Glossary

Amulet - an ornament or small piece of jewelry thought to give protection against evil, danger, or disease.

Art Deco - the predominant decorative art style of the 1920s and 1930s, characterized by precise and boldly delineated geometric shapes and strong colors, and used most notably in household objects and in architecture.

 

Art Nouveau - a style of decorative art, architecture, and design prominent in western Europe and the US from about 1890 until World War I and characterized by intricate linear designs and flowing curves based on natural forms.

Assemblage - an artistic process consisting of making three-dimensional or two-dimensional  compositions by putting together found objects.

 

Aurora Borealis - a term that describes the finish (coating) given to crystal beads or rhinestones that appears irridescent, with many different colors.

Bakelite - a castable, fire resistant plastic that was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1909. It was originally used for industrial purposes, until jewelry makers found that its light weight made Bakelite a perfect choice for designing and manufacturing inexpensive bracelets, rings, pins and other jewelry.
Bakelite jewelry became especially popular in the 1930's and 1940's, after a wider assortment of colors was introduced.

Baroque pearls - a pearl with an irregular and free-form shape.

 

Bezel - a groove that holds a gemstone or watch crystal in place.

Bohemian garnet jewelry - jewelry featuring blood red pyrope garnets, popular during the 19th century Victorian era.

Briolette - an elongated pear-shaped gemstone cut with triangular facets. It is 800 years old and was popular during the Victorian times and although its popularity waned thereafter, it has enjoyed a recent resurgence for precious and semi-precious stones.

Cagework - embroidering beads on to filigree using wire (popularized by Miriam Haskell).

 

Camphor glass - a cloudy white glass that is either blown or pressed. Camphor glass was very popular in the mid-nineteenth century and used for jewelry, candlesticks, vases, dishes, barometers, and other pieces. Camphor glass jewelry imitates rock crystal.

 

Celluloid - a material credited as being the first synthetic plastic. It was widely used in making plastic jewelry. Jewelry made of celluloid dates roughly from 1900-1930.

 

Celtic - of or relating to the Celts or their languages, which constitute a branch of the Indo-European family and include Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Breton, Manx, Cornish, and several extinct pre-Roman languages such as Gaulish.

 

Chatelaine - a decorative belt hook or clasp worn by housekeepers.  Popular from the 17th to the early 20th century.  They were worn at the waist with a series of chains suspended from it. Each chain is mounted with a useful household appendage such as keys, scissors, thimble, watch, vinaigrette, household seal, etc.

 

Chaton - an imitation gem (rhinestone) that has its pavilion backed with metal foil or silver to reflect light.

 

Cabochon - a stone with a smooth domed top and flat bottom.  Polished, but unfaceted. 

 

Cameo - a piece of jewelry, typically oval in shape, consisting of a portrait in profile carved in relief on a background of a different color.

 

Cloisonne - enamelware in which colored areas are separated by thin metal strips.

Cut steel jewelry-  jewelry made of cast-steel studs and beads that are pierced or faceted, then arranged in patterns and packed closely together (intensifying their sparkle), and finally screwed or, in later pieces riveted, onto a metal back (originally steel, later copper).  Developed in England in the early 1600s, originally for buckles and buttons, cut steel began assuming other forms by the 1760s, including rings, brooches, bracelets and frames for Wedgwood medallions and cameos.

Damascene - (also known as Damasquinado de Oro or "Damasquino") is the art of decorating non-precious metals with gold. It has roots in the Middle Ages and originates from the oriental-style artisan work done in Damascus, Syria. The craft, perfected by the Arabs and brought with them to Spain, has remained virtually unchanged over the centuries. Damascene patterns are obtained by engraving deep, patterned cuts into steel and then placing a gold foil into the lines of the design. This foil is hammered until the gold  penetrates into the cuts, forming the design. Each piece is treated with a bluing solution to obtain oxidation and a black background is created. The back of all Damascene pieces are finished with gold metal.

Dragon's breath - a glass stone first used in jewelry manufacture in the early 1900's.  Viewing the stone at different angles, the light reflecting on the stone will show a change in color from red to blue, with subtle hints of other colors, giving an overall bright blue or purple hue.  Most stones are cabochons, having domed tops and flat backs with no foil backing.  The fiery coloration of the stones can be attributed to the molten metals added to the glass during the manufacturing process.  Some of the pieces originated from Mexico, and are often made of sterling silver.  Other elements in the design can include enamel and intricate wire work.  The name of the stone can be attributed to the vaporous, breath-like flashes that seem to appear within the stone.

Edwardian - refers to an era or period during the reign of King Edward VII, from 1901 to 1910. 

English cut beads - (also referred to as "rough cut") crudely molded, rounded glass beads with large irregular facets and mold marks.  These beads have not been fire-polished, so they have a more primitive and organic appearance.

Etruscan style jewelry - typically refers to 19th century jewelry with design influences from Etrurian jewelry dating circa 7th to 3rd centuries BC.  Estruscans were well known for their use of gold and techniques such as granulation, embossing, and applied filigree.  Often incorporated were colored gemstones, glass beads, or enamel.

Filigree - delicate and intricate ornamental work made from gold, silver, or other fine twisted wire.

Finding - the parts used to join jewelry components together to form a completed design.  Examples of jewelry findings include jump rings, clasps, bails, head pins, earwires, etc...

Fleur-de-lis - is a stylized lily motif primarily associated with the French monarchy.  (in French, fleur means flower, and lis means lily)

French jet - black or occasionally very deeply colored red glass, often backed with metal foil, that's glued, fused or soldered onto a metal setting; originally intended to imitate jet, though it possesses a harder, darker glitter than the real thing; French jet beads are sometimes roughly faceted to look like jet, but will be heavier in weight and cold to the touch when compared to genuine jet; developed in the early 19th century and perfected in the 1860s, it was manufactured in France - hence the name - though also in Austria, England, Germany, and what is now the Czech Republic.  Because it was much cheaper to produce than authentic jet, French jet became the premier source of modestly-priced mourning jewelry.

Fine silver - by content, fine silver is 99.9% silver. It is not an alloy such as sterling silver. In comparison, sterling silver is 92.5% silver. The other 7.5% consists of metals such as copper, zinc, and nickel, which are added for strength. Fine silver is softer than sterling, but can be work-hardened to increase durability.

 

 

More to come soon!