 | | Acrylic Resin Transparent man-made resins used in making molded plastics. | |
| | Aurora Borealis (AB) Named for the northern lights, aurora borealis is a term for crystal stones that have a highly iridescent surface. The effect is achieved by vapor blasting the facets of the lower part of the crystals with an invisible, micro thin metal sheet. This stone was created by Swarovski® in 1955 in collaboration with Christian Dior. Also known as AB, the term now refers to any highly iridescent surface. | |
| | Bail A metal loop that is used to attach a chain or cord to a pendant. | |
| | Bail Pendant Mount Bonds to any flat backed item to make a pendant. | |
| | Bakelite The trademarked name for synthetic resins and plastics developed by a US chemist. Jewelry pieces made of Bakelite, especially with animal and fruit motifs, were extremely popular in the US in the 1930s and are now considered collectors items. Though still a highly specialized category. Bakelite has had something of a renaissance in this country in recent years. | |
| | Baroque Pearl An irregularly-shaped pearl. | |
| | Bead A generally hard material, in any shape and small to medium size, which contains a hole for stringing. | |
| | Beading Hook Acrylic hook used for attaching beading to lampshades, curtain rods, serving bowls or shade pulls. | |
| | Bezel The metal groove or flange holding a gemstone in its setting, or the slanting face of a cut gem. | |
| | Biwa A cultured pearl originally non-nucleated, grown in a freshwater mussel from Lake Biwa in Japan. Only those actually produced there should be called Biwas; others are simply called freshwater cultured pearls. | |
| | Box Setting A box-like closed gem or stone setting. | |
| | Briolette (BRIO, BRLT) A briolette is an elongated, pear-shaped stone covered with bands of triangular or rectangular facets, usually with a pointed end and without a girdle. | |
| | Brooch Convertor A finding used to convert a brooch into a pendant. Styles are available for horizontal or vertical pins. | |
| | Bugtail 1mm satin cord. | |
| | Cameo A carved gem or shell, in which the carved design stands out against a background of a different color. | |
| Carat The unit of weight used for precious stones. One carat equals one-fifth of a gram. Also a measurement of fitness in gold. Pure gold is expressed as 24Kt.
The term ''carat'' dates back to the traders of the ancient world. A standard weight was required for precious gems as merchants of the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East were dependent on the ability to trade with a reasonably consistent unit of measurement. It was this need that led to the adoption of seeds and grains as widespread units of measurement.
The carob seed and the wheat grain, both of which had been used for food purposes were found to be ideal units of weight. For centuries the carob seed remained the weight measurement for precious gems. By the middle ages, however, changes in the trade routes had occurred and large centers of trade were now found within Europe. The carat, as it had become know, became linked to 4 grains Troy weight, with the carob seed having been abandoned at some point during the shift of trade centers. The Troy carat was the equivalent of approximately 205 milligrams. This measurement of weight lasted for the carat until the 20th century. It was between 1907-1914 that the carat was married to the metric system of weights. By 1914 the United States officially abandoned the former Troy measurement of 205.3 milligrams for the carat, and adopted the current metric carat measurement of 200 milligrams. | |
| | Carbon Steel A type of steel that contains carbon, with other alloys making up a trace portion. This term is also used generically to refer to steel that's not stainless. | |
| | Cat's Eye Glass that reflects light in a way reminiscent of a cats eye. | |
| | Celluloid Thermoplastic material that was commonly used in jewelry before the invent of injection molding. Now used to simulate tortoiseshell. | |
| | Chain Tab Metal tab stamped with metal content designation. | |
| | Chalcedony Various types of colored quartz, usually with a milky appearance, including carnelian, agate, cat's eye and jasper. | |
| | Charms Small ornaments worn as pendants or on bracelets. | |
| | Chatelaine An ornamental chain, pin or clasp, usually worn at a womans waist, to which trinkets, keys, a purse, or other articles are attached. Also used to refer to pins with two figures linked together by a chain. | |
| | Choker A tight-fitting necklace that is worn close to the base of the neck. May be plain or with pendants or ornamentation. Measures 16 to 18 inches. | |
| | Cloisonné (CLSNE) Enamel with surface decorations set in hollows formed by strips of wire welded to a metal plate. | |
| | Collar A broad, choker like necklace, consisting of three or more strands that fit snugly on the middle of the neck. Length is 14 to 17 inches. Known as a plaque de cou when attached by a front clasp. The style was popular in the 1960s, but was made fashionable by Queen Alexandra. | |
| | Cone Necklace terminator or beading finding used to bring multiple strands together at one point to attach a clasp or be part of the design. | |
| | Cubic Zirconia (CZ) Synthetic gemstone developed in 1977 to simulate a diamond. | |
| | Dulling (or Satinizing) Brushing a metal surface, sometimes with a matting punch or powder, to give it a duller (matte) finish. | |
| | Electroplating Coating a metal surface (in fashion or bridge jewelry, usually with copper, nickel, chromium, gold, silver or rhodium) by means of electrolysis. The amount of electroplate on an object is measured in microns (one micron = .001 mm). See also Gold Electroplating and Silver Plate. | |
| | Embossing The process of raising a domed design on the front of a piece of metal by beating it from behind with punches and a hammer. | |
| | Enamel (ENML) Colored, opaque glassy material fused onto metal, pottery or glass. | |
| | Engraving A pattern made by cutting away the surface of metal, wood, or other surface. | |
| | Eye Beads Decorated to resemble an eye, these beads date back to antiquity and have symbolic meanings. Often used in amulets. | |
| | Ferido™ (Fair-ah-doh) Moldable two-party epoxy adhesive for jewelry-making. | |
| | Filigree Lace-like ornamental work of fine gold or silver wire. | |
| | Finding Manufactured components used to create jewelry. Generally, findings provide the structure for the jewelry design; the ornamentation is provided by both the design of the finding as well as the gems, beads or other decoration that is added. Findings include jumprings, clasps, bails, headpins, earwires, and charms, to name a few. | |
| | Focal Component Any item that is used as the central element in a necklace, bracelet, or other jewelry design. A focal component is intended to be the main attention-getter, the “focal point.” Examples include pendants, carved gemstone beads, cabochons in settings, etc. Sometimes referred to as a “station.” | |
| | Foil A thin leaf of metal placed behind a gem or paste stone to heighten its color or brilliance. | |
| | Gold Electroplate An electrolytic coating with gold, or with an alloy of not less than 10% fineness to a minimum thickness throughout that is equivalent to seven millionths of an inch. This means that where the fineness is less than 24Kt, the thickness must be proportionately greater, so that the same amount of fine gold is seven millionths of an inch, it may be marked - heavy gold electroplate. | |
| | Gold-filled (GF) A gold alloy plate made by soldering, brazing, welding or other means that is not less than 10Kt fineness, where the plating constitutes at lest 1/20th of the weight of the metal in the entire article. The term must be preceded by the karat fineness of the plating, such as 14Kt Gold-Filled. When using the term gold overlay, manufacturers are permitted to use a layer of gold that is less than 1/20th the weight of the entire piece, but they must stamp the proportion of the gold layer on the jewelry. | |
| | Gold Imitation An alloy of zinc, tin and copper that results in a yellow the color of gold. | |
| | Granulation The intricate ball patterns are created through a process called granulation. Tiny uniform ball shapes are fashioned into precision patterns, heat fused onto the surface, then carefully antiqued and polished, creating a visual masterpiece. | |
| | Hammering Giving metal surface marks and textures by hammering. | |
| Heishi (pronounced Hee-Shee) is a term that was originally used by Pueblo Indians to describe shell disks of a consistent size that had been drilled and strung as a necklace, creating a rope-like tube that was as fluid as a serpent when it moved.
Today, this term is synonymous with thin, uniform disk-shaped shell, gemstone and metal beads that are center drilled and strung in a row. | |
| | Heishi Bar Narrow spacer bar used to hold heishi beads, bugle beads, liquid silver or seed beads parallel and prevent tangling. | |
| | Ice Pick Bail Similar to a prong bail, it will create a loop to attach a chain to when the prongs are closed into a cross-drilled pendant. | |
| | Inlays To set pieces of wood or ivory, for example, into a surface, usually at the same level, to form a design. | |
| | Intaglio Decoration made by carving or engraving a design into a gem or other hard material. Intaglio is the opposite of cameo. | |
| | Knapping (the ''K'' is silent) is the art of cleaving and shaping an object by chipping one stone against another hard object. | |
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