Intaglios

Two weeks ago, we talked about some of our sculptures and quartz carvings. If you haven’t read that, go ahead and take a look. While we have a cute assortment of small to large carvings, we did leave out some of our best work: our intaglios!

Intaglios are true pieces of art, whether on a tabletop or hanging off of a pendant. They were first crafted in the 1400s, and have been a wonder to the carving world ever since. Intaglios aren’t just for gemstone carvings either- They’re also made for printmaking or stamps, the portraits on banknotes being a prominent example.

Our carvings come in three different varieties: reverse intaglios, bas-relief or full sculpture carving pieces.

Carving reverse intaglios is a time-consuming process that requires patience, a steady hand, and water to keep the stone from cracking or breaking completely. The artisans that create these pieces use drills, flex shafts, and Dremel bits to carve into the back of a stone to create an image that will be seen from the front of the stone. Each artisan has their own methods for creating different textures and effects. The results are the same, the intaglios are stunning.

Most intaglios are carved from clear quartz, however citrine is used as well. Most of our intaglios are calibrated, so you can get as many as you need without any worries.

Our natural stone bas-relief and sculptured carvings use the same artistic methods, as do our intaglio carvings.  Unlike reverse intaglio, done in clear gem varieties so they can be viewed from the top, our bas-relief and sculpture carvings are done in a variety of materials.  This can be druzy  quartz, multicolor jasper, serpentine and chalcedony.  Some are suitable for jewelry and other larger ones meant for free standing sculptures.

In the end, our carvings come in a large selection. From our scarabs to our beautiful sculptures, it’s hard to choose. Need a hand? Peruse through our selection or check out our social media, which has some of our best selections posted daily! And if you need any extra information, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always here to help!