Gems Notes and Extracts Augusto Castellani, Mrs. John Brogden 1871

24 GEMS.deservedly, on account of their singularity ; for theywere discovered with such combinations of design aswould appear impossible without a hand and mind tohave executed them purposely.In fact, the figures formed by metallic oxides insidethe agate do not exist in a natural state exactly asthey appear when the stone is cut. The skilful artistoften finds it necessary to cut away some lines, marks,or spots which would otherwise deprive the design ofregularity whence itmay be said that, in this ;respect,the lapidary resembles to a small extent the sculptorwho carves the statue from the block, cutting away thesuperfluous parts. No little study and cleverness arerequisite in deciding on the best treatment of the spotsexisting in the interior of the stone, and in executingthe intagli so that they produce the best effect. CamelloLeonardo da Pesaro statesthat he has seen a figuredagate in which were distinctly represented seven treeson one even ground. Boe'ce de Boot declares that hepossessed one in which a mitred bishop was designed ;on another Poujet saw a Turk; Caire had one on whichwas delineated a cock in an attitude of defiance.Crystallized agates are those whose mass is dividedby numerous fissures into divisions, which are eithersquare, triangular, or radiating. They are vitrified,translucent quartz.The agate xyloidina, so called from the Greek wordvAov, wood, is that kind generally designated agatizedwood.The Oriental agate is almost always transparent, and