gems, engraved gems, glyptic

A two-part essay by the gem engraver and art historian Émile Soldi on the history and decline of the art of cameos and engraved gems. Soldi surveys the long development of glyptic art, discusses notable ancient and later examples, and considers the artistic possibilities offered by the natural colors, layers, markings and irregularities of gem materials. The second part turns to the contemporary decline of gem engraving and argues that the craft had become overly mechanical and minute. Soldi advocates a broader, more artistic treatment in which the engraver responds creatively to the individual stone, regarding each engraved gem as a unique work of art. The essay is important for the history of glyptics because it combines historical discussion with the perspective of a practicing nineteenth-century gem engraver concerned with reviving the art.