Don't really have time today to pursue this. But I do think there's a substantial difference between the creation of a gem (even of a Silmaril) & the sub creation of a world which may contain numerous Silmarilli, if the sub creator so desires.
My whole difficulty all along has been that the Elves, especially the Noldor, are the great creators of ME, but, even if we accept their works of art as sub creative acts, they are limited. Too limited. Even the Silmarils are 'simple' creations. Of course, in terms of what it took to make them they weren't 'simple' tasks for Feanor, but end the end, for all the work involved, for all their beauty, they are a less 'complex' creation than a sub created world, like Tolkien's own, which can contain not only Silmarils, but whole races, creatures, languages, art, good, evil, sacrifice, life & death. In other words, Tolkien's sub created world is infinitely more complex than anything it contains. But WHY? Why is there no comparable sub creation even referred to?
I will try & pursue this more tomorrow.
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