the.com/lapidary
a word so polished it means both gem-cutter and writer who refuses one wasted syllable.
means Relating to the cutting or engraving of gemstones, or — by extension — describing writing or speech so precise and polished it seems carved in stone.
from From Latin lapidarius, "of stone," from lapis, lapidem, "stone" — the same stony root behind "dilapidated" (literally falling apart stone by stone). It began life describing the gem-cutter at the bench, then migrated to inscriptions chiseled in marble, where every letter had to earn its space; from there it slid naturally to any prose with that same chiseled economy.
- two jobs
- Cuts stones or prose, equally obsessive about edges.
- latin root
- From lapis, meaning stone.
- oldest craft
- Bead drilling predates the wheel by millennia.
- highest praise
- Calling writing lapidary means every word earned its place.
- not facets
- Cabochons are lapidary too, polished smooth not sharp.
mughal jade carvings — mughal emperors employed master lapidaries in 16th-17th century india to carve jade vessels, cups, and decorative objects
idar-oberstein — german town famous since the 18th century for its lapidary workshops cutting and polishing agate and other gemstones