gems, lapidary arts, gem cutting

A descriptive catalogue of machines, instruments and models held in the repository of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (later the Royal Society of Arts), compiled by William Bailey. The work illustrates and explains mechanical inventions and improved manufacturing processes submitted to or recognized by the Society, covering a broad range of trades and practical arts. Of particular interest to gemology and jewelry history are descriptions and engravings of equipment associated with lapidary and related crafts, including machinery for cutting and polishing hard materials. The work provides valuable documentation of the mechanization and technological development of British crafts and manufacturing during the later eighteenth century.