This aquamarine intaglio incised with an image of the nymph Galena is a gem of the Hellenic collection in the section of glyptic (engraved gems) section. All elements of the glyptic language are fused here in a single artistic image — the translucency and colour of the blue-green aquamarine convey the sea, the "splashing" lines of the carving create the illusion that the image is being seen through the upper layer of a wave. In Greek mythology the nymph Galena was the embodiment of a calm, clear sea or lack of wind when that was to the sailors' benefit.