Gemstones

Information on moonstones including it's use in cameo carving. Moonstone has been used in jewelry for millennia, including ancient civilizations.

Hardstone is not really a  gemstone but a term used to describe many different gemstones.  Hardstone carving is the three-dimensional carving for artistic purposes of semi-precious stones such as jade,…

Information on agate including it's use in cameo carving. Agate is one of the most common materials used in the art of hardstone carving, and has been recovered at a number of ancient sites, indicating its widespread use in the ancient world

Information and history of onyx cameos. Onyx is a banded variety of the oxide mineral chalcedony. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the…

Coral has been used in jewellery since antiquity. Believed to be an amulet which could protect against the evil eye, it was often worn by children or used in rosaries.…

Amethyst was used as a gemstone by the ancient Egyptians and was largely employed in antiquity for intaglio engraved gems. The Greeks believed amethysts could prevent intoxication, while medieval European…