| JEWELRY TERMS AND TECHNIQUES |
| Aigrette |
An aigrette is a feather-shaped piece of jewelry that is worn in the hair or on a hat |
| A-Jour Setting |
An open work setting in which the bottom portion of the stone can be seen. Also a setting in which the metal has open work |
| Alma Chain |
A chain with broad ribbed links |
| Bail |
A triangular finding that attaches a pendant to a necklace |
| Bayadère |
A pearl necklace that has many strands of pearls twisted together |
| Baroque Pearl |
An irregularly shaped pearl which often has a "lumpy" appearance |
| Basse-Taille |
An enameling technique in which a translucent enameling is applied to an engraved metal surface |
| Benoition Chain |
A chain worn suspended from the top of the head that encircles the head and drops down onto the bosom |
| Bezel |
A metal rim which holds the stone in a ring, a cameo in its mounting |
| Bodkin |
A heavily jeweled Renaissance era hairpin |
Brilliant Cut |
A cut that returns the greatest amount of white light to the eye. It usually has 57 or 58 facets, mostly used for diamonds or other transparent stone |
| Briolettes |
Teardrop shaped cuts covered with facets |
| Cabachon Cut |
An unfaceted stone, usually dome-shaped and round or oval-cut |
| Calibre Cut |
Small stones cut in the shape of squares, rectangles or oblongs used to embellish jewelry |
| Cameo |
A layered stone in which a design is engraved on the top layer and the remainder is carved away to reveal the next layer, leaving the design in relief. Also done in shell, coral and lava |
| Cameo Habille |
A type of cameo in which the carved head is adorned with a necklace, earrings or head ornament set with small stones |
| Carat |
A unit of weight for gemstones |
| Cartouche |
An ornamental tablet used in decoration or to be engraved, usually symmetrical |
| Champlevé |
An enameling technique in which enamel is put into areas engraved or carved into the metal |
| Chasing |
The technique of embellishing metal by hand using hammers and punches to make indentations - thus raising the design |
| Chatelaine |
A set of household tools each attached to a chain and usually worn at the waist. Chatelaine tools frequently included scissors, a needle holder, thimble, vinaigrette, pin cushion, etui/necessaire, writing tablet, pencil, perfume bottle, seal, boot hook, etc |
| Chaton |
The central or main ornament of a ring |
| Cipher |
A monogram of letters intertwined |
| Cloisonné |
Metal wire or metal strips used to make a design, or cloison, and filled with colored enamel |
| Cloud |
A type of inclusion in some gemstones that has a milky appearance |
| Crown |
The upper part of a gemstone |
| Curb Chain |
A chain in which the oval flattened links are twisted so that they lie flat |
| Damascene |
The art of encrusting metal with other metals |
| Demi-parure |
A matching set of jewelry consisting of only a few pieces such as a necklace with matching earrings or a bracelet with matching brooch |
| Diadem |
A tiara, a circular or semi-circular piece of jewelry worn on the head |
| Drop |
A small decorative object or ornament suspended from a brooch, necklace, earrings, etc. Usually used to refer to a teardrop shaped ornament, also called a dangle |
| Échelle |
Series of graduated gem-set brooches or dress ornaments, often of a bow motif, worn vertically, large to small, down the front of a bodice during the 17th and 18th centuries |
| Embossed |
A surface decoration in which the design is raised slightly above the surface |
| Engraving |
To etch a pattern or figure into a metal surface using a sharp graving tool (a burin) |
| Eternity Ring |
A ring with stones set all the way around, symbolizing the “never ending” circle of eternity |
| Facet |
One of the flat surfaces of a cut stone |
| Fede Ring |
An engagement ring that features two hands “clasped in troth” |
| Ferronniere |
A chain that encircles the forehead as portrayed in Leonardo da Vinci’s “La Bel Torronnier” |
| Filigree |
Lacy, intricate and delicate ornamental work created by intertwining gold, silver, brass or other fine wire |
| Findings |
Functional parts of jewelry such as catches, clasps, hooks, jump rings, springs, clips, pins, wires, loops, caps and earring backs |
| Girandole |
Brooch or earring style in which three pendant stones hang from a large central stone |
| Graduated Strand |
A strand of beads or simulated pearls of graduating sizes that stars smaller in the back and get larger towards the centre of the necklace |
| Granulation |
Tiny beads of metal that are soldered to the surface to form a pattern |
| Grelots |
Small beads that have an elongated, pendant shape |
| Hammering |
A technique of decorating jewelry using a hammer on the metal’s surface |
| Incise |
A line cut or engraved in a material |
| Inclusion |
A particle of foreign matter contained within a mineral |
| Inlay |
A piece of material (usually stone or glass) that is partially embedded in another material (usually metal) such that the two materials make a level surface |
| Intaglio |
A design that is cut or carved into a gemstone or piece of glass. Most often the design is of a woman, like in a cameo. Intaglio is the opposite of a cameo that is carved in relief |
| Iridescent |
An iridescent object displays many lustrous, changing colors. Iridescence is caused by the reflection of light from the jewel |
| Ivory |
Ivory is elephant tusks which used to be carved into beautiful jewelry, trinkets and piano keys. The finest ivory is the white African elephant ivory; Asian elephant ivory is more yellow. Other tusk-like material is often substituted for ivory, including walrus tusks, whale teeth, hippopotamus teeth, animal bone and palm seed |
| Lavalier |
A pendant with a dangling stone that hangs from a necklace, named after the infamous Duchess Louise de La Valliere, a French woman who was a mistress of King Louis XIV and who was involved in many intrigues at court |
| Locket |
A pendant that opens nad closes and can hold small items such as photos, hair, a charm or other small precious objects |
| Lozenge |
A lozenge cut stone is a step-cut gem with a diamond shape |
| Luster |
The sparkle or shine of a stone by how light reflects from its surface |
| Niello |
A decorative technique in which the metal is scooped out and the recessed area is filled with a mixture of metallic blue-black finish |
| Opalescence |
A milky white/blue type of iridescence |
| Opaque |
Opaque means blocking the passage of light |
| Parure |
A matching suit of jewelry often consisting of necklace, bracelet, earrings, pin and sometimes a ring |
| Pendelique |
A pendelique cut is one that is lozenge shaped, frequently used for flawed stones |
| Pique |
A technique of decorating tortoise shell by inlaying it with pieces of gold and silver. Popular from the mid 17th century until Edwardian time |
| Plique-a-Jour |
An enameling technique that produces a “stained glass effect” because the enamel is held in a metal frame without any backing |
| Promise Ring |
A pre-engagement ring usually with a relatively small stone |
| Riviere |
A style of necklace containing individually set stones of the same size or graduating in size that are set in a row without any other ornamentation |
| Rondelle |
Small, round metal spacers used mostly in necklaces - strung between beads or pearls |
| Scatter Pins |
Small pins that are worked together in small groups |
| Seed Pearl |
A small pearl weighing less then ¼ grain |
| Shank |
The circle of metal that attaches to the head of a ring and encircles the finger |
| Striations |
Grooves, lines and scratches found naturally in some minerals |
| Table |
The large, flat area at the top of a cut gemstone |
| Translucent |
Translucent materials allow light to pass through them but the light is diffused (scattered) |
| Transparent |
Transparent materials allow light to pass through them without diffusing (scattering) the light |
| Tremblant |
A pin, brooch, clip and sometimes necklaces that have a moveable part set on a tiny spring causing it to tremble when the wearer moves, also called a nodder |
| Torsade |
A necklace with several strands of different beads, pearls and/or chains twisted together |
| Tortoise Shell |
A mottled brown to brownish gold horn-like substance derived from the marine turtle |
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Galerie de Paris
© Copyright 2002
TRG Creations
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