Intaglio

(lapidary) A type of carved gemstone in which the figure is engraved on the surface of the stone rather than left in relief by cutting away the background, as in a cameo.

The name given to the type of carved gemstone in which the figure is engraved into the surface of the stone, rather than left in relief by cutting away the background, as in a cameo. Intaglios are almost as old as recorded history, for this type of carving was popular in ancient Egypt in the form of cylinders. Intaglios have been carved in a variety of gem materials, including emerald, crystalline quartz, hematite, and the various forms of chalcedony. See also Cameo.