Even so early as the thirteenth century, the jewellers of Paris had become notorious for producing artificial jewels.  Among their laws was one which stipulated that “the jeweller was not to dye the amethyst, or other false stones, nor mount them in gold leaf nor other colour, nor mix them with rubies, emeralds, or other precious stones, except as a crystal simply without mounting or dyeing.”

One day Cellini had found a ruby which he believed to be set dishonestly, that is, a very pale stone with a thick coating of dragon’s blood smeared on its back.  When he took it to some of his favourite “dunderheads,” they were sure that he was mistaken, saying that it had been set by a noted jeweller, and could not be an imposition.  So Benvenuto immediately removed the stone from its setting, thereby exposing the fraud.  “Then might that ruby have been likened to the crow which tricked itself out in the feathers of the peacock,” observes Cellini, adding that he advised these “old fossils in the art” to provide themselves with better eyes than they then wore.  “I could not resist saying this,” chuckles Benvenuto, “because all three of them wore great gig-lamps on their noses; whereupon they all three gasped at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and with God’s blessing, made off.”  Cellini tells of a Milanese jeweller who concocted a great emerald, by applying a very thin layer of the real stone upon a large bit of green glass:  he says that the King of England bought it, and that the fraud was not discovered for many years.

A commission was once given Cellini to make a magnificent crucifix for a gift from the Pope to Emperor Charles V., but, as he expresses it, “I was hindered from finishing it by certain beasts who had the vantage of the Pope’s ear,” but when these evil whisperers had so “gammoned the Pope,” that he was dissuaded from the crucifix, the Pope ordered Cellini to make a magnificent Breviary instead, so that the “job” still remained in his hands.

Giovanni Pisano made some translucid enamels for the decorations of the high altar in Florence, and also a jewelled clasp to embellish the robe of a statue of the Virgin.

Ghiberti was not above turning his attention to goldsmithing, and in 1428 made a seal for Giovanni de Medici, a cope-button and mitre for Pope Martin V., and a gold nutre with precious stones weighing five and a half pounds, for Pope Eugene IV.

Diamonds were originally cut two at a time, one cutting the other, whence has sprung the adage, “diamond cut diamond.”  Cutting in facets was thus the natural treatment of this gem.  The practise originated in India.  Two diamonds rubbing against each other systematically will in time form a facet on each.  In 1475 it was discovered by Louis de Berghem that diamonds could be cut by their own dust.

It is an interesting fact in connection with the Kohinoor that in India there had always been a legend that its owner should be the ruler of India.  Probably the ancient Hindoos among whom this legend developed would be astonished to know that, although the great stone is now the property of the English, the tradition is still unbroken!