| Summary: | Unusual or rare gems have been valued for as long as there have been humans to appreciate them. The making of beads and ornaments provides some of the earliest examples of the manipulation of materials solely for aesthetic reasons. Throughout history, we have refined the processes and constructed dedicated machinery to further enhance the desirable qualities of certain stones. The gems themselves acquire legends and stories that enhance their value both as objects of beauty and wonder. Despite this rich history, few practical studies have been done on the history of gem cutting. Contemporary accounts have been written about the materials and equipment used for ancient and historical lapidary work, but few people working in experimental archaeology have undertaken to perform a program of experiments to undertake comparative analyses of lapidary work. The experiments carried out here explore the equipment used in the 18th Century as well as the various materials used for grinding gems and polishing them. And as in all field-based experimental archaeology, there is a strong experiential component. This project was funded as a fellowship by Colonial Williamsburg in conjunction with EXARC. The author wishes to thank the staff of Colonial Williamsburg who support the exploration of craft industries and the recreation of lifeways during the 18th Century in Colonial America, and to EXARC for its overall support of experimental archaeology and for the promotion of this project.
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