Francesca Fine Jewelry

This is a very extensive jewelry dictionary for your research needs. Learn all about jewelry here with thousands of jewelry and related definitions. For your convenience, it is in alphabetical order. An easy way to find what you're looking for is to click "edit," scroll down to "find," and type in the word you need.

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Abalone: A mollusk whose shell is pearlescent on the inside. This material can be scraped off, sliced thin, and used as inlay on a variety of jewelry, furniture, etc. These scrapings are called "mother of pearl".

Acrostic jewelry: A popular kind of jewelry during the Victorian era where the first letter of the name of each stone spells out a word. See Regard.

Adularia: A common type of moonstone, usually set as a cabochon. It is semi-translucent with a white and blue tint. Adularia was very popular in Art Nouveau jewelry.

African Emerald: An African Emerald is not actually an emerald. It is green fluorite mined in South Africa.

African Jade: African jade is not really jade, but a type of garnet strongly resembling jade that is mined in South Africa.

Agate: A variety of chalcedony quartz that is a very common and used often in jewelry. When chalcedony is variegated with with spots or figures, or arranged in differently colored layers, it is called agate; and if by reason of the thickness, color, and arrangement of the layers it is suitable for being carved into cameos, it is called onyx. It comes in a wide range of colors including black, gray, brown, red, green, pink, blue, white, and yellow. Agate can be flecked with color, such as Moss Agate and Tree Agate, and is often banded, exhibiting layers of quartz crystals. Agate is often dyed to enhance the color and banding. There are a variety of popular agates including onyx, Eye Agate, Blue Lace Agate, Moss Agate, Tree Agate, and White Agate. (See individual listings)

Agent: A businessman who acts for, or in the place of, another to buy or sell merchandise in exchange for a commission. Also called a"Broker" or a "middleman".

Aigrette: A feather-shaped piece of jewelry worn in the hair or on a hat. From the French word "egret", a white heron prized for its plumage.

Alabaster: A form of the mineral gypsum which is usually white or grey in color. It is often used in sculpture, stone paneling, beads, and cabochons.

Alexandrite: A form of the mineral chrysoberyl discovered in 1830 in Russia and named after Czar Alexander II, who was then Crown Prince of Russia. Alexandrite appears to change color under different forms of light. (See Alexandrite Effect.) It looks red when viewed in candle light, green when viewed in fluorescent light, blue-green in sunlight, and reddish-purple in standard electric (tungsten) light.

Alexandrite Effect: A phenomenon in which a stone appears to be different colors depending upon the type of light it is viewed in. Many other stones, including ammolite, garnet and sapphire, exhibit the "Alexandrite Effect." Also called Dichroism

Alloy: A compound comprised of two or more metals to increase the hardness and/or luster of the resulting product. Many alloys are found in jewelry including Alpaca, Brass, Britannia Or pewter, Britannia silver, Bronze, Coin silver, Colored gold, Electrum, Gold(under 24Kt), Green gold, Nickel silver, Niello, Pewter, Pinchbeck, Pot metal, Rose gold, Stainless steel, Sterling silver, White gold, White metal, and Yellow gold. (See individual listings)

Albite: A common white feldspar composed of a silicate of alumina and soda. It is a common constituent of granite and of various igneous rocks.

Almandine: The most common kind of garnet. It is usually deep red to red-brown and composed of alumina iron.

Alpaca (alpacca): A silver substitute alloy consisting of 55% copper, 20% nickel, 20% zinc, and 5% tin.

Alumina: (also called aluminum oxide). A compound of two parts aluminum and three parts oxygen which occurs naturally as corundum. Alumina is the base of aluminous salts, a constituent of feldspars, micas, etc., and the characterizing ingredient of common clay, in which it exists as an impure silicate with water, resulting from the erosion of other aluminous minerals. In a hydrated form it is bauxite. Alumina is used in aluminum production and in abrasives, refractories, ceramics, and electrical insulation.

Aluminum: An inexpensive, lightweight, silver-white ore with a bluish tinge. Aluminum is primarily found in bauxite, is remarkable for its resistance to oxidation, and is used in many alloys.

Amazonite: A form of jadeite named for the Amazon river where it was first found in the 19th century. It is opaque and iridescent and ranges in color from green to blue-green. It is usually set as a cabochon since it breaks easily if faceted. It can also be found in Colorado, Virginia, the Ural Mountains of Russia, Australia, and Africa. Some rare crystals are transparent.

Amber: The fossilized resin of conifer trees. The most common colors are honey yellow and various shades of red, but can also be off-white, black, and blue. Amber is easily simulated using plastics, but real amber produces static electricity when rubbed.

Amethyst: A common form of quartz. Amethyst is usually purple, but can range in color from pale lavender to a very deep, reddish purple and may have milky white or green inclusions. Deeper-colored amethysts are more highly valued. The name comes from the Greek for "not drunken" as wearing amethyst was believed to be a proof against becoming intoxicated. The amethyst is said to bring good luck and to radiate love. Amethyst is the birthstone for February. Some variants are Cape amethyst and Ametrine.

Ametrine: A mixture of amethyst and citrine, it is partially purple and partially orange-yellow.

Ammolite: (also known as Buffalo Stone, calcentine, or korite) is the fossilized shell of the ammonite, an ancient cephalopod. It can be used as a gemstone and is a gray, iridescent stone with flashes of blue, green, purple, red, or yellow. (Blues and purples are rare.) The color changes as the stone is viewed from different angles. It is only found in southern Alberta, Canada.

Amorphous: A gem lacking a distinct crystalline structure such as amber, ivory, and jet.

Amphibole: A common mineral composed of silicate of magnesium and calcium, (with usually aluminum and iron), which occurs in monoclinic crystals and comes in many varieties, each varying in color and in composition. The color varies from white to gray, green, brown, and black. Jade is a form of Amphibole.

Amulet: A pendant or charm carried as a protection from evil or illness or to bring good luck.

Andradite: A garnet used as a gemstone of the grossular family consisting of calcium iron silicate and having any color ranging from yellow and green to brown and black.

Angelite: A pale blue variety of calcium sulfate. (A gypsum that has lost water and transparentto translucent).

Anklet: A bangle or bracelet worn around the ankle instead of the wrist. Anklets tend to be slightly larger than bracelets.

Anneal: The process of hardening glass, pottery, or metal by alternately heating and pounding it.

Anniversaries: The chart below lists the most recognized traditional gifts and jewelry used to commemorate wedding anniversaries:

YEAR	TRADITIONAL	JEWELRY
1	Paper, clocks	Gold
2	Cotton, china	garnet
3	Leather, crystal	Pearl
4	Linen or silk	Blue Topaz
5	Wood, silverware	Sapphire
6	iron, wood	Amethyst
7	Wool or copper, desk sets	Onyx
8	Bronze	Tourmaline
9	Pottery or china	Lapis
10	Tin or aluminum	diamond
11	Steel	Turquoise
12	Silk	Pearls, colored gems
13	Lace	Citrine
14	Ivory	Opal, Gold jewelry
15	Crystal	Ruby, watches
20	China	emerald, platinum
25	Silver	Sterling silver
30	Pearl	diamond
35	Jade	Jade, Emerald
40	Ruby	Ruby
45	Sapphire	Sapphire
50	Gold	Gold
55	Emerald	Emerald
60	Diamond	Diamond

Anodized: An "anode" is the positive end of an electrical circuit. In the anodization process, a metal object is placed in an acid bath and an electrical current is passed through the tank. The process causes oxygen atoms to bond to the surface of the metal giving it a thin protective film and a lustrous sheen. Aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and tantalum are often anodized.

Antiqued: Jewelry that has been made to look aged, having a darkened or tarnished appearance.

Antiquing: Darkening the recessed areas of gold or silver jewelry to enhance the visibility of engraving.

Apache Tears: A glassy type of obsidian found in lava flows in the southwest USA. Apache tears are usually black, but occasionally red, brown, gray, green (rare), dark with "snowflakes," or even clear.

Apatite: A form of calcium phosphate that is a clear to opaque and comes in many colors including green, yellow, blue, violet, and yellow-green (called asparagus stone). Some apatite stones are chatoyant, like the stone tiger's eye. It is usually too brittle and soft to be used in jewelry.

Applique: An ornamental object which was produced separately and then applied to a piece of jewelry.

Aqua Aura: Quartz crystals coated with a fine layer of gold, aluminum, or copper, which gives them a beautiful iridescent blue finish.

Aqua Regia: A 3:1 mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid used to test gold and platinum It is one of the few substances that can dissolve gold or platinum.

Aquamarine: A member of the beryl family, like emeralds. Aquamarine is transparent blue or sea-green. The name comes from a Latin phrase meaning "water of the sea." Aquamarine is found all over the world, including Brazil, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Madagascar. It was thought to bring its wearers knowledge, foresight and inspiration.

Aragonite: Aragonite is a form of calcium carbonate, (like coral or marble), named for Aragon, Spain, where it was first found in 1790. It is transparent to translucent and can range in color from honey-colored to pale reds, blues and greens to clear or white. It forms hexagonal crystals, pyramidal crystals, chisel shaped crystals, and other shapes. It is not often used for jewelry.

Arcade Setting: (Also called coronet or ch�ton setting). Refers to when a gemstone is set in a metal ring and secured by many metal claws.

Arctic Opal: Is not an actual opal, but a blue-green stone mined in the Wrangle and Chugach Mountains of Alaska that is a mixture of azurite and malachite.

Art Deco: A popular style of jewelry from the mid-1910's until the mid-1920's originating in Paris, France. Art Deco pieces are characterized by geometric lines and angular shapes, zigzags, bold colors, molded or faceted Czech glass beads, plastics (like celluloid or Bakelite) and chrome. Colored stones were utilized more, and the opaque stones such as jade, onyx and coral were set in geometric shapes. Sleek animals such as Borzoi and Greyhound dogs were featured in some designs. It started out with relatively delicate designs, and progressed to a more bold and blocky style called Art Moderne.

Art Nouveau: A classification of popular jewelry created from the late "Victorian" period through the "Edwardian" period, about 1880-1910, exemplified by a flowing style of jewelry consisting of fluid lines, sinuous curves, floral and nature themes and natural colors. A common motif features long-haired, sensual women.

Arts and Crafts: An artistic design movement that began in the late 1800s by jewelry designers who felt that their work should look handmade. Although some pieces were made of gold, silver was more commonly used to emphasize the craftsmanship of the piece rather than the intrinsic value of the components. Pieces purposely look hand-made, incorporating hammer marks and using less expensive stones like moonstone, mother of pearl, agates, or amber in simple cabochon settings. The Arts and Crafts movement also revived the art of enamel work.

Assay: A test of the purity of an alloy by scraping a bit of metal from the piece and determining the percentage of gold or silver. A piece that meets the standards of purity is given a hallmark for use outside of the U.S.

Asscher, Joseph: An eminent diamond cutter from Amsterdam who cut the 3,106 carat Cullinan diamond. In 1902 the Asscher Diamond Co. developed and patented the Asscher cut.

Asscher Cut: A squarish step cut with an almost octagonal outline which enhances the fire and light of the stone. It features a small table, a high crown, wide step facets, a deep pavilion and square culet. This cut became very popular in Art Deco jewelry and was a forerunner of the emerald cut.

Asterism: A star-like luminous effect caused by reflections of light in some stones, like Star Sapphires and Star Garnets.

Aurora Borealis: Aurora borealis means "northern lights". AB rhinestones have a special iridescent finish that shines with many colors. The iridescent surface is a result of a very thin layer of metallic atoms that have been deposited on the lower surface of the stone via a process invented by the Swarovski company together with Christian Dior in 1955.

Austrian crystal: Trade name for lead crystal cut with precise edges and angles at the Swarovski factory, located in Wattens in the Austrian Tyrols, by a glass-cutting machine invented by Daniel Swarovski in 1895. Austrian crystals are known for their quality, brilliance, and clarity. See Crystal.

Aventurine: (sometimes known as goldstone). Often mistaken for jade, aventurine is a granular green or blue semi-translucent to mostly opaque quartz stone with mica flecks that cause a slight metallic iridescence.

Aventurine Glass: A shimmering glass containing tiny copper flakes invented in Venice, Italy, around 1700.

Aventurine Quartz: A type of quartz found in India, Russia, and Tanzania that contains sparkling flecks of mica or iron.

Axinite: An unusual, lustrous stone that is bi-colored in brown, yellow, blue, green or gray. Violet axinite, from Tasmania, is rare. It is used only as a mineral specimen and not in jewelry.

Axis Of Symmetry: (also called a rotational axis). An imaginary line around which an object can be rotated a certain number of degrees and still resemble the original shape. When two planes of symmetry intersect, they form a straight line, which is the axis of symmetry. Symmetry is one of the factors jewelers look for when grading cut stones. See Four C's.

Azurite: A copper-based mineral that is often used in jewelry ranging from very deep blue to pale blue. Azurite is also used as a dye for paints and luxury fabrics.

Azurite Malachite: Malachite is often found in the same mineral deposits as azurite. Azurite Malachite is simply a mineral which contains both forms of stone and has bands of light and dark blue.

Baddeleyite: A mineral with the same chemical composition as cubic zirconia. It is powdered, melted down, and mixed with oxides to make cubic zirconia.

Baguette: A gemstone cut in a narrow rectangular shape reminiscent of a loaf of French bread, from which it draws its name. Small diamonds cut this way are often used as accents for rings and necklaces.

Bail: A metal loop used for connecting a pendant, watch, stone or other jewelry piece to a chain or cord.

Bakelite: (also called catalin): A moldable plastic invented by Leo Bakeland in 1909, it was used in jewelry extensively during the U.S. Great Depression of the 1930's. Bakelite can be molded, lathe-carved, and one color can be inlaid into another, as in polka dots. The inlaid and carved pieces are especially popular with collectors today. It has a distinct scent when rubbed similar to formaldehyde.

Band: A ring, (such as a traditional wedding band), that has the same width all the way around.

Bangle: A rigid bracelet that slips over the hand, or hinged oval worn over the wrist that closes with a clasp.

Bar Brooch: A bar shaped, (long, narrow), brooch which is often set with gemstones or pearls.

Bar closure: A hinged bar which fits into a catch and is secured in the catch with a pin.

Baroque: A pearl with an uneven or craggy shape and/or surface. Also an irregularly shaped stone or glass bead.

Barrel clasp: A method of securing two ends of a chain together by having one half of a fitting screw into the other half. When the two halves are screwed together they resemble a barrel.

Basalt: A dark volcanic rock, often with a glassy appearance, composed chiefly of plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine.

Basket: A fancy setting with a lacy or basket-looking appearance due to numerous holes pierced in the side.

Bauxite: A clay-like mineral, bauxite is the principal ore of aluminum. It is composed of aluminum oxides and aluminum hydroxides. Bauxite is used as an abrasive, a catalyst, and a refractory for the lining of furnaces which are exposed to intense heat.

Bead: A small, usually round, object with a hole pierced through it to be strung as a necklace, bracelet, etc. Beads are commonly made from stone, shell, glass, or plastic.

Beryl: The name of a family of stones, composed of a silicate of aluminum and glucinum (beryllium), that includes aquamarine, emerald, and morganite.

Betrothal Ring: A tradition dating back to as early as ancient Rome where it was called an anulus pronubus, a betrothal ring is usually a plain ring without a stone presented by a man to his fianc�e indicating their intention to marry.

Bezel: Although it is now often used to refer to the entire ring setting, the bezel is more accurately the term for the metal case which the gem is set into. The ring of metal that surrounds the stone is called the "collet".

Birthstone: Birthstones have their roots in ancient astrology, and there have been many birthstone lists used over the years. The most common one today is based on a list first publicized by the Jewelers of America in the 1950s:
January - Garnet
February - Amethyst
March - Aquamarine
April - Diamond
May - Emerald
June - Pearl or Moonstone
July - Ruby
August - Peridot
September - Sapphire
October - Opal
November - Citrine
December - Turquoise (or Blue Topaz)

Black Hills Gold: A style of jewelry made in the Black Hills area of South Dakota featuring 10kt yellow gold with accents of 12kt rose and green golds usually featuring a grape and grape-leaf motif.

Bloodstone: A variety of chalcedony that is dark green red spots resembling blood.

Bloomed Gold: The term used for gold jewelry that has been immersed in an acid bath giving it a textured, slightly matte appearance.

Blue Topaz: A topaz that is light brown or colorless when mined but turns a vivid blue when exposed to heat. Blue Topaz is an alternate birthstone for December.

Body Jewelry: Jewelry designed to be worn on or in any part of the body. While all jewelry is technically worn on the body, the term "Body Jewelry" is typically used when referring to belly rings, nose studs, toe rings, tongue bars, and for jewelry designed for pierced lips, eyebrows, nipples, or any skin surface.

Bohemian Garnet: Term for the red pyrope garnet found in much Victorian and turn of the century jewelry.

Bolo: A braided leather loop worn about the neck and adorned with a slide, (an ornament of silver, stone or other material fastened so that it slides up under the chin), leaving the two leather ends hanging.

Bomb�: The word itself simply means "curving or bulging outward". In regards to jewelry it refers to a dome-shaped setting often seen in rings and earrings from the 1940s and 1950s.

Book Chain: A Victorian style of chain made in gold, gold filled , and sterling silver, in which each link is a rectangular, folded piece of metal resembling a book. They were often elaborately engraved and had large lockets attached.

Boron: A soft, brown, nonmetallic element. It is extracted with some difficulty and in its reduced state appears as a substance of a deep olive color, in a semi-metallic form, and in colorless quadratic crystals similar to the diamond in hardness and other properties. Boron is used in flares, propellant mixtures, nuclear reactor control elements, abrasives, and hard metallic alloys.

Bow-Guard: Originally just a wide leather strap worn on the left wrist to protect the arm from bow strings, it is now usually decorated with a wide ornament of silver.

Box Clasp: A method of connecting two ends of a chain. One end has a box with an opening which is notched on the top of the box. The other end has a flat piece of metal which has been folded over to form a spring with a knob at the end. The folded metal spring slips into the hole in the box with the knob sticking out through the notch in the top. The compressed spring holds the two ends in place. It is released by pressing the knob. The connection is usually reinforced by a figure 8 catch.

Box Chain: A chain in which each link is wide and square so that it resembles a box.

Brass: An alloy made up of roughly half copper and half zinc which has a nice yellow color.

Bridal set: An engagement and wedding ring that come in a set and usually match or compliment each other.

Brilliance: The amount of sparkle a stone gives off through reflection and refraction of light.

Brilliant-cut: A cut gemstone having 56 to 58 facets to maximize the volume of light that is reflected from the inside and thus produce the greatest brilliance. The most common shape of brilliant cut stones are round, which is why this is type of cut is sometimes called a "round-cut", but oval, marquise, pear shape and heart shapes are not unusual.

Briolette: A gemstone cut with triangular facets into the shape of a teardrop or elongated pendant.

Britannia Or Pewter: An alloy of tin, antimony, and copper with a dull silver-color.

Britannia Silver: A silver alloy composed of 958 parts silver in 1000 hallmarked with the figure of Britannia. Britannia silver was mandatory in England from 1697 to 1720 to prevent the melting down of sterling coins to create silver objects.

Bronze: A very dense and heavy alloy of 60% copper and 40% tin. It has a dull brown color and is not favored for jewelry because of the weight.

Brooch: An ornamental piece of jewelry with a pin and clasp to be attached to clothing, from the French word "broche", meaning "to pierce" or an object/weapon made for piercing.

Bruiting: The term for shaping the girdle of a diamond, the first step in the cutting process.

Brushed Finish: (Also known as �satin� finish). A series of tiny parallel lines scratched onto a surface with a wire brush or polishing tool to produce texture

Bud Leaf: The slang term given to the leaf of the cannabis plant, which is the plant used to make hemp products. It is a popular motif in modern jewelry. Also called a "marijuana leaf".

Burnish setting: A setting in which the gem is set flush with the setting's surface without using prongs to hold it in place.

Buttercup setting: A deep six prong setting with prongs that flare from the scalloped looking base resembling a buttercup flower.

Butterfly Chain: A chain composed of very tiny butterfly-shaped links with oval-shaped "wings". The butterflies are linked head to tail at a slight angle very close to one another so that the wings form a long continuous spiral along the length of the chain.

Butterfly clutch: A fitting that slides onto the back of an earring post to secure it in place.

Button: A method of joining two parts of a garment together by means of a toggle fastened to one side of the garment which is then pushed through a slit in the other side of the garment. The toggle, called a "button", is usually a disk and may be quite ornamental. Some buttons are worn strictly as decoration rather than serving a functional purpose. The term "button" is also applied to round pins that usually bear a slogan of some kind.

Byzantine Chain: An intricately designed chain. Two pairs of oval-shaped links are linked together. Each pair is then parted to allow a large thick oval link to be attached to the other pair.

"C" catch: The most common means of securing a brooch before 1900 or so when "safety catches" were invented. The pin connected to one side of the brooch is threaded through a layer of the garment and rests in a "C" shaped catch on the other side of the brooch. The "C" had no mechanism to hold the pin in place and so the pins were usually designed to be long enough to extend far enough beyond the end of the brooch to weave back into the garment for security.

Cable Chain: A chain made of round linked rings of uniform size. This tends to be what most people think of when they think of the word "chain". It is the same style of chain as the cable used to anchor large ships to a dock.

Cabochon: From the French "caboche", meaning "knob/small dome", a cabochon is a stone cut into the shape of a small dome in a round, oval, rectangle, triangle, or teardrop shape without any facets. This style is commonly used with opaque to translucent stones such as opal, moonstone, jade and turquoise. Some transparent stones such as emeralds, amethyst and garnet, are also sometimes fashioned as cabochons. An almandine (garnet) cabochon is called a "carbuncle".

Calcium: A silvery-white, moderately hard metallic element which is the fifth most abundant element comprising approximately 3% of the earth's crust, and is a basic component of most animals and plants. It burns with a brilliant light and occurs naturally in limestone, gypsum, and fluorite.

Cameo: A type of jewelry in which the stone around a design is cut away leaving the design in relief, typically against a contrasting background. Cameos are often made of shell and coral, although hard stone cameos such as agate, onyx, and sardonyx are more valuable. Cameos have been carved from the Hellenistic period, and ancient motifs such as the goddess Athena or a Baccante, (follower of Bacchus), were popular cameo subjects in Victorian times through the 1930's. The opposite of a cameo is called "Intaglio".

Cameo habille: A cameo in which a miniature diamond pendant, or some other adornment, is attached to the carving.

Cannetille: A wirework decoration which uses coiled and twisted gold wire to achieve a delicate scrolling effect.

Carat: One of the 4 C's of diamond grading. Abbreviated "ct." and spelled with a "c" is a measure of weight used for gemstones, (as opposed to karat with a "K", which is a measure of the purity of a gold alloy). One carat is equal to 1/5 of a gram (200 milligrams). Stones are measured to the nearest hundredth of a carat. A hundredth of a carat is also called a point. Thus a .10 carat stone can be called either 10 points, or 1/10 of a carat. Small stones like .05, and .10ct are most often referred to by point designations. A one carat round diamond of average proportions is approximately 6.5mm in diameter. Note that this relationship of weight and size is different for each family of stones. For example ruby and sapphire are both heavier than diamond (technically, they have a higher specific gravity, so a 1 carat ruby or sapphire is smaller in size than a one carat diamond.)

Carbon: A non-metallic element that occurs in all organic compounds and many inorganic compounds. Carbon is combustible and has the interesting ability to bond with itself, as well as with many other elements.

Carbon Spots: Diamonds are carbon that has been compressed over time. Carbon spots are a kind of flaw, or "inclusion", found in diamonds showing as black spots inside the clear diamond.

Carnelian: A translucent red or orange variety of chalcedony, sometimes banded red and orange like an agate. Once believed to benefit the wearer's health and love life. Most carnelian comes from Brazil, India, Siberia, and Germany.

Casting: A means of reproducing an object by making a mold of it and pouring metal, plaster, or some other material that sets over time into the mold. See Centrifugal casting, Electrotype, Lost wax process, and sand casting.

Cat's eye: Any of a variety of gems, such as chrysoberyl and some forms of chalcedony, that are chatoyant when cut in a rounded shape.

CE: Common Era, or in the Christian calendar, AD, anno domini, meaning "in the year of our Lord".

Celluloid: A plastic derived from cellulose, a natural plant fiber, first synthesized around 1870 as a synthetic ivory. It can be cut, rolled, folded, perforated, ironed, turned, or embossed when heated, but cannot be injected. Celluloid is flammable and deteriorates easily if exposed to moisture. jewelry made of celluloid was often set with rhinestones. Hair combs and other dresser articles are still often made of celluloid today. Also called French ivory, Ivoride, Ivorine, Ivorite, and Pyralin

Celtic Revival: Jewelry made during the mid-nineteenth century reflective of the styles of jewelry used in early Ireland based on archaeological artifacts.

Center Stone: Usually a diamond, (or other gemstone), that is the prominent center piece in a ring setting.

Centrifugal Casting: A method of casting jewelry in which molds are attached to the outside edge of hollow tube. Metal is poured into the tube and as the tube is spun at high speed centrifugal force pulls the molten metal into the molds.

Certification: A grading report given to a precious stone by a reputable and recognized laboratory that defines the physical characteristics and quality rating of a gem. See Assay and IGI

Chain: A strand of linked loops, rings, or beads used for bracelets or necklaces. Popular types of chain include: Book chain, Box, Butterfly, Byzantine, Cable, Cuban, Curb, Figaro, Figogucci, Foxtail, Herringbone, Marina, Mariner, Mesh, Omega, Panther link, Rolo, Rope, San Marco, Serpentine, Singapore, and Snake. (See individual listings.)

Chalcedony: A family of colored quartz stones including agate, onyx, carnelian, cat's eye, and jasper that commonly have a milky or waxlike luster. When chalcedony is variegated with with spots or figures, or arranged in differently colored layers, it is called agate; and if by reason of the thickness, color, and arrangement of the layers it is suitable for being carved into cameos, it is called onyx.

Champlev�: A type of enameling in which powdered glass is placed in areas of a piece of jewelry that have been carved away specifically for this purpose before firing. The glass powder melts filling the carved areas with solid glass.

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