Intarsia 399
This polished intarsia artwork consists of Moss Agate overlaying Turquoise with a double color border and black backing. The cabochon is constructed from 11 individual pieces.
A winter river scene is created with the layers of moss agate and turquoise. Black dendrites form a line of trees and and thin forest in the background. Black, dark brown, white, and translucent sections of agate at the bottom create a combination of snow and mud with a river peaking through.
The turquoise layer creates a saturated sky, and is partially screened by the moss agate to create faint clouds. The frame has white magnesite mimicking a matte around a picture, and black onyx for the surrounding frame. Backed with black basalt for a solid dark base, and an angled bevel.
Center: Moss Agate, Turquoise, and Black Basalt
Border: Magnesite and Black Onyx
62mm x 40mm
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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.
