LAPIDARY

lapidary, and gem cutting (lat. _lapidarius, lapis_, a stone). the earliest examples of gem cutting and carving known (see also gem) are the ancient engraved seals, which are of two principal types, the cylindrical or "rolling" seals of babylonia and assyria, suggested by a joint of the bamboo or the central whorl of a conch-like shell, and the peculiar scarabaeoid seals of egypt. recent researches make it appear that both these types were in use as far back as 4500 b.c., though with some variations. the jewels of queen zer, and other jewels consisting of cut turquoise, lapis lazuli and amethyst, found by the french mission, date from 4777 b.c. to 4515 b.c. until about 2500 b.c., the cylinder seals bore almost wholly animal designs; then cuneiform inscriptions were added. in the 6th century b.c., the scarabaeoid type was introduced from egypt, while the rolling seals began to give place to a new form, that of a tall cone. these, in a century or two, were gradually shortened; the hole by which they were suspended was enlarged until it could admit the finger, and in time they passed into the familiar form of seal-rings. this later type, which prevailed for a long period, usually bore persian or sassanian inscriptions. the scarabaeoid seals were worn as rings in egypt apparently from the earliest times. the most ancient of the cylinder seals were cut at first from shell, then largely from opaque stones such as diorite and serpentine. after 2500 b.c., varieties of chalcedony and milky quartz were employed, translucent and richly coloured; sometimes even rock crystal, and also frequently a beautiful compact haematite. amazone stone, amethyst and fossil coral were used, but no specimen is believed to be known of ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, tourmaline or spinel. the date of about 500 b.c. marks the beginning of a period of great artistic taste and skill in gem carving, which extended throughout the ancient civilized world, and lasted until the 3rd or 4th century a.d. prior to this period, all the work appears to have been done by hand with a sapphire point, or else with a bow-drill; thenceforward the wheel came to be largely employed. the greek cutters, in their best period, the 5th and 6th centuries b.c., knew the use of disks and drills, but preferred the sapphire point for their finest work, and continued to use it for two or three hundred years. engraving by the bow-drill was introduced in assyrian and babylonian work as early as perhaps 3000