Copy of `Inland Lapidary - Lapidary terms`
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Inland Lapidary - Lapidary terms
Category: General technical and industrial > Gems and Jewels
Date & country: 24/10/2013, USA
Words: 404
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emboss A method of surface decoration in which a design is raised slightly above the surface. Sheets of metal, leather, and plastic can be embossed.
emerald cut Rectangular shaped stone with mitered corners which is elongated and octagonal.
enamel Process of fusing powdered colored glass and metal oxides to a surface by means of high heat like a kiln.
engraving Inscribing metal or other materials using a sharp blade sometimes called a scriber or a tool known as a
enhanced Enhanced stones are stones that have been treated to improve their color, clarity, finish, strength, or other characteristics. Some common enhancements are heat-treatment, irradiation, coating the surface, filling cracks, oiling, surface diffusion (coating the surface then applying heat), bleaching, dyeing, etc.
etching Removal of part of a metal surface by acid for a decorative effect.
eternity ring A narrow ring with gemstones set all around it.
european cut Also known as the old European cut, is an old, round diamond cut that is similar to but less bright than the newer brilliant cut. The European cut has a very small table and heavy crown.
eyepin A thin wire with a loop at one end; it is used for linking beads together. ^top
face 1) An individual flat section of a faceted gem.
facet A smooth polished face surface on a cut gemstone.
faceted stone A stone that has been precisely cut into angular planes to facilitate the scattering and return of light to the viewer's eye.
fancy cut Are stones are cut in unusual ways. Some fancy cuts include the heart, fan, rivoli, trapezium, cathedral window, half-moon (lunette), kite, and triangle.
fancy diamond Fancy diamonds are rare diamonds that are red, blue, green, or purple; these diamonds are quite valuable.
fantasy cut Is a new way of faceting stones that uses freeform angles - virtually anything goes.
faux Means false; a faux gem is an imitation.
feather Is an internal flaw (also called an inclusion) in a gemstone that can start at the surface of the stone and extend deep inside. Feathers can either ruin a stone (by making it fragile and/or changing the color), or add to its beauty.
fede ring A three part ring, the Fede ring depicted two hands and a heart. When all 3 rings were joined, the hands clasped over the heart. The Claddagh ring is a version of the Fede ring.
fetish A charm, amulet, pendant or other decoration associated with magical properties; it often represents an animal or person.
fibula A brooch / pin hat looks a bit like a safety pin. Fibulas have been used since ancient times to secure clothing.
figural Jewelry designed to look like real objects. Common subjects are the human body, animal, insects, shells, flowers, leaves, and everyday objects like baskets and fans.
filigree Wire, usually gold or silver, twisted and shaped into designs. It may be soldered to a sheet of metal or twisted to form an openwork pattern.
findings The parts that jewelers use in making jewelry. For example, clasps, hooks, pin backs, jump rings, and earring backs are findings.
fineness The proportion of silver or gold in a metal alloy. Fineness is usually expressed in parts per thousand. For example, the fineness of sterling silver is 925.
floater necklace Also called invisible, looks as though the beads are simply floating on the skin; the beads or pearls are strung far apart from one another on an almost invisible string material.
flux A substance applied to metal prior to brazing or soldering which cleans the metal and creates a coating on the surface to protect it from re-oxidizing during the process.
flux fusion A high temperature method of growing some varieties of synthetic gemstones.
fob A small charm, trinket or other object that hangs on a watch chain, girdle, or belt (chatelaine).
foiling A thin sheet of metal applied to the base of a stone that is put in a closed setting. Done to enhance the color of a gemstone.
fold over clasp A jewelry fastener that is composed of a device that opens and closes with a hinge, and latches shut. It is used to attach the two ends of a necklace or bracelet.
fracture 1. (n) A crack or break in a rock.
french jet Black glass (pyrolusite glass) designed to imitate real jet. It was frequently carved.
fresh water pearl Pearls found in fresh water mussels.
full cut A gemstone with 58 facets.
furnace glass Is made by shaping hot glass that was heated in a glass furnace, by hand. Long tubes of glass are drawn from molten glass, then beads are cut from the tube. They are then tumbled and reheated to smooth the edges of the beads. Furnace glass beads are made in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and designs.
gallery A strip on metal with a pattern. Term usually refers to the sides of a ring.
gem A cut mineral or pearl refined for use as an ornament.
gemology The science and procedures involved in mining, faceting, and marketing of gemstones. A person studying in this discipline is a gemologist.
gemstone Any mineral or naturally occurring substance in an raw, uncut state that is capable of being a gem.
geode Hollow rock that is filled or partially filled with crystals.
gerlots Long, small pendant beads.
german silver Slso know as nickel silver, is an alloy consisting of mostly copper (roughly 60 percent), and approximately 20 percent nickel, about 20 percent zinc, and sometimes about 5 percent tin (then the alloy is called alpaca). There is no silver at all in German silver. This alloy was invented around 1860 in Germany as a silver substitute.
GIA Acronym for the Gemological Institute of America. A training facility for gemologists, and a source used to identify or grade various gems.
gilding The process of covering a base material with a thin layer of metal, often precious like gold or silver.
gimmel ring A ring formed of two or more linked hoops, which fit together in a manner that make them appear as one ring. Often referred to as puzzle rings. The most popular Gimmel ring, the Fede ring, depicted two hands and a heart. When all 3 rings were joined, the hands clasped over the heart. The Claddagh ring is a version of the Fede ring.
girandole Kind of earring or brooch in which three pearls, stones or pendants hang from a large stone. The central drop is usually larger than the other pendants.
girdle The outermost edge of a faceted stone which divides the crown from the pavilion.
glove ring A clip-like device used to attach gloves to a purse or other object. It has a clip on one end for the gloves and a chain with a clasp on the other end that attaches to a purse handle.
glyptography The art of engraving gemstones, making intaglio and cameos. Stones are engraved using grindstones with powdered emory or diamond as an abrasive.
gold dore A bar of semi-purified gold (e.g. bullion). After being mined, the first stage in the purification process of the gold ore produces this cast bar that is approximately 90% gold.
gold planted Is a metal has a very thin layer of gold on the surface, usually applied by the process of electroplating. Pieces that are gold plated are often marked G.E.P., gold electroplate, gold plated, or electro-plaqu
grain 1. Unit of weight. A grain is 0.25 of a carat; there are 480 grains to the Troy ounce which is equal to an Avoirdupois grain. (see conversions)
granulation Decorating a metal surface with metal grains.
green gold Gold with a high proportion of silver.
green rouge Is chromium dioxide, which is used to polish precious metals, giving them a luster.
grelot Small beads that have an elongated, pendant shape.
grey gold Gold with a high proportion of iron.
gunmetal An alloy of 90 percent copper and 10 percent tin.
gutta percha Resin from the Isonandra Gutta tree that was used for making jewelry in the mid-1800's. ^top
hair jewelry Jewelry containing or composed of locks of hair. This type of jewelry was popular in the mid-1800's as a remembrance of deceased loved ones.
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 as required by law.
hammered metal Metals formed, shaped, or decorated by with crater-like depressions made by a metalworker's hammer.
hardening Making a metal stiffer by working it by bending or hammering. Most metals will change at the molecular level when worked in this manner.
hardness The degree of resistance of a given mineral to scratching, indicating the strength of the bonds that hold the mineral's atoms together. The hardness of a mineral is measured by rubbing it with substances of known hardness.
heishi Jewelry made from disk-shaped beads of shell or stone. Each bead begins as a tiny flat piece and a tiny stringing hole is drilled though the fragment. Many of these jagged pieces are strung together tightly on a wire and are then sanded into evenness using a fine-grained sandstone and then sandpaper. The result is a very smooth strand of disk-shaped beads. This is an ancient form of bead-making developed by the Pueblos of North America. (pronounced he-she).
hook & eye clasp A simple and ancient jewelry fastener that is composed of a hook and a circular piece that the hook can latch onto. It is used to attach the two ends of a necklace or bracelet. ^top
IGI Acronym for International Gemological Institute
immersion test Test done by dropping a stone into a container of a known density liquid to determine a stones density. A stone semi-floats in a liquid that is of a density similar to its own.
inclusion An internal flaw within a stone. Often inclusions are small mineral crystals
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.
intaglio Carving or engraving a design into a gemstone. It is the opposite of a cameo which has high relief.
intarsia Decorative technique in which various types of stone and gem pieces of different color and equal thickness are cut to the shape according to the design and then attached to a support.
investment A powder of plaster and silica used to create molds for casting. Also the process of creating such a mold.
invisible setting A channel setting using calibrated stones without any metal showing from the top.
iridescence Light effect causing a mineral to display a play of colors on an apparently monocolored surface. Iridescence is many times the result of pearly luster, seen around an area where pressure occurred, displaying a similar image to that of fresh oil rising to the surface of a road at the beginning of a rain. Iridescence is also the result of mild tarnishing of a few metallic lustered minerals, such as Chalcopyrite and Hematite.
iridium A rare earth metal often alloyed with Platinum for jewelry at either 5 or 10 percent to raise the its hardness.
irradiated diamond Diamonds that have been exposed to radiation thus changing the diamond's color by changing the crystalline structure of the diamond. The change is permanent. Older radiation treatments involving exposing the stone to radium; newer treatments bombard the stone with atomic particles in a cyclotron. The irradiated stones take on a greenish or an aquamarine hue. Irradiations of diamonds was first done in 1904 by Sir William Crookes, who exposed diamonds to radium, giving them a permanent greenish color; his diamonds are still slightly radioactive (at the level of radium-painted watch). Newer irradiation techniques bombard the crystal with atomic particles in a cyclotron, and then the stone is heated to about 800 degrees Centigrade, producing a stone with very little radioactivity and a permanent color change.
irradiation The act of being exposed to radiation. Many stones are irradiated in order to enhance their color. Being irradiated changes the crystal structure of the mineral by moving electrons. Irradiation techniques bombard the crystal with high-energy radiation (like gamma rays), producing a stone with very little radioactivity and a change of color. Some color changes caused by Irradiation are permanent, others care unstable and be reversed by heating or exposure to sunlight. For example, colorless topaz changes to a cinnamon brown color after being irradiated with cobalt-60 radiation, but the color fades as the stone is exposed to sunlight. A new method of irradiation changes clear topaz to a brilliant, non-fading blue. ^top
Italian charm bracelet A series of individual modular links hooked together on a stretchy band to form a single charm bracelet. A typical Italian charm bracelet is comprised of eighteen charm links where each link features an design or image soldered onto the actual link.
jabot pin A jeweled tie pin popular in the 1920
jamb peg An older method of gem cutting using rudimentary tools. Usually produces poor results, but can potentially rival a fine modern cut stone when done by a master, expert cutter.
jelly belly A piece of jewelry, usually a pin, that has a clear Lucite or glass center.
jet Fossilized coal, often known as Whitby Jet for the area of England where much of it came from, or black jet. It could be faceted and polished and used for ornamental purposes like other gem stones and minerals.
jewel A gem, whether cut or uncut, capable of being used as an ornament.
jeweler Individual whose trade is to buy and sell jewels and gemstones.
jewelry Articles of personal adornment, like rings, necklaces, bracelets, cuff links, and pins, made from metals, especially gold and silver, stones, glass, plastic, and other materials.
jump ring A wire circle with a split in it. Often used to attach clasps on chains or to attach ear wires to earrings. ^top
K or Kt. Abbreviation of karat.
Karat Unit of measurement describing the content of gold in an ornament. The karat unit measures the percentage of gold in metallic objects made of gold (mainly jewelry). Since pure gold bends too easily, it is mixed with tougher metals when made into ornaments to form a tougher, although impurer, gold. The karat measurement determines the percentage of gold on a 1 to 24 scale, with 24 karats being pure gold. That means that 14 karat gold is only 14/24 (or 58.33%) gold. Gold with a high karat measurement is undesirable for jewelry because it is soft and bendable, and gold with a low karat measurement is undesirable because of its low gold content [hence lesser value]. The term karat can be confused with the term carat, which is the weight measurement for gemstones. The abbreviation of karat is k. or kt.
keeper ring A ring used alongside another, more valuable ring to keep it securely on the finger.
keystone A stone cut the shape of a keystone in an arch. Keystones are usually step cut.
king cut A modification of the brilliant cut having 86 facets which is used for large diamonds.
knot A flaw in a gemstone that is at the surface of a gem after polishing making a small raised bump on the finished gemstone. ^top
labradorescence Effect which causes dark, metallic-like color shimmers, commonly blue and green, to be displayed on a few minerals. The name is derived from Labradorite, a mineral which is the best example of this effect.
lace brooch Small brooch usually set with diamonds, worn in the later 19th Century
lamen A general term for a magical pendant worn round the neck so that it hangs upon the breast over the heart. It is also referred to as an amulet usually with the sign or symbols and names of a specific spirit, angel, or god.
lampwork Is also called torchwork, are pieces formed from glass canes and tubes that are shaped by hand over a flame. Oil lamps and bellows were originally used, hence the name lampworking. Lampworked glass beads are made in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and designs, including millefiori. Lampworking was invented in the 1700's in Murano, Italy.
lap A flat, rotating disk used to cut and polish a stone during the faceting process.
lapidary An individual who facets gemstones as a trade, and the shop of such an individual. Also used in adjective form when relating to gems.
