Stones adorn ancient jewelry as inlays, pendants, and beads. The harder stones are more difficult to work, but they survive better over time. Stones were first chipped into approximate shapes with various metal and harder stone tools. Flint, for instance, can cut stones as hard as quartz. Some stones were then cut to more precise shapes.

Of all the techniques employed by the ancient goldsmith, granulation has proved the most difficult to reproduce. Even today, with sophisticated magnification devices, precisely controlled temperatures, and other superior technology, rarely is granulation done with the skill that was achieved in ancient times.

Both cutting and piercing of sheet gold were accomplished in ancient times by means of small chisels. Some holes may have been drilled. 

The influence of neoclassicism — the use of forms and motifs drawn from ancient Greek and Roman sources — has endured in the decorative and design arts.

Although Josiah Wedgwood is now remembered for his elaborate exhibition wares, the bulk of his production was actually in high-quality creamwares like this wine cooler. Potted in the shape of a wooden pail, this cooler is decorated with brown