Not a single original manuscript has survived from the writings of the classical Roman and Greek authors. True, many copies of these writings have survived, having been copied by the monks and other learned scholars. But the originals have long ago crumbled to dust, been burned by fire, eaten by bugs, etc. A very few writings of some other civilizations, the papyri of the old Egyptians are still around for example.
Texts inscribed in clay, cut on stone or fashioned in metal still exist. Coins, cameos, cabochons, stone seals and the like have endured for thousands of years. The point is that the creators of lapidary should treat their creations reverently: they may be around 200 years from now!
Crystal Treasures
A rock crystal sphere resting on an elaborate dragon stand was offered at the New York auction sale of Christie's on June 23-24, 1983. This sphere of quartz crystal, with a diameter of 29 cms, about 11 1/2 inches, is considered to be one of the two largest flawless examples known, second only to the Smithsonian Institution's sphere in size. A Texas collector won this treasure by paying $143,000 for it including a 10% premium.
For a description of the Smithsonian sphere see THE CURIOUS LORE OF PRECIOUS STONES, by George Frederick Kunz. The highlights of Christie's Auction were reported in the 1983 November-December "ARTS OF AISA" magazine.
Simple rules for silversmiths
1. Don't touch silver until it has cooled.
2. Don't lay down a lighted torch.
3. Don't inhale the fumes of the flux.
4. Use only copper tongs in the pickling solution.
5. Remove all binding wire before soldering.
6. Scrub all work before soldering.
7. Don't rush.
8. Work from your drawing.
9. Use the soldering table for all soldering.
Study of Crystals
Crystallography is the scientific study of crystals and it is very important to gemologists and lapidaries. In 1912 it was found that the shape and size of the repeating atomic patterns or unit cells in a crystal could be determined by passing x-rays through a sample. This entirely new method generally called diffraction opened up an entirely new way of "seeing atoms" and studying them.
It has been found that many substances have a unit cell that exhibits all the symmetry of the whole crystal. For example, quartz sometimes called the stone of the lapidary, has been thoroughly studied by taking x-rays of quartz and studying the results.