Mystery Intaglio

[Anna Z.]

Hello, I found this inaglio, engraved gemstone in South Carolina (inland, midstate). It's about the size of a US dime. It's a surface find. I was hunting for native american artifacts in an eroded area and found this. Thought it was a marble until I flipped it and then just thought a cool color rock. I put it in the bag, then rock bucket at home. A couple weeks later I rinsed it off and thought I was seeing things. It appears to be the face of a bearded man. Possibly Greek mythology or a catholic saint. No additional inscription or words. Material appears to be glass or stone. Some suggestions ive recieved are moonstone milk glass, opal, or opalite. The green image shows what the image looks like if you press playdough in the gemstone. Ive sent images to the state museum but they were never able to provide an ID. I've had a rock store, jewlery maker look at it with magnifying glasses, they didn't have any additional details other than perhaps it's not actually broke as the edge was smooth. I've heard lots of guesses, read a lot about intaglios the last few months, but haven't been able to land on an ID. I'd love to know more about it.

 

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[DizzyDigger]

Can't answer your questions, but that's a hellofa find...

Welcome to TNet...

 

[Anna Z.]

Thanks!

 

[tamrock]

You sure that isn't glass rather than stone.

 

[How Lucky]

Saint Christopher - Patron saint of travelers.

 

[DCMatt]

Victorian Greek revival era. Possibly Socrates or some other philosopher.

 

[Anna Z.]

You sure that isn't glass rather than stone.

Yes it could be glass, My understanding is opalite for example could be a glass, I am not sure the material. Some suggestions ive received are moonstone milk glass, opal, or opalite.

 

[eman1000]

I 2nd Saint Christopher. I've found a few silver pendants and the likeness is very similar. We just need to find the exact one that you have!

 

[Dug]

Since the image is hollowed into the material that would lead me to believe it is part of a wax stamp. Good luck with your identification research.

 

[Sparlo]

A tell-tale clue on this item is its back or pavilion. Specifically, the pavilion angle and depth indicate this was intended to be illuminated from behind and is most likely from a ring but could be from a brooch. And given the refractive qualities of glass and the idea that glass intaglios are *almost* always flat, I believe you can rule out glass as the material. A jeweler should have a refractometer handy for a definitive answer but a quick test (Mohs Test) would be to try to scratch a piece of steel with a point of your item. Most glass will not scratch steel. I suspect the likely material is a quartz such as chalcedony which should scratch steel. I also suspect your item is chipped or was cracked in two in its mounting when struck and has been worn smooth in a natural tumbler like a river.

Dating the item will be nearly impossible as it could be from any of the Greek and/or Roman Revival periods for jewelry which emulated Roman items but it's definitely not Roman. Roman seals and seal rings are almost always a single material, not a carved stone or other material set in a metal as seen in revival jewelry. Roman seals were tools and a set stone would not hold up to the rigors of use as a seal.

Try placing a flashlight behind your item in a darkened room to really see the image "pop". A cool find, for sure.

 

[Anna Z.]

Saint Christopher - Patron saint of travelers.

Could be, I know I have looked a lot into the catholic saints possibility. Specifically St Peter & St Christopher and haven't found anything close. Are you are familiar with any images or similar intaglios with the saints that lead you in that direction? The more I have looked into the catholic Saints the more I am leaning to a Greek mythology image. But I am not sure.

 

[Anna Z.]

A tell-tale clue on this item is its back or pavilion. Specifically, the pavilion angle and depth indicate this was intended to be illuminated from behind and is most likely from a ring but could be from a brooch. And given the refractive qualities of glass and the idea that glass intaglios are *almost* always flat, I believe you can rule out glass as the material. A jeweler should have a refractometer handy for a definitive answer but a quick test (Mohs Test) would be to try to scratch a piece of steel with a point of your item. Most glass will not scratch steel. I suspect the likely material is a quartz such as chalcedony which should scratch steel. I also suspect your item is chipped or was cracked in two in its mounting when struck and has been worn smooth in a natural tumbler like a river.

Dating the item will be nearly impossible as it could be from any of the Greek and/or Roman Revival periods for jewelry which emulated Roman items but it's definitely not Roman. Roman seals and seal rings are almost always a single material, not a carved stone or other material set in a metal as seen in revival jewelry. Roman seals were tools and a set stone would not hold up to the rigors of use as a seal.

Try placing a flashlight behind your item in a darkened room to really see the image "pop". A cool find, for sure.

Great details and information thank, very helpful. I also have think it is most likely from a ring given the convex bottom (just in the reading i've been doing for the last few months). Good idea - I will probably try to get a jeweler (who is familiar with antique jewelry) to take a look. The material is beautiful, it almost "glows", translucent , it appears clear-ish pearl white on the surface but deeper down in the objects its a blueish color. Very pretty, I haven't seen any local quartz in this material. I spend a lot of time looking at local rocks and native american artifacts made out of quartz. I am not super familiar with Chalcedony. Looking at it with the flashlight was a neat idea, I almost think like Zeus Ammon now that Ive tried that, it almost looks like the small horns near the ear. I will try to upload an image with the flashlight.

 

[Anna Z.]

I 2nd Saint Christopher. I've found a few silver pendants and the likeness is very similar. We just need to find the exact one that you have!

Yes it would be great to find an example, I have tried to look at him as a possibility and keep coming back to a Greek god.

 

[Anna Z.]

Since the image is hollowed into the material that would lead me to believe it is part of a wax stamp. Good luck with your identification research.

Thanks, it could be!! It does remind me of a fob like engraving.

 

[Anna Z.]

 

[Anna Z.]

I just found a VERY similar intaglio on this site it was posted a while back by Gareth1982. His almost looks like the reverse image (the image in green playdoh) it looks almost exact to me. I am not sure if there is a way to share a link to that post here.

 

[Sparlo]

The scans lead me to think the image is Diogenes or Socrates.

And if you look at the chipping around 6:00 low, you'll see conchoidal fracturing (like the rings on a scallop shell) which is typical of quartz (although it can appear in glass) and was a feature exploited by early peoples in making stone tools.

The image and material are consistent with tourists who during the Victorian Era would buy an intaglio (in a ring or brooch, in this case, but among others) to bring back with them as a souvenir after embarking on a Grand Tour. Knowledge, science and philosophy were common themes in early Victorian times and would appear in various forms of art and jewelry. I suspect the owner was of some means and disappointed to lose their souvenir.

 

[DCMatt]

I just found a VERY similar intaglio on this site it was posted a while back by Gareth1982. His almost looks like the reverse image (the image in green playdoh) it looks almost exact to me. I am not sure if there is a way to share a link to that post here.

The link:

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/560728-intaglio-please-help-me-identify.html

 

[Anna Z.]

The scans lead me to think the image is Diogenes or Socrates.

And if you look at the chipping around 6:00 low, you'll see conchoidal fracturing (like the rings on a scallop shell) which is typical of quartz (although it can appear in glass) and was a feature exploited by early peoples in making stone tools.

The image and material are consistent with tourists who during the Victorian Era would buy an intaglio (in a ring or brooch, in this case, but among others) to bring back with them as a souvenir after embarking on a Grand Tour. Knowledge, science and philosophy were common themes in early Victorian times and would appear in various forms of art and jewelry. I suspect the owner was of some means and disappointed to lose their souvenir.

Thanks, I have looked at many intaglios the last few months from the Victorian era and they seem to have cleaner images with a little less detail. I have spent the last couple of days looking at them again and am still seeing the same, less detail in the images. Is there a specific reference you would suggest to see similar Victorian era intaglios? Thanks again, this is very helpful.

 

[Anna Z.]

The link:

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/560728-intaglio-please-help-me-identify.html

Thanks