This polished intarsia contains multiple layers of stone, with the center containing Del Norte Plume Agate, Peruvian Blue Opal, and Turquoise; completed with a double border frame and black backing. The cabochon is constructed from 12 individual pieces.
A mountainous landscape is created in this intarsia cabochon. The turquoise and blue opal combine to create a vibrant blue sky with faint clouds. The blue opal layer contains a large amount of light tan and reddish matrix. The combination creates distant mountains topped with spots of snow. The viewer appears to look at the scene from atop another hill or mountain with dense yellow foliage. Del Norte Plume Agate creates this foreground, with distinct yellow plumes, strong contrast, and an earthy ground.
Del Norte Plume Agate
Peruvian Blue Opal
Turquoise
Black Basalt
Border:
Black Onyx
Wildhorse Picture Jasper
29mm x 32mm
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.