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An extensive glossary of terms
relating to Jewelry and General Merchandise that will impress any
veteran in the trade. We have covered every Jewelry Trade term
including Precious Metals, Genuine Semi-precious Stones, Precious
Gems, Jewelry Making & Jeweler's References in the assembly of
all types of jewelry through out the history of human kind. We have
exposed Jewelry Fashion Industry words that cover close to the whole
gamut of the fashion accessory industry and some of the styles in
each period of history. |
Ear Cuff: A wide decorative ring with a gap designed to
be pinched onto the ear without need for piercing. Ear cuffs may
be pinched onto any part of the ear, not just the earlobe.
Earring: Jewelry worn on the earlobe.
Earring back: A disk or bead that fits over an earring post and
holds the earring securely in place, like a catch.
Earring jacket: A small piece of jewelry with a
hole pierced in the center designed to be held onto the ear with a
stud earring.
Edwardian: Refers to the period during the reign of Edward VII
of England (1901-1910), but the style has it's beginnings during
the final years of Victoria's reign, and continued until shortly
before World War I when the more geometric influences later to be
called Art Deco began to make headway. In jewelry, this period was
characterized by delicate filigree in white gold
and platinum,
with diamonds and pearls predominating,
and colored stones used
less frequently, producing a light, monochromatic look. Delicate
bows, swags, and garland effects were used in necklace and
brooches. Both dog collars, and
long fringed necklaces were also
"in", being popularized by the graceful, long-necked
Queen Alexandra.
Egyptian Revival: Jewelry that evokes
the feeling of ancient Egypt in its use of styles, symbols, and
motifs. It was popular in the 19th century when archaeological
finds in Egypt were making headlines and filling museums with artifacts.
Electroplated: Jewelry that has been coated with
gold through the
process of electroplating. The gold plating eventually wears away.
Electroplating: The process of covering a base metal with a
thin film of gold by setting it in a chemical solution through which an electric current flows
to coat it with precious metal.
Electrotype: Electroplating applied to a mold.
The gold is
then peeled away from the mold producing a cast object made of pure gold.
Electrum: An alloy of gold
and silver that occurs naturally.
Element: A substance that cannot be broken down into different kinds
of matter. For example, water is composed of the elements oxygen and
hydrogen.
Emerald: A rich green gemstone
of the beryl family. Fine emeralds are among the most valuable
gemstones. Emeralds are created when chromium
combines with various impurities. Unlike most gemstones, inclusions,
(called “jardin,” the French word for garden),
are quite common in emeralds, so they lower the value
much less than with other precious stones such a diamonds.
As a remedy to lessen
the appearance of common flaws, emeralds may be oiled or dyed. The
most highly prized emeralds are mined in Columbia. A valuable
emerald will be a bright, vividly colored green. Those with a
slight blue cast to the bright green are actually the most
valuable color. Many emeralds seen in jewelry are of relatively
low quality. If an emerald appears to be very fine, it may
actually be a synthetic. There are several types of synthetic
emeralds on the market, and some of them are challenging to
identify, even for a trained gemologist. Emeralds have long been regarded as a symbol of fertility, rebirth and
springtime. They were believed to protect the wearer from the perils of long
journeys. Emerald is the birthstone for May.
Emerald cut: (Also referred to as
"table-cut" or
"step-cut"). A rectangular or square shaped
cut with chamfered corners and stepped facets, typically parallel to
the girdle. This cut is also used for precious stones other than
emeralds.
En Tremblant: A moveable, trembling effect generally achieved
through the use of coiled springs of metal mounted to the brooch
fitting, often found in
antique brooches or hair ornaments.
Enamel: Colored, opaque glassy
material fused onto metal, pottery or glass. In its simplest terms, all enamel is produced by fusing
colored powdered glass to metal to produce a vitreous or
glass-like, decorative surface. See Enameling.
Enameling: A decorative technique in which a vitreous pigment of
metallic oxide is mixed with finely powdered glass is applied to the surface of
a metal--normally
bronze, copper,
silver or gold. This glass composition adheres to the
metal through fusion under very high temperatures. The color of
the enamel and its degree of transparency depend on the metal
oxides that exist in the glass and the temperature at which the
glass melts and coheres to the surface. Popular during the mid-Victorian period
was a solid black, blue, or white enamel used to fill engraved
designs. See Arts and Crafts, champlevé,
cloisonné,
faberge, filigree enamel,
guilloche, and plique-a-jour.
Engagement Ring: A ring set with
a gemstone, (usually a diamond),
that is traditionally given to a woman by a man to signify their
intention to be married.
Engrave: To decorate metal by gouging a design with graver's
tools; embellishing metal or other material with patterns using a
stamping tool or drill. This was a popular technique in
mid-Victorian jewelry.
The resulting depressions were often filled
with colored enamel in a technique called champlevé. Also refers to inscribing a dedication or
monogram to identify a piece. Stamped pieces can be designed to
imitate hand engraving. Under magnification, the design is much
more sharp in a hand engraved piece, with subtle irregularities.
Engraving: Any pattern design or mark that is cut into a
piece of jewelry with a special engraver's tool; The
process of cutting or carving lines into a surface.
Enhanced: Nearly all gemstones available today have been
enhanced to bring out their best color or to strengthen them. For
example, an accepted industry practice in the polishing process
for sapphires involves heating the stones to bring out their
color. This process simply extends what nature began, since it is
heat and pressure that give gemstones their color in the first
place.
Epidote: A silicate of alumina,
lime, and oxide of iron,
or manganese. It is commonly of a yellowish green (pistachio) color.
Essex crystal: See Reverse Crystal jewelry.
Essonite: (Also called "Cinnamon stone") A brown or
yellowish-brown variety of garnet.
Estate Jewelry: The term does not necessarily
refer to jewelry that has come from an estate, but simply jewelry that has been
previously owned.
Etched: Very faintly carved decoration scratched onto
the surface of a piece.
Eterna Gold: A trademarked name for a type
of 14k gold that is more durable, more luminous and more resistant
to tarnishing than other 14k gold products
Eternity Ring: A ring set with a continuous line
of gemstones.
Etruscan Revival: Like Egyptian revival, which drew
inspiration from the archaeological digs in Egypt, Etruscan
revival was a popular style of jewelry in the 19th century that drew its inspiration from the archeological
discoveries at Herculaneum and Pompeii. See Granulation
Etui: French for "case", an etui is a small, usually
ornamental, case for holding articles such as needles, scissors, tweezers, and
other articles of toilet or of daily use.
Euclase: A silicate of alumina
and glucina occuring as light green,
transparent crystals with a brilliant clinodiagonal cleavage. Named after the
Greek word "euklas", in French "euclase", meaning "to
break", because it is so brittle.
European Cut: A style of diamond
cutting popular from
approximately 1890 to the 1930s typified by a round girdle, a
smaller table in
relation to the diameter of the stone, and a large culet. The
large culet appears to create a hole at the
bottom of the diamond when viewed from the top, since the large
culet lets light escape instead of reflecting back to the viewer.
European wire: A means of attaching an earring to a
pierced earlobe with a curved wire which passes through the earlobe
and clasps shut.
Excellent Condition: A piece of jewelry in Excellent condition will show reasonable
evidence of wear, and have developed a fine patina. See condition.
Export: To carry, send, or transport a commodity abroad
for trade or sale.
Extender Chain: A chain which may be attached to another
chain in order to increase the length.
Eye Agate: An agate that when cut at the right angle reveals a series
of concentric rings resembling an eye. Unlike other agates which are categorized
by their color, this agate is distinguished by the pattern. Eye agates come in a large variety
of colors.
Eyepin: A type of finding, an eyepin is simply a long piece
of wire with a loop, or "eye", at one end, resembling a
needle with an extra-large eye. Beads are
strung along the wire to settle on the loop so that they don't
fall off the other end. The long end is then crimped or attached
to another finding, such as an ear hook.
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