Gems and Minerals in the Mcferrin Fabergé Collection
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Reflecting on the Moche Past 2000 Years of Mirrors in Andean Art
Reflecting on the Moche Past 2000 Years of Mirrors in Andean Art Reflecting on the Moche Past Mirror Frame Moche, Loma Negra, Peru, AD 500-800 Gilded copper/bronze H. 9 ¼ in. W 5 in. irrors, useful for seeing one’s own image, or for reflecting light, are a commonplace today. But in ancient M times pooled water was the only readily available reflective surface. Artificial mirrors could be made only by processing rare natural substances or forging new man-made materials. Vanity is a universal human trait, and ancient peoples undoubtedly sought to admire their own faces, coiffures, and bodies. Numerous ceramic vessels portray individuals with elaborate coiffures or using pincers (tweezer-like tools) to pluck facial hair. At least two ceramic vessels portray women holding small black disks – presumably mirrors - up to their faces. After the con- quest, Garcilaso de la Vega wrote about mirrors: "Los espejos en que se miravan Las mugeres de LA sangre real eran de Plata muy brunida y Las comunes en acofar [The mirrors in which the women of royal blood looked were of highly polished silver; commoners used bronze mirrors]" libro II cap xxxviii. But pre-Columbian mirrors were undoubtedly used for purposes far more significant than facilitating personal adornment. Mirrors made by labori- ously mining, shaping, and grinding dark, shiny minerals were exchanged over long distances, incorporated in public and private rituals, and sometimes were buried with the dead. Today’s mirrors are made from glass or plastic sheets coated with silver or an- other reflective material. While glass was never manufactured in the ancient Americas, dark volcanic glass – obsidi- an – was sometimes ground flat and polished to produce a reflective sur- face. -
OPAR CFP Advances in the Studies of Obsidian Sources and Artifacts Of
THE BLACK GOLD THAT CAME FROM THE SEA. ADVANCES IN THE STUDIES OF OBSIDIAN SOURCES & ARTIFACTS OF THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN AREA COORDINATING EDITORS Franco Italiano, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Palermo, Italy. Franco Foresta Martin, Laboratorio Museo di Scienze della Terra Isola di Ustica, Palermo, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Palermo, Italy. Maria Clara Martinelli, Polo Regionale delle Isole Eolie per i siti culturali, Parco Archeologico e Museo Luigi Bernabò Brea, Lipari, Messina, Italy. DESCRIPTION Open Archaeology invites manuscripts for the Special Issue on The Black Gold That Came from the Sea. Advances in the Studies of Obsidian Sources and Artifacts of the Central Mediterranean Area. This Special Issue collects most of the contributions presented at the international workshop on the same subject which took place in Palermo, Italy, on 10-12 June 2019. The topics are: archaeometric studies of obsidian sources and artifacts; new methods of obsidian sources discrimination; genesis of the Central Mediterranean obsidian outcrops exploited during the Prehistory; obsidians as an edutainment tool; a section is dedicated to studies of characterization of ancient glasses. HOW TO SUBMIT The authors are kindly invited to submit their contribution via online submission system Editorial Manager available at http://www.editorialmanager.com/opar/ It is important that authors include a cover letter with their manuscript, making it clear that the manuscript is dedicated to Special Issue on The Black Gold That Came from the Sea. Advances in the Studies of Obsidian Sources and Artifacts of the Central Mediterranean Area. The cover letter should explicitly state that the manuscript (or one with substantially the same content, by any of the authors) has not been previously published in any language anywhere and that it is not under simultaneous consideration or in press by another journal. -
Compilation of Reported Sapphire Occurrences in Montana
Report of Investigation 23 Compilation of Reported Sapphire Occurrences in Montana Richard B. Berg 2015 Cover photo by Richard Berg. Sapphires (very pale green and colorless) concentrated by panning. The small red grains are garnets, commonly found with sapphires in western Montana, and the black sand is mainly magnetite. Compilation of Reported Sapphire Occurrences, RI 23 Compilation of Reported Sapphire Occurrences in Montana Richard B. Berg Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology MBMG Report of Investigation 23 2015 i Compilation of Reported Sapphire Occurrences, RI 23 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................................................1 Descriptions of Occurrences ..................................................................................................7 Selected Bibliography of Articles on Montana Sapphires ................................................... 75 General Montana ............................................................................................................75 Yogo ................................................................................................................................ 75 Southwestern Montana Alluvial Deposits........................................................................ 76 Specifi cally Rock Creek sapphire district ........................................................................ 76 Specifi cally Dry Cottonwood Creek deposit and the Butte area .................................... -
F I N E C R a F T J E W E L R Y C O L L E C T I O N 2014
F i n e C r a f t J e w e l r y C o l l e c t i o n 2014 www.MarthaSeelyDesign.com y jewelry is always a reflection of the art forms that have inspired me over the years: Fiber, fashion, and the grace of natural forms; The boldness of architectural concepts; The simplicity of cold connections, and the kinetic energy of objects in M motion. It expresses in precious metal and gemstones, the strongest influences in my life as a designer: clothing/costume design, art history (with a special fondness for the Art Nouveau /Art Deco movements) and the uniqueness and strength of individual style. Floral Nouveau was inspired by my love of the Art Nouveau (and Deco) movement of the late Curved lines nineteenth century. It is contemporary and feminine. The woven wire combines my love of fiber with the asymmetrical, sinuous vines used widely within Art Nouveau art and design. and vines, woven Floral Architecture is layered contemporary jewelry with simple construction techniques where together. stones seem to float in their floral frames. The floral shapes are simple, layered and riveted together, sometimes flat and sometimes hammered and sculptural. Hammered and Echo Structures are multi-layers of simple, architectural shapes. Rivets. Textures. Con- sometimes sculptural trasts. Brilliant colored stones. Modern and clean. flowers. Formed and Winged Secrets are edgy, formed, textured and riveted flying insects. Sometimes the wings riveted flying insects. move, sometimes not. They are made in silver and gold with large faceted gemstone heads. Everything is handmade, hand formed and one of a kind. -
Welcome to Christ Church Cathedral's 'How Did They Do That?' Family Trail
Welcome to Christ Church Cathedral’s ‘How Did They Do That?’ Family Trail Christ Church has teamed up with local makers to create a fascinating self-guided trail which explores the huge amount of work and the many materials and methods that were used to create the Cathedral building and its priceless collection of artefacts. Ever wondered how to make stone look like fur, how to carve wood or the secret to making coloured glass? Here’s your chance to find out, with help from the ex- perts. You can follow this trail in any order you like around the Cathedral. Directions to each object can be found at the start of each section. Where to find Chapel of St things... Laud North Quire South Transept Transept Crypt Entrance Carved pulpit Strongbow’s Entrance Tomb Baptistery Welcome Desk Stained Glass Windows These can be found all over the Cathedral — just look up! Stained glass windows tell stories. They were originally used to teach people who couldn’t read about the Bible. With sunlight shining through them, casting bright colours around the Cathedral, they provided quite a show. Almost like an early form of cinema, before films were even thought of… What is glass and how is it made? Glass is basically molten sand (silica). As obsidian it occurs naturally in volcanos. About 7,000 years ago people discovered that by adding soda ash or potash and lime to sand they could melt it themselves at a much lower temperature. How can you make different coloured glass? Coloured glass is produced by adding min- erals or metal oxides to the glass mix. -
Supporting Contemporary Makers
Supporting contemporary makers Acquisitions for the Goldsmiths’ Company Collection 2019–2020 Dr Dora Thornton Supporting contemporary makers: acquisitions for the Goldsmiths’ Company Collection 2019–20 The Goldsmiths’ Company has supported excellence, craftsmanship and skills in the goldsmiths’ community ever since the Company received its first Royal charter in 1327. The Company now has one of the finest collections of British silver, including contemporary and historic plate, modern jewellery and art medals. Much of the Collection is still used for its original purpose. Jewellery is worn at occasions in the Hall. Pieces are also displayed in exhibitions and lent elsewhere, as well as being used for teaching the next generations of makers, our apprentices at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, and promoting wider knowledge and patronage of the craft. Our ambitious plans to digitise our collections will eventually make much of our material—objects and archives—freely available online through our website to show who we are and what we do. This booklet describes the Company’s acquisitions, which are overseen by the Contemporary Craft Committee, over one year, from April 2019 to April 2020. Many of the purchases—and one commission—are the work of makers who are new to the Collection. Commissions completed this year include a superb brooch; two very different portrait medals of Prime Wardens of the Company; and three Court Cups, designed to be used by individual members of the Court of Assistants in the Hall. The cups are paid for by the Company and since 2018 have formed part of the Collection; they advertise the work of particular makers and excellence in the trade while also recording much about their individual patrons. -
Rock and Mineral Eggs
Rock and Mineral Eggs Pisolithic limestone is a sedimentary rock made of pisoids, which are concretionary grains usually made of calcium carbonate. They generally resemble ooids but are larger than 2 mm in diameter and can reach up to 10 mm in diameter. The grains are approximately spherical and have concentric layers. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava from a volcano cools so rapidly that there is minimal crystal growth. The obsidian samples in the display are regular obsidian, snowflake obsidian, and brecciated obsidian. Some varieties of obsidian have inclusions of small, white, radially clustered crystals of cristobalite in the black glass, called snowflake obsidian. Brecciated obsidian is partially broken down and recrystallized pieces of obsidian in angular patterns. 3+ Epidote (Ca2Al2(Fe ;Al)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)) is easily identified by its characteristic yellowish green or pistachio colour. It is an important constituent of low- and medium-grade metamorphic rocks and occurs in large amounts in contact-metamorphosed limestones. Azurite (Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2) is a dark to light blue mineral that commonly occurs with malachite (Cu2CO3(OH)2). It forms when carbonated waters and copper minerals undergo a chemical reaction and can be identified by its effervescence with cold dilute HCl. Malachite is a mineral that can be distinguished by its green colour and typical banding. It effervesces in HCl and is a widespread secondary copper mineral. It occurs in the upper oxidized zones of copper deposits where limestone is present. Fluorite (CaF2) is a vitreous and transparent mineral that can vary in colour from clear to yellow, purple, blue, and even green. -
Professional-Jeweler-June-1999
GEMOLOGY The Case for Red Emerald A rare North American beryl with an identity crisis hich is easier to remember says consumers would accept the name and understand: bixbite or red emerald more readily. W red emerald? But using the name red emerald is This red member of the beryl family fraught with gemological controversy. has been called bixbite almost since Here's a look at both sides of the issue. Maynard Bixby discovered it in 1897. But the awkward name, meager produc Arguments Against Red Emerald tion and small gems have relegated the • Definition. In antiquity, smaragdos, material to a role as a rare gemological the Greek root word for emerald, curiosity. referred to green gems that mayor Now Gemstone Mining Inc., Cedar may not have been emeralds. The City, UT, the owner of the only known modern definition for emerald is sat bixbite deposit - the Ruby Violet claim urated bluish green, green or yel in Utah's Wah-,wah mountain range - lowish green beryl. Emerald is a plans to increase production and make synonym for green. more material available by fall. Settling • Respect for Bixby. Calling red beryl on a salable trade name now is significant for retailers who plan to market the gemstone. The History Red beryl has many mar ketable attributes. It pos sesses the same physical and chemical characteristics as emerald, except it's colored by microscopic traces of manganese (emerald is col ored by chromium and!or vanadium). It's natural, the only known source is in the U.S. and producers say a lot of material lies waiting for mechanized production. -
Jackson's Auction
Jackson's Auction Collector's Choice: Antiques & Collectibles Wednesday - September 19, 2012 Collector's Choice: Antiques & Collectibles 675: REED & BARTON STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, 148 PIECES USD 4,000 - 6,000 A LARGE 148 PIECE SET OF REED AND BARTON FRANCIS 1ST STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, MID 20TH CENTURY. Comprising 24 table knives, 24 table forks, 24 salad forks, 35 teaspoons, 13 cream soup spoons, 5 tablespoons, 12 individual butter knives and 11 various serving pieces. Contained in two fitted chests, not matching. Total weight approximately 194 troy oz. 676: DUTCH SILVER EPERGNE, 1853 USD 1,000 - 1,500 A VERY FINE DUTCH SILVER AND CUT CRYSTAL CENTERPIECE EPERGNE, 1853. Stamp hallmarks including "Z&B" probably for Pieter Zollner and William Beijoer (1849-1871) comprising a silver entwining stem with extending foliage supporting two scallop cut crystal trays below a tulip blossom finial raised on a scalloped floral repousse and chased bell form base. Additionally stamped "Pde Meyer te'Hage." Silver weight approximately 34.76 troy oz. Height 22.5 inches (57cm). 677: WALLACE ROSE POINT STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, 63 PIECES USD 1,200 - 1,800 A VERY FINE SET OF WALLACE ROSE POINT STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, MID 20TH CENTURY. 63 pieces comprising 10 each place knives, place forks and salad forks, 20 teaspoons, 10 individual butters, a gravy ladle, sugar shell and pastry server. All contained in a fitted mahogany chest with drawer. Weight approximately 60 troy oz. 678: A FINE CONTINENTAL SILVER BACCHANALIAN FOOTED BOWL USD 200 - 400 A FINE CONTINENTAL SILVER BACCHANALIAN FOOTED BOWL, 20TH CENTURY. With embossed and chased facial mask within hammered scalloped lobes and grape vine rim in deep relief. -
Gem Wealth of Tanzania GEMS & GEMOLOGY Summer 1992 Fipe 1
By Dona M.Dirlarn, Elise B. Misiorowski, Rosemaiy Tozer, Karen B. Stark, and Allen M.Bassett The East African nation of Tanzania has he United Republic of Tanzania, the largest of the East great gem wealth. First known by Western- 1African countries, is composed of mainland Tanzania and ers for its diamonds, Tanzania emerged in the island of Zanzibar. 1t is regarded by many as the birthplace the 1960s as a producer of a great variety of of the earliest ancestors of Homo sapiens. To the gem indus- other gems such as tanzanite, ruby, fancy- try, however, Tanzania is one of the most promising fron- colored sapphire, garnet, and tourmaline; to date, more than 50 gem species and vari- tiers, with 50 gem species and varieties identified, to date, eties have been produced. As the 1990s from more than 200 occurrences. begin, De Beers has reinstated diamond "Modem" mining started in the gold fields of Tanzania in exploration in Tanzania, new gem materials the late 1890s (Ngunangwa, 19821, but modem diamond min- such as transparent green zoisite have ing did not start until 1925, and nearly all mining of colored appeared on the market, and there is stones has taken place since 1950. Even so, only a few of the increasing interest in Tanzania's lesser- gem materials identified have been exploited to any significant known gems such as scapolite, spinel, and extent: diamond, ruby, sapphire, purplish blue zoisite (tan- zircon. This overview describes the main zanite; figure l),and green grossular [tsavorite)and other gar- gems and gem resources of Tanzania, and nets. -
Of the Grand Cameo: a Holistic Approach to Understanding the Piece, Its Origins and Its Context Constantine Prince Sidamon-Eristoff Sotheby's Institute of Art
Sotheby's Institute of Art Digital Commons @ SIA MA Theses Student Scholarship and Creative Work 2018 The "Whys" of the Grand Cameo: A Holistic Approach to Understanding the Piece, its Origins and its Context Constantine Prince Sidamon-Eristoff Sotheby's Institute of Art Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/stu_theses Part of the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons, Fine Arts Commons, and the Metal and Jewelry Arts Commons Recommended Citation Sidamon-Eristoff, Constantine Prince, "The "Whys" of the Grand Cameo: A Holistic Approach to Understanding the Piece, its Origins and its Context" (2018). MA Theses. 14. https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/stu_theses/14 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship and Creative Work at Digital Commons @ SIA. It has been accepted for inclusion in MA Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ SIA. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The “Whys” of the Grand Cameo: A Holistic Approach to Understanding the Piece, its Origins and its Context by Constantine P. Sidamon-Eristoff A thesis submitted in conformity With the requirements for the Master’s Degree Fine and Decorative Art and Design Sotheby’s Institute of Art 2018 Word Count: 14,998 The “Whys” of the Grand Cameo: A Holistic Approach to Understanding the Piece, its Origins and its Context By: Constantine P. Sidamon-Eristoff The Grand Cameo for France is the largest cameo surviving from antiquity. Scholars have debated who is portrayed on the stone and what its scene means for centuries, often, although not always, limiting their interpretations to this narrow area and typically only discussing other causes in passing. -
English Cameo Glass
ENGLISH CAMEO GLASS THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS ENGLISH CAMEO GLASS IN THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS DAVID WHITEHOUSE THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS CORNING, NEW YORK Cover: Moorish Bathers. England, Amblecote, Thomas Webb & Sons, carved and engraved by George Woodall, 1898. D. 46.3 cm. The Corning Museum of Glass (92.2.10, bequest of Mrs. Leonard S. Rakow). Copyright © 1994 The Corning Museum of Glass Corning, New York 14830-2253 Editor: John H. Martin Photography: Nicholas L. Williams Design and Typography: Graphic Solutions, Corning, New York Printing: Upstate Litho, Rochester, New York Standard Book Number 0-87290-134-3 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 94-071702 FRONTISPIECE. The Great Dish. CONTENTS Preface 7 Introduction 11 The Early Years 17 Stevens & Williams 31 Thomas Webb & Sons 33 A Woodall Miscellany 42 Epilogue 56 Further Reading 58 Notes on the Illustrations 59 Notes 63 FIG. 1. The Portland Vase. PREFACE THIS SHORT BOOK has two objectives: to cele- makers tried unsuccessfully to make a replica of brate the achievements of 19th-century English it, and in the 1820s and 1830s several silver ver- cameo glass makers and to focus attention on the sions were made by the London firm of Rundle, outstanding examples of their work in the collec- Bridge, and Rundell. tion of The Corning Museum of Glass. In the early 19th century—possibly as early Cameos are objects with two or more layers as 1804—glassmakers in Bohemia began to of different colors. The outer layer or layers are "case," or cover, colorless glass with a layer of partly removed to create relief decoration on a colored glass that was then cut through to reveal background of contrasting color.