The world of lapidary, it is vast and wide with many meanings, processes, terms, and experts; a little research reviled what lapidary really is, meanings and different processes. The word lapidary is derived from the lapis or stone and means "of or pertaining to stones" or "one who cuts and polishes Stones". But it can also mean a lapidary who is ‘concerned with stones, such an as artist or artisan who forms stone, mineral, gemstones, and other suitably durable materials (amber, shell, jet, pearl, copal, coral, horn and bone, glass and other synthetics) into decorative items such as engraved gems, including cameos, or cabochons, and faceted designs.
However, it has several other meanings pertaining to, about, "of inscriptions." Since inscriptions were laboriously chiselled to stone, a "lapidary" writing style is crisp, accurate, formal, and condensed. Another meaning is a treatise on the subject of precious stones, one example being the so-called Old English Lapidary, a tenth or eleventh-century translation into Anglo-Saxon of earlier Latin glosses on stones mentioned in The Book of Revelation.
The arts of a sculptor or stonemason do not generally fall within the definition, though chiseling inscriptions in stone, and preparing laboratory 'thin sections' may be considered lapidary arts. But, figurative engraved gems and cameos are certainly the work of artists. In modern contexts, the term is most commonly associated with jewelry and decorative household items (e.g. bookends, clock faces, ornaments, etc.) A specialized form of lapidary work is the inlaying of marble and gemstones into a marble matrix, known in English as "pietra dura" for the hardstones like onyx, jasper and carnelian that are used, but called in Florence and Naples, where the technique was developed in the 16th century, opere di commessi. The Medici Chapel at San Lorenzo in Florence is completely veneered with inlaid hard stones. The specialty of "micromosaics", developed from the late 18th century in Naples and Rome, in which minute slivers of glass are assembled to create still life, cityscape views and the like, is sometimes covered under the umbrella term of lapidary.
Essentially the lapidary process is one of shaping the material with a coarse grinding wheel or disc; then regrinding to obtain a smoother surface until a glossy surface is obtained. The polishing operation is done with various mineral oxides. Some compounds work well on one kind of stone while other compounds work on other kinds of stones.
Tumbling is lapidary treatment given to irregularly shaped stones by a mechanical process of continuous agitation or "tumbling" of the stones with a series of coarse to fine grits usually with water and culminating with the polishing of the baroque shapes. Tumble stones are inexpensive and are used in simple jewelry, as "feely" stones and for making novelty items such as key chains and "critters".
Among the many other types of treatment given gem materials the beginner usually learns first how to cut and polish a cabachon. The cabachon or for short "the cab" is a gem with a flat back, rounded or domed top. It can be round, square, rectangular, or oval in outline. Colored, opaque or patterned stone or stones displaying some interesting phenomena are usually cut as cabs. Jade, petrified wood, agate, and opal are examples of stones that are usually cut "en cabachon".
There are lapidary clubs throughout the world. In Australia there are numerous gem shows including an annual gem show, the Gemborree which is a nation-wide lapidary competition. There is a collection of gem and mineral shows held in Tucson, Arizona, at the beginning of February each year. This group of shows constitutes to one of the largest gem and mineral event in the world. The event was originally started with the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society Show and has now grown to include dozens and hundreds of other independent shows.
Reprinted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Oct81 News Nuggets and other website sources.
