Intaglios are among the oldest and most personal jewels there are. For more than two thousand years people have worn engraved stones on their hands, to sign documents, protect themselves and say something about who they were. They are also one of the most rewarding areas for a collector.
In brief
- An intaglio is a design engraved into the surface of a gemstone or glass, so the image is sunk below the surface.
- Glass intaglios are not simply cheap copies.
- Subjects range from gods and heroes to coats of arms.
- Engraved gems were treasured and reused for centuries, so an ancient stone can sit in a much later ring.
What is an intaglio?
An intaglio is a design engraved into the surface of a gemstone or glass, so the image is sunk below the surface. A cameo is the opposite: the design is carved in raised relief. Because the intaglio image is reversed, pressing it into warm wax or clay leaves a positive impression. That is why intaglios were set in signet rings and seals: they were working tools for sealing letters and documents.
The stones
- Carnelian, the classic orange-red seal stone, used from antiquity to the 19th century.
- Bloodstone, dark green flecked with red, popular for men's signets.
- Agate and sardonyx, prized for their bands of colour.
- Jasper, often mottled, widely used by Roman engravers.
- Garnet, deep red and harder to engrave, used for fine work.
- Lapis lazuli, citrine and even sapphire, used for heraldic signets.
- Glass, from Roman nicolo glass to the moulded glass seals of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Glass versus hardstone
Glass intaglios are not simply cheap copies. The Romans made fine glass gems, and in the 18th century glass pastes cast from famous engraved gems were collected as serious objects. Desk seals and "seal wheels" carried several small glass intaglios engraved with mottoes such as bon soir or l'amitié. Hardstone intaglios, cut by hand on a wheel, generally show crisper detail and are harder wearing.
Subjects
Intaglio subjects range from gods and heroes to coats of arms. You will find Mars, Hercules, Zeus, Diana and Medusa; Roman emperors and Grand Tour portraits of poets such as Shakespeare; family crests and monograms; and sentimental scenes with mottoes. Heraldic intaglios can sometimes be traced to a specific family, which adds a fascinating layer of history.
Ancient stones in later rings
Engraved gems were treasured and reused for centuries. It is very common to find an ancient stone in a much later mount. Our Roman Triton intaglio, a jasper engraved in the 2nd to 3rd century AD, was set in an 18ct gold signet ring in 19th-century Paris.
An early Islamic garnet seal engraved in Kufic script around the 10th century now sits in a silver mount made centuries later. A good dealer will always describe the stone and the mount separately.
What to look for
- Quality of engraving. Look at faces, hands and lettering under a loupe.
- Wear consistent with age. Ancient stones show soft surface wear; sharp, glossy polish on a supposedly Roman gem is a warning sign.
- An honest description of what is original, what is later, and what is glass.
- Wearability. A flat, low intaglio sits comfortably and works well as a pinky ring.
Browse our full collection of antique intaglio rings and seals and antique signet rings.