Jewelry history education

Searching for information about the history of jewelry. We have put together this site about some of the more interesting facts on jewelry. We have scoured the internet to find this information. Look around and have fun..

We have listed other types of information regarding jewelry, rings and bracelets here.

Jewelry terms and meanings

 

Agate	A variety of chalcedony found in all colors; used extensively in Scottish jewelry
Aigrette	Jeweled ornament in the shape of a feather or supporting a feather, worn in the hair or on a cap, popular in the middle of the eighteenth century and the early twentieth century
A Jour	Open setting that leaves the pavilion facets open to the light
Alloy	A mixture of two or more metals
Aluminum	A silver white metal that is lightweight and malleable
Amazonite	An opaque form of feldspar
Amber	The fossilized resin of prehistoric pine trees which ranges in color from golden to orange-red
Amethyst	A variety of quartz found in deep purple to a bluish-violet color
Annealing	The process of heating metal and then cooling it to render the metal more pliable
Aquamarine	A form of beryl found in pale green blue to clear blue colors
Arabesque	A form of decoration characterized by flowing lines, scrollwork, leaves, branches, floral forms, symmetrical in form
Art Nouveau	A period of design between the 1890’s and 1910; the jewelry is characterized by flowing lines, unusual interpretations of nature, the use of women with long flowing hair and the utilization of unusual materials
Assaying	Process of determining the proportions of precious metal contained in a piece of gold or silver
Assay Hallmark	Hallmark showing the office which assayed the metal used in a piece of jewelry (English)
Baguette	Gemstone cut in the shape of a narrow rectangle
Bakelite	Trade name for the first synthesized plastic, phenol formaldehyde resin invented by Dr. Leo Backeland
Bandeau	Head ornament in the form of a narrow band worn low, encircling the forehead
Bandelettes	Decorated ribbons worn in the hair
Bangle	Non-flexible bracelet
Baroque	Irregular shaped stone or pearl
Basse-taille	French for ‘shallow cut’, enameling technique worked in a chased relief metal and overlaid with translucent enamel
Berlin Iron	Cast iron jewelry worked into delicate openwork patterns, and made in Berlin during the first half of the nineteenth century
Bezel	Gemstone setting where a strip or wall of metal encircles the gemstone
Bijouterie	Art of working in gold and enamel
Biwa Pearl	Freshwater cultured pearl from Japan
Blister Pearl	Irregularly shaped and hollow pearl cut from the shell of the oyster
Bog-oak	fossilized oak from peat bogs in Ireland, popular during the Victorian Era
Bolt ring	A finding that is a hollow or partially hollow connecting ring which is drawn back on an internal spring
Borax	A flux used in soldering
Brass	An alloy of copper and zinc
Brilliant cut	A cutting style most often used for diamonds, consisting of 58 facets, also known as ‘modern cut’ or ‘full cut’
Briolette	A teardrop shaped stone faceted with triangular or rectangular facets, sometimes pierced at the top, also known as ‘drop-cut’
Bronze	An alloy of approximately 8 parts copper to 1 part tin
Buff top cabochon	Style of stone cutting where the top of the gemstone is a dome (en cabochon) and the pavilion is faceted
Bulla	Two concave plates that form a hollow receptacle, a form used in ancient jewelry
Cabochon	Stone with a smooth carved surface, domed and unfaceted with a flat base
Calibre-cut	Small stones cut in usually rectangular shapes and faceted in a step cut to fit exactly into a setting or against another stone
Calipers	Instrument for fine measuring of both the outside and inside surfaces of a stone
Cameos	A design cut in relief, usually into a hard stone or shell
Cannetille	A type of gold or silver filigree of fine twisted wires forming a coiled spiral, used in early nineteenth century jewelry (Georgian period)
Carat	Unit of weight used for precious stones
Carbuncle	A garnet cut en cabochon
Casting	Process of forming an object by pouring a molten or liquid substance into a mould until it solidifies and takes on the impression of the mould
Catalin	Trade name for an early phenol plastic
Chalcedony	A quartz, greyish-blue in color
Champlevé	French term for ‘raised field’, Technique of enameling in which enamel is placed in stamped or cut recesses of a metal form
Channel setting	A row of stones of the same dimension, fitted into a metal channel
Chasing	Working a design into a metal from the front using a hammer and/or punches
Chatelaine	A girdle or belt from which various implements are suspended
Choker	A necklace approximately 15 inches long
Chrysoberyl	A semi-precious stone of transparent golden yellow, green yellow or brown
Citrine	A variety of quartz found in a range of colors from light yellow to red-orange to almost brown
Cloisonné	Technique of enameling in which enamels are contained in cells of metal
Collet	Round band of metal encircling a gemstone to hold it in place
Collier	A wide necklace encircling the neck from throat to chin
Coral	The skeleton of small marine animals, found in colors ranging from white to pink to red
Creole earrings	A hoop earring broader at the bottom than at the top, popular in the 1850’s
Cross facet	Small triangular facets above and below the girdle of a brilliant cut stone
Crown	Part of a cut gemstone above the girdle
Cut steel	Faceted studs riveted into arranged holes to created a pavé effect
Demi-parure	A small matching set of jewelry consisting usually of a brooch and earrings, or a necklace and bracelet, etc.
Diadems	A semi circular band worn around the head and usually jeweled and three dimensional
Dog collar	A wide collar of fabric, gemstones and or pearls worn high and tight on the neck
Double clip	Type of brooch consisting of two halves joined together on a frame which can be detached and worn singly
Doublet	A stone consisting of two separate layers
Dwt	Abbreviation for pennyweight
Edema collarettes	“Dog collar” meant for daytime wear which is usually made of a soft material laced to a series of jeweled bars
Electroplating	A method in which an electric current deposits a layer of metal on an object (i.e.: gold over a base metal)
Emerald cut	Rectangular shaped stone with mitered corners which is elongated and octagonal
Enamel	Process of fusing powdered colored glass to a surface by means of high heat
Engine-turning	Decorated metal surface made by moving the surface of the object against the blade
Engraving	A technique in which metal is cut away with a tool known as a “graver” to form a design, done by either hand or machine
Etching	Removal of part of a metal surface by acid for a decorative effect
Etui	Small cylindrical case that hangs from a chatelaine
Facet	A flat surface ground or cut and polished on the surface of a gemstone
Faience	Glazed porcelain or earthenware
Fede ring	A ring with two hands clasped together first
Ferronnière	Narrow band with a center jewel worn encircling the forehead
Festoon	Design motif of a garland or string of flowers, leaves and ribbons
Fibula	Archaeological term for brooch
Filigree	Wire twisted into patterns, usually gold or silver, may be soldered to a sheet of metal or twisted to form an openwork pattern
Flux	Material used in soldering
Fob	A small charm, amulet or trinket that hangs on a watch chain or chatelaine
Foiling	A technique used to enhance the color of a gemstone, a thin sheet of metal is applied to the base of a stone which is in a closed setting
Freshwater pearl	Pearls found in river mussels
Gallery	A strip on metal with a pattern usually refers to the sides of a ring
Garnet	A semi-precious stone found in many colors. The Bohemian type is blood red, the almandine variety ranges from deep red to deep purple, hessonite garnets are brown orange, and demantoid garnets are found in several shades of green
German silver	A misnomer for an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel
Gilding	A process of covering substances such as silver, base metal, wood with a thin layer of gold or an alloy
Gimmel ring	A ring formed of two or more linked hoops, which fit together in a manner that make them appear as one ring
Gypsy setting	A setting in which the stone is sunk into the surrounding metal leaving the top of the stone almost level with the top of the metal surface
Girandole	A shape that consists of three pear-shaped stones or pearls hanging from a large stone or decorative motif such as a bow
Girdle	The widest part of a gemstone which divides the crown from the pavilion
Grain	Unit of weight; for diamonds and pearls a grain is 0.25 of a carat, 480 grains to the Troy ounce. A Troy grain is equal to an Avoirdupois grain.
Grain	A small spherical bead of metal
Granulation	The process of decorating a metal surface with tiny grains of metal
Graver Tool	A tool similar to a chisel used for engraving metal
Green gold	Gold which contains a high proportion of silver
Gerlots	Small long pendant beads
Grey gold	Gold which contains a high proportion of iron
Grisaille	A form of enamel painted in monochromatic colors
Guilloché enamel	A form of enamel work acheived by working the metal on an engine turned lathe to form a pattern and then enameling over the pattern
Hallmarking	Marks stamped on gold, silver or platinum by assay offices after the metal has been tested and determined to contain the proper amount of precious metals required by law
Handkerchief ring	Small ring worn on the little finger and connected by a chain to a larger ring in which a handkerchief was held
Hematite	An opaque mineral of iron oxide, ranging in color from deep grey to black metallic
Horn	A substance often used as a substitute for tortoiseshell which is from cow horns
Ingot	A precious metal formed into a bar or brick by pouring molten metal into a mold
Inlay	Materials such as stones, gems, woods and metals are inserted and cemented into the surface of another material and ground down to create a smooth surface
Invisible Setting	A channel setting using calibrated stones without any metal showing from the top
Intaglio	The carving or engraving of a design into a gemstone which is the opposite of a cameo which is in high relief
Ivory	African ivory is from the tusk of a male or female elephant whereas Indian ivory is from the male only
Jabot pin	A jeweled tie pin popular in the 1920’s and 1930’s
Jet	Fossilized coal, often known as Whitby jet for the area of England where much of it came from or black jet
Lace Brooch	Small brooch usually set with diamonds, worn in the later 19th Century
Lapidary	A craftsperson who cuts, facets, engraves and polishes gemstones
Lavaliere	A chain from which an ornament or gemstone hangs in the center
Locket	A jewel which opens on a hinge
Lost Wax Method	The method of casting metal that uses a rubber mold, which is filled with wax to form a pattern from which a plaster mold is made. The plaster is heated and the wax melts away or is “lost”
Mabe Pearl	A cultured blister pearl
Marcasite	An iron ore material, pyrite, that is facetted into rose cuts and set into silver or pewter jewelry
Marquise Cut	A stone cut in an oval with pointed ends or a boat-shaped stone
Mélange	Term for mixed diamond sizes weighing more than carat
Mélée	Classification used in the sorting of diamonds weighing less than carat
Mellon Bead	A hollow and ribbed bead popular in the Etruscan period and in the 1930’s
Memento Mori	Jewel that is a reminder of death
Memorial jewel	Jewel that is made in memory of a loved one, often containing hair from that person and frequently decorated with enamel
Micro Mosaic	Mosaic of very small colored glass pieces (tessarae) inlaid in glass or hardstone
Milanese Chain	Chain consisting of interwoven rows of small links forming a mesh
Millefiori	Glass ornamentation made from canes of colored glass that are layered, and sliced to form patterns, flowers or mosaic effects
Millegrain	A decorating style creating a fine bead like effect around the edge of a metal collet; popular in the Edwardian and Belle Époque periods
Minaudière	The name for a woman’s small hard vanity case or handbag, usually metal or wood, which is held in the hand
Mississippi River Pearls	Irregularly shaped pearls, usually elongated.
Mizpah Ring	A broad gold ring engraved with the word MIZPAH, meaning “I will watch over thee”, popular during the Victorian period
Mother of Pearl	The smooth iridescent interior lining of the shells of certain mollusks
Navette Cut	A gemstone shaped like a boat or oval with pointed ends
Negligee	A long necklace that usually terminates in irregular length with tassels or drops
Niello	An inlay technique in which the grooves made in silver or gold are made black in color by the use of a composition of metal sulfides
Opal	A semi-precious stone with a rainbow-like iridescence which are categorized as three types: opalescent precious opals, yellow-red fire opals and the common opal
Orient	The characteristic sheen of fine natural and cultured pearls
Paillons	Small pieces of metallic foil which are placed underneath enamel work to provide a glow, popular with a number of Arts and Crafts movement jewelers
Palladium	A white precious metal belonging to the platinum group, it weighs a little more than half as much as platinum and sells for half the price
Pampilles	A cascade of pendant stones; popular in Georgian jewelry and meant to look like rain drops
Parure	A suite of matching jewelry usually four or more pieces, a necklace, bracelets, earrings and belt or brooch
Passamenterie	Jewelry inspired by furniture trimmings such as cording
Paste	A high content leaded glass which is faceted to imitate diamonds or backed with colored foils to imitate other gemstones. Also known as strass after Frederic Strass who invented this method in the 18th Century
Patina	Discoloration that forms on metals such as silver and bronze but often planned for in the artist’s design, can also be introduced artificially by use of chemicals
Pavé Setting