Burdy
Henri Auguste Burdy was a French sculptor and gem engraver. Born in Grenoble in 1833, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and in 1863 was awarded second prize in the Prix de Rome for a medal ‘Bacchus Forcing a Panther to Drink.’ After experimenting with carving gemstones he grew ever more skilled in this area producing carvings for jewelry houses like Boucheron and others. He even carved a 1000 carat emerald to a 225 carat finished piece that ended up in the collection of Napoleon. His gem carvings can be seen by microscope on some pieces and have impressed the big jewelry houses across the board.
