Exodus 28:11

11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shall you engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Yisra'el: you shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold.

Exodus 28:11 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 28:11

With the work of an engraver in stone
Not in common but precious stones: Moses was not to do this himself, as it could not be supposed he should, but he was to employ an engraver, whose business it was, and one that was capable of doing it in a professional manner:

[like] the engravings of a signet shall thou engrave the two stones
with the names of the children of Israel:
as in signets or seals, by which impressions are made on wax, the letters or figures are cut deep, that they might on the wax stand out; so it seems the letters of the names of the children of Israel were cut in these stones: this shows that engraving on precious stones is very old, and the ancients indeed are said to excel in this art:

thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold;
in beazils or sockets, such as precious stones in rings are set in; these with the stones in them served as buttons to fasten together the hinder and fore part of the ephod on the shoulder pieces of it.

Exodus 28:11 In-Context

9 You shall take two shoham stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Yisra'el:
10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shall you engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Yisra'el: you shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold.
12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the efod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Yisra'el: and Aharon shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial.
13 You shall make settings of gold,
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.