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A Fascination with Facets
"The brilliancy and value of jewels is one of the surest means of adding something to the importance of our being; they proclaim us from afar."
-- Jean André Rouquet, 1755
Long associated with heavenly bodies, magic powers, and healing properties, gemstones were integral to the collection space known as the Kunstkammer. Rulers displayed them as powerful marvels of the natural world, either in their uncut state or incorporated into the complex decorative program of a precious object. As new sources were discovered over the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, gemstones became a distinct field of scientific inquiry, and scholars experimented to establish the relative durability of different types.
Eighteenth-century innovations in gem-cutting techniques released their inner brilliance. Cut diamonds, sapphires, and jacinths became centerpieces of princely display. These gemstones were still associated with the heavens and with healing, but when precisely cut into sparkling jewels they also implied a sophisticated knowledge of proportions, geometry, and refraction.
Artisans incorporated intricately faceted gemstones into the highest emblems of honor, displayed in royal treasuries and adorning the powerful to evoke awe during public appearances. Jewelry sets studded with gemstones like those in this gallery served both as splendid markers of wealth and as symbols of the hidden potential within nature. |