Water sapphire: See Iolite.
Wedding Cup: The tradition of
the Jungfrauenbecher, meaning "maiden's cup"
originated in Germany during the 16th century. The legend goes
that a goldsmith was
challenged by the father of the girl he loved to build a cup
that two people could drink from at the same time in order to
marry his daughter. He came up with a chalice with a split in
the handle which suspended a cup on a swivel. The contraption is
now often referred to as the wedding cup for the role it plays
in nuptial feasts. The bridegroom drinks a toast out of the
larger cup and then rights the figure, without spilling the wine
in the smaller pivoted bowl, which is then to be drunk by the
bride. The Jungfrauenbecher has also been known as the
"wager cup" - the challenge is having the couple drink
from both cups at the same time without spilling the contents of
either.
White Agate: See White
Onyx.
White gold: An alloy
made of gold mixed with nickel,
sometimes also containing palladium
or zinc.
White Marble: White colored crystalline
limestone used primarily
in sculpture and architecture, especially by the ancient Greeks
and Romans. See also Marble
White Metal: Any combination of alloys
of nonprecious metals
such as lead and tin.
Also called "Pot Metal".
White Onyx: A form of agate
from the chalcedony
family which is semi-translucent
with white to yellowish-white banding.
White Quartz: A translucent
white mineral consisting of
silicon dioxide
in crystal form. White Quartz is basically clear quartz with a
high degree of cloudiness. It is usually uniform in terms of the
color, but has areas of more or less opacity.
Wholesale: Of, relating to, or
engaged in the sale of goods in large bulk or quantity for
resale by a retailer or jobber
rather than directly to consumers.
Width: The horizontal measurement
across the widest area of an item of jewelry.
WWJD: Stands for "What Would
Jesus Do?". Worn by Christians as a reminder
to think before acting. It is often seen on all sorts of jewelry
including pendants, necklaces,
bracelets, and rings.
