Jewelry Glossary

This jewelry glossary is a work in progress.  I'll be adding to this page as I discover more jewelry terms to add to it.  It is, by no means, comprehensive, but will hopefully be so one day.

Alloy -  A mixture of two or more metals.

Alpaca - this is an alloy that is made of approximately 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc, with 5 % tin.  It is often used as a substitute for silver and is found in many Mexican designs.  Also known as German Silver.

Art Deco - This is a style that was popular in the early 20th century from 1910s-20s.  It originated in France and is characterized by geometric designs and angles.  Styles from this period have very few curves.   The style became bolder and eventually evolved into Art Moderne.

Art Nouveau - Designs from the late 19th and early 20th century, to about WWII time,  which made its way into jewelry making.  Often characterized by curved, flowing, asymmetrical lines.  Many designs feature leaves, flowers, insects, sensual women, etc.  As compared to Art Deco, this style has lots of curves.  Tiffany many many Art Nouveau designs.

Aurora Borealis - is a name for a particular type of rhinestone which has an iridescent finish which sparkles with a great variety of color.  This iridescence is the result of a deposit of a very thin layer of metallic atoms on the lower surface of the rhinestone.  It is very susceptible to scratching, so must be stored carefully.  The process was created in 1955 by Swarovski in collaboration with Christian Dior.

Bezel - this is a setting used in jewelry, in which a stone is held in place by a band (either plain or with a fancy edging, around the outside of a stone.  See also Prong settings.

Brooch - A jewelry piece to pin on to a sweater or at a shirt's neckline.  It is like a pin, only larger.

Channel setting - this setting is often used to set baguette and round stones.  In this settings, the jewels are place in a metal channel, which has a slight rim which runs along the "channel" - thus the name.

Châton setting - this setting holds a stone in place my a series of metal claws around a metal ring.  It is also referred to as a coronet or arcade setting.

Claw setting- In this setting, the stone is held securely in place by a series of metal prongs, called claws.    There is no metal directly under the stone, since the setting is open.  The claws grip the stone above the girdle.  It is often used for transparent stones, since it lets light in under the stone. 

Cloisonné - a design in which enamel is applied to metal, by first outlining the metal surface with gold or silver wire into a design.  The space between the wires is then filled with email and fired to a highly polished, glassy sheen.  Many cloisonné designs feature flowers and butterflies.

Costume Jewelry - Jewelry made from non fine or non precious materials.

Dead stone - this is a term often used for foil backed rhinestones which have lost their original shiny finish.  This usually happens when moisture comes in contact with the foil backing and damaging it.  Dead stones can appear dull, gray, or yellowish.

Demi-parure - refers to a matching set of jewelry - often a necklace, earrings and a pin, all of the same design and made to be worn together.  See also Parure.

Edwardian Period - this period is named for the time of the reign of Edward VII of England (1901-1910).  It is also known as the "Belle Epoque."  Edwardian jewelry is characterized by delicate and elegant designs, often with bows and filigree settings.   It is also known for use of pearls and diamonds in the designs.

En bosse ronde - the process of applying enamel to a metal surface.

Engraving - the process of making a design in a hard surface, often metal,  by cutting grooves into it.

Fob - a Decorative ornament worn on a chain, and usually worn with a watch.

Freshwater pearl - this pearl is harvested from a freshwater mollusk - a mussel.  The shape of freshwater pearls is similar to a grain of crisped rice cereal, rather than round, and they are less valuable than oyster pearls. 

German Silver - this is an alloy that is made of approximately 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc, with 5 % tin.  Also known as Alpaca.  It was invented in the mid 1800s in Germany as a substitute for silver.

Gold Filled - this is a term for a thin outer layer of gold over a base metal.  It is abbreviated GF.  As an example 1/20 GF 12K must be al last 1/20th gold and it is layered with 12karat gold.  To be classified as gold filled, a jewelry item must be at least 1/20th gold by weight.

Gold Plated - In this type of finish, a very thin layer of gold is applied on the surface, usually by electroplating.  Jewelry pieces with this finish are often marked G.E.P, gold plated or gold electroplate.

Gunmetal - an alloy popular in the 1890s which is a mix of 90% copper and 10% tin.

Guilloche - this is a process of enameling, where translucent enamel (fused glass) is applied over a metal surface that has been engraved in some way - often with a spirograph design.

Hallmark - this is the term used for an official mark made on metal.  It can indicate the type of metal or the manufacturer.  Sometimes, the year of manufacture will be noted.  Examples are: Sarah Cov, which is the Hallmark for the Sarah Coventry Company, 925 which indicates silver content, and a Pegasus horse, which is the hallmark of the Corocraft jewelry company.

Hematite - a opaque gem which is dark gray to almost place in color.

Inclusion - this is a small particle of foreign matter which is contained in a mineral.  Many inclusions devalue a stone, but some are prized and make it more valuable - i.e.  Star Sapphire.

Inlay - this is a term for a process in which a piece of material such as glass or stone is partially embedded into another material.  The finished result is that the two materials make a level surface.    Mother of pearl is often seen as an inlay in jewelry items.

Intaglio - A design made by cutting deeply on the obverse or back side of a stone or gemstone.

Jappaned - a finish for jewelry made when the metal is coated in a shiny black coating.

Jet - This is fossilized coal which is also known as gagate.  It is hard and light weight and is a lustrous black color.  It was used in mourning jewelry during the Victorian period.  Black glass and plastics are often made to look like jet.  True jet is warm to the touch.

Lariat necklace - a necklace with open, decorated ends that are looped or knotted instead of clasped. It often has a central decorative finding through which the ends are threaded.

Lavaliere - this is a term for a pendant which has a dangling stone below it.  The term was named for the Duchess Louise de La Valliere - a mistress of the French King Louis XIV.

Matinee Length - a single strand necklace which is between 22-23 inches long. 

Micromosaic - this is a term for jewelry pieces in which designs or pictures are made from very tiny tiles of stone or glass, etc.  This type of jewelry is  often found in Italian designs and is highly collectible.

Molded Cameo - this is a cameo which is made by a molding process, rather than hand carving from shell.  Molded cameos are often made from porcelain, glass or plastic.  Two colors are often used - one for the design and another for the background.

Mourning Jewelry - is worn when one is mourning the loss of a loved one.  It is often black.  Queen Victoria went into a very long period of mourning when her husband Albert died and wore much black clothing and mourning jewelry - much of it made from jet.

Nacre - this is a crystalline layer which is secreted by oysters, mussels and other mollusks around a foreign object.  Layers of nacre which form over a period of time create a pearl.

Niello - a method of decorating metal objects, using engraving techniques.  Silver, copper, sulphur or lead are rubbed into an indented pattern and then fired. When the object is polished, darkened areas remain for a decorative effect.

Opera Length - a single strand necklace which is 30-35" in length.  It hangs to the breastbone.

Oriental pearl - a pearl which forms normally without human intervention or creation.

Parure - This is a matching set of jewelry, usually a brooch, necklace, earrings and a bracelet, but can be even larger.  Part of a parure is called a demi or semi parure.

Patina - this term refers to the change in the surface layer of jewelry as a result of the aging process.  Sterling silver is particularly susceptible to developing a patina over time.

Pave - the process of setting stones (notably rhinestones), where a number of small stones are set as closely together as possible.  Better pieces use a claw setting.  Less expensive pieces often have the stones simply glued in.

Plique a jour - The process of applying enamel where a metal backing is lacking.

Princess length - a single strand necklace which is 18" long.

Prong - this setting has a series of metal prongs which grip around the side of stones.  Better rhinestone jewelry is prong set, rather than glued.

Repousse - in this process, sheet metal has designs hammered into the back of it with special punches which form raised designs.

Retro - this is a term for chunky jewelry from the 1940s which was often geometric in design.  The term is also used for modern jewelry of this style.

Rhinestones - this is a type of highly reflective glass which is made to imitate gemstones.  Original rhinestones were quartz stones or rock crystal found on the floor of the Rhine river.  Swarovski is renowned for their high quality rhinestones.

Rhodium - often used for plating over other metals, particularly sterling, to give a tarnish free finish.

Sautoir - this is a term for a long necklace of beads, pearls or chains, often ending in tassels.  It was very popular in the 1920s.

Scatter Pins - this is a term for a series of small pins which are worn together in groups. 

Taxco - This is a town in Mexico famous for its sterling silver jewelry.  Taxco sterling jewelry is highly collectible.

Torsade - this term refers to a necklace which is made of many strands which are twisted together, instead of hanging loosely.

Trembler - this is a piece of jewelry which has a part which is set on a spring, resulting in this part moving as the wearer of the jewelry moves.  Coro is famous for its trembler jewelry.

Triplet - This is a process whereby a stone is made by sandwiching three thin layers of stones together.  The term is often used for opals which has only a middle layer of opal surrounded by other materials on the top and bottom of it to generate a particular color.

Vauxhall Glass - a type of glass named for a mirror glass made in Britain in the early 1700's, in Vauxhall, London.  Commonly made in deep burgundy color, but there are other colors as well.  It is quite hard to find because it became damaged from wearing.

 Verdigris - over time, costume or fine jewelry can develop a green gunk disease known as verdigris.  The presence of this green gunk means that there is metal damage underneath. 

Vermeil - pronounced "vairmay", this term refers to silver, bronze or copper with a thin layer of gold plating over the top.  Commonly used with sterling silver jewelry to help with the problem of tarnishing.