Ancient and Modern Gems and Jewels

Book excerpt: "This catalogue is the first comprehensive study of the 328 objects that make up this little-known area of the Royal Collection. The ancient gems and intaglios have been catalogued by John Boardman, and although they are few in number, they include the magnificent Claudius cameo that was once in the collection of Charles I. The later, post-Renaissance pieces have been studied by Kirsten Aschengreen Piacenti, and these include the great Tudor portrait cameos, a superb series of Italian sixteenth-century portrait cameos of North Italian 'Beauties', the group of exquisite eighteenth-century Italian carnelians bought by George III from Consul Smith in 1762 and a fine selection of Garter badges, several bearing the signature of the gem-engravers Marchant and Burch." "Close examination by gemmologists has produced an accurate technical analysis of all the stones and settings, and newly commissioned photographs bring out the distinctive features of each piece. Casts are illustrated wherever possible, and close-tip images of signatures, inscriptions and hallmarks support the detailed descriptions in the text. Research into the collection has resulted in new information concerning the mounts of many of the gems, and this is summarised in an illustrated appendix. Also published in full, and for the first time, is the collection of intaglios once owned by Henry, Prince of Wales, which was recorded in a series of wax impressions made by Elias Ashmole at the request of Charles II in June 1660."--BOOK JACKET.