This polished intarsia contains multiple layers of stone, with the center containing Brazilian Agate, Santa Maria Plume Agate, and Turquoise; completed with a double border frame and black backing. The cabochon is constructed from 12 individual pieces.
With a blue turquoise sky, the next layer of Santa Maria Plume Agate creates the gentle white clouds in the background, as well as green foliage in the distance. Its plumes create green trees on the horizon and a ground beneath it. The layer of Brazilian Agate that sits on top contains rare plumage for the material. It creates leafy, round yellow trees that appear much larger than those behind it, adding more depth to this tiny picture. The rest of the Brazilian Agate it mostly clear to allow the layers beneath to show.
Brazilian Agate
Santa Maria Plume Agate
Turquoise
Black Basalt
Border:
Black Agate
African Queen Picture Jasper
50mm x 35mm
Intarsia: The Gem Shop’s founder, Eugene Mueller, has an MFA in painting and has won awards in the Cutting Edge Competition® for his intarsia, and has crafted and/ or designed many of the pieces available here. For thousands of years artisans have been using stone, striving to create the most beautiful scene possible. This process is commonly referred to as Intarsia. Intarsia traces its history back to the Italian Renaissance, and was called pietra dura or pietre dure. This is a term for the inlay technique of using thinly cut and polished stones to create images. The stonework is glued stone-by-stone to a substrate after having previously been sliced and cut in different shape sections; and then assembled together so precisely that the contact between each section is practically invisible. Intarsia items are generally crafted on green, white or black base stones. Traditionally Intarsia pieces have a flat polish, but more contemporary pieces are more freeform and have a dome polish, and are often referred to as “composite cabochons.” Intarsia is a high expression of lapidary art requiring a close mastery. Each piece is eccentric and highly collectible – a true work of art.