'It is not only the gem-specialists among classical archaeologists and art-historians, or students of the reception of antiquity and history of collecting, who will study this publication with the greatest interest, but all lovers of antiquity and art: they will delight in the mastery of the gem-engraver, the beauty of his works and the variety of subjects portrayed, all presented here so captivatingly and so splendidly.'- Erika Zwierlein-Diehl, Honorary Professor of Classical Archaeology, Bonn University, 'This splendid volume for the first time makes accessible a noble collection of the highest importance, combining stunning new photographs with erudite, yet accessible, scholarship. Ancient, Renaissance, and more recent cameos and intaglios - along with their colourful histories - will delight and inform all readers who have an interest in engraved gems, classical art and the history of virtu.' - Kenneth Lapatin, Curator of Antiquities, J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles