, lore, amulets, early lapidaries, lapidary arts, ancient gems, antique gems

The magical gems (2nd–4th centuries CE) are engraved semi-precious stones that display a variety of iconography drawn from different traditions, along with inscriptions of a “magical” nature in the conventional sense of the term. The study of ancient lapidaries, medico-astrological treatises, and magical papyri reveals the religious universe from which these gems originated. It reflects an ideology based on the notion of sympatheia. In a highly structured cosmos, governed by the movements of the stars and partially constrained by the law of Necessity, magic served not only as a defense against the disturbances arising from this condition, but also as a means of understanding the cosmic mechanism and the powers that rule it.