Victorian Essex Crystal jewellery: Rock Crystal was cut so that it has a flat back and a rounded and smooth front. The back of the crystal rock was then carefully carved out in the desired form. The depressions were then painted in detail. The designs generally used were animal motifs and hunting scenes. The intricacy of the work depended on the skill level of the artist. Mother of pearl was used as base. The finished products are almost life – like. Some of the pieces were quite massive while others delicate. They were usually mounted on cufflinks, bracelets, pendants etc. Given the whimsical ways of dame, imitations crept in and popularity waned. The skill also slowly died because of the high cost of this labor intensive technique. Today they have become collectibles.