The gemstones were cut for Dunlop by lapidaries in Germany. String sawing was a technique likely developed by Costa Rican lapidaries, in the northeastern region. Metalsmiths, beaders, carvers, and lapidaries combine these materials to create jewelry. Thus, lapidaries, engravers, and copyists made the most of the available writing space. Those lapidaries were expanded and continue to exist to this day. The lapidaries select stones of variegated colours, producing beads of different shapes and sizes. Lapidaries are often found in conjunction with herbals, and as part of larger encyclopedic works.