Intaglio carving cuts a design down below the surface of a stone or a piece of glass, using a small rotating tool and an abrasive. Because the picture is cut in, a seal has to be carved as a mirror image if it is to print the right way round in wax.
The word is Italian and comes from intagliare, to cut into. The principle has not changed in thousands of years. This guide explains how the carving works in general, and how glass differs from stone. How a Carved Glass Intaglio Piece Is Made covers what happens afterwards, when a finished stone is measured, set and polished into jewellery.
Cut in, not raised
An intaglio is the opposite of a relief. In a relief the picture stands up from the surface. In an intaglio the picture is cut below it. The cutter removes material, so the carving is a small hollow in the shape of the picture.
That is the difference between an intaglio and a cameo. In a cameo the background is cut away and the picture stands up. Intaglio vs Cameo: How to Tell Them Apart shows how to tell them apart.
The tools
The carver's tools are small cutters shaped as drills, wheels, cones or balls. In antiquity they were made of copper, bronze or iron, and sometimes of softer materials such as wood or reed. The tool was turned by a bow, which the carver drew back and forth to spin it quickly.
The abrasive does the cutting
The cutter does not cut by its own edge. It is dipped in a slurry of fine abrasive powder and oil, and the grit does the cutting. In antiquity the powder was emery or corundum. Today it is often diamond dust. The carver turns the tool while moving the stone against it, and the picture grows line by line.
This is slow, careful work. The harder the material, the longer it takes to carve. That is one reason carved gems were prized in the ancient world.
Why seals are carved in reverse
An intaglio makes a raised print when it is pressed into soft wax or clay. If the picture is cut the normal way round, the print comes out flipped. A seal engraver therefore cut a mirror image, so that the print reads correctly. This matters most for writing, where a flipped letter would be unreadable. The full seal story is in Intaglio Signet Rings: Seals, History and How to Wear One.
Cut glass and moulded glass
Glass can be carved with the same kind of tools as stone, and it takes the cut more easily. It can also be moulded. Roman craftsmen made glass gems from impressions of carved stones, and in the 18th century James Tassie made glass paste casts in the same way. The result can look very similar to a carved piece, which is why both belong to the history of the intaglio. The story of the glass gems is in What Is Intaglio Glass?.
This guide describes the technique in general. It is not a description of the carving method of any one piece.
How depth shows
Look from the front and a good intaglio seems to float inside the stone. Light passes through the glass and picks out the lines, so a stone looks different as you turn it. A clear stone shows the cut most sharply. A deep colour shows it as the light moves.
What to look at in a carved piece
- Clear lines. The edges of the carving should be crisp where they are cut.
- Even depth. A picture cut at one depth reads as one picture.
- Balance. The design should sit comfortably within the outline of the stone.
Each piece is made by hand, so small differences from one piece to the next are normal.
Pieces to look at
These pieces show the carved picture in the style of the ancient gems:
- Blue intaglio cocktail ring in a Roman style
- Clear oval intaglio earrings in a Grand Tour Roman style
- Green round intaglio earrings in a Greek Roman style
- Intaglio necklace in a Roman style
You can see them all in the intaglio rings, earrings and necklaces collections.
Each piece is made to order and sent in a gift box. It is dispatched within 2 to 5 business days and arrives 15 to 20 days after you place it, dispatch included.
Frequently asked questions
What does intaglio carving mean?
It means cutting a design down below the surface of a stone or glass, so that the picture is a hollow in the shape of the design. The word comes from the Italian for to cut into.
What tools are used for intaglio carving?
Small rotating cutters shaped as drills, wheels, cones or balls, dipped in an abrasive powder and oil. In antiquity the tool was turned by a bow. The abrasive, and not the cutter itself, does the cutting.
Why is a seal carved as a mirror image?
So that the print it makes in wax or clay reads the right way round. A picture cut the normal way would print flipped.
Can glass be carved as well as stone?
Yes. Glass can be cut with similar tools and takes the cut more easily. It can also be moulded from an impression of a carved piece.
Is an intaglio the same as a cameo?
No. An intaglio is cut down into the surface. A cameo is carved so that the picture stands up from it.