Alloy - Base metal mixed
with precious ore to make it workable, harden it, or change its color.
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Anodize - An electro-chemical process that creates a hard surface to
accept dying
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Antique - Object 100 years or older.
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Antiquing - Process of darkening recessed areas
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Art
Deco - bold geometric and abstract patterns
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Art
Nouveau -sinuous, organic forms and elaborately curving
lines
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Articulated - Jewelry constructed with hinges or pivots
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Assay - Process of establishing purity of gold, silver and other
alloys
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Bail - Connector at the top of a pendant
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Bail: An oval-,
teardrop-, or D-shaped metal component used to connect pendants to a chain
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Baker setting: a round
setting similar to the Tiffany Setting, but always four prong
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Bangle: a non-flexible or barely flexible bracelet
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Baroque - Bold, ornate, heavy looking
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Barrel Nut: A barrel-shaped clutch with a rubber-type
insert that grips a pin
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Basket Setting: An
open-sided setting
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Basse-taille - (bass-tie) Technique of applying glass enamel to a metal
surface
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Bead Cap: A metal
ornament placed on a glass or stone bead to cover any roughness or damage
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Bead Clasp:clasp
mechanism that is hidden in a bead or pearl.
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Bead Cone:metal cone
shape which is used to secure and cover the ends of multiple strands of
beading
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Bead Tip: A concave metal
piece, attached to a metal loop, used to attach thread to a clasp
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Bead: Any small or
rounded component, made from a variety of materials, with a hole through it
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Belcher Setting: A ring
mounting in which the claws for the setting are formed from the shank of the
ring.
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Bezel - A collar style setting for a gemstone
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Bezel Cup: A type of
setting designed to hold flat-backed stones in which the top of the setting
is burnished over the stone to secure it in place
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Bezel:a type of setting
into which a continuous groove has been cut to fit a faceted stone
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Bolo Slide:device that
has a flat surface and tabs rolled into a tube formation on the back of the
flat surfac
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Box Setting: A square or
rectangular grooved setting generally used for mounting a stone on a
ring or pendant
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Breloque: A small item,
such as a charm, designed to be suspended from a chain
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Bunch Rings: Inexpensive
rings with small center mountings : stack rings or stackable rings
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Buttercup Setting:
Typically used for pendants and earrings, this deep, six-prong setting is
shaped vaguely like the buttercup flower.
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Butterfly Clutch: A
clutch that grips a grooved post
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Button Loop Tie Holder: A
metal piece with an indent in the middle for slipping over the button that
goes behind the tie
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Cameo - A layered stone, often banded agate, or sea shell carved with
either a woman's profile, a man's profile, natural scenes or themes
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Cannetille - Wirework decor using coiled and twisted gold wire to achieve
delicate scrolling effects.
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Cap: Cover hinged to the
center of a watch case.
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Cartouche - Swirling or scrolling decoration, often symmetrical and
engraved as an embellishment
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Case screw: Small screw
with full or three-quarters head, designed to fasten a watch movement to its
case.
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Case spring: Spring which
causes a hunting case lid to snap open when the crown is pressed.
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Casting - Method of shaping metal by melting and pouring into hollow
molds
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Catch: In brooches, a
piece of hardware designed to accept and lock a top wire or a pin-stem
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Chain Tag: A flat metal piece, usually a small square or
rectangle, with a hole in each end. Its specific function is to
carry the
quality stamp or trademark of the manufacturer
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Champlev - Enameling technique that fills routed, etched or cut area of
metal with enamel. Usually copper or bronze.
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Chandelier Finding: A
finding, most often used on an ear ring, with a decorative drop or drops that
hang down from the ear lobe and dangles like a chandelier.
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Channel
Setting - Gemstone setting method that fits stones of
uniform size into a channel
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Charm Hanger:holder is a
jewelry finding which can be attached to a neck chain or cord with a jump
ring or bail
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Charm: A miniature object
designed to be attached to a chain bracelet
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Chasing - Method of decorating the front of metal objects indenting with
shaped punches and chasing hammer
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Chaton: A foil-backed
glass or manmade stone
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Chevron: Ornament made of
lines joining at an angle
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Choker: Short (generally
14-inch) necklace, usually of beads or pearls or chain.
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Cinch Mount: A mount
which surrounds only the girdle of a faceted stone or the rim of a cabochon
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Clamp: A metal prong or
claw on a gemstone setting. Also called a cramp.
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Clasp: A fastening
device, such as a catch or hook, used to hold two or more objects or parts
together
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Clip: A two-part piece
attached to the back of an earring. The two pieces closed around the earlobe, using mechanical pressure to hold the earring in place. Photo and additional
information.
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Cloisonn�
cloi-zon-ay Enameling technique
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Collar: Molding in the
shape of a ring or band around a piece or stone.
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Collet: Decorative band
or collar with top and bottom edges parallel; flange in which any kind of
stone is set.
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Comfort Disc: A
plastic disc that fits over the post of a pierced earring for greater comfort
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Craquelees: Rock crystal
stones artificially cracked or crazed by heating.
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Crest: Any symbol, figure
or device placed above the shield in a coat-of-arms design.
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Crimp Bead: A very small
piece of cut tubing used to finish off a strand of beads
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Crimp Tube: A crimp bead
made into a tubular shape rather than a round.
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Damascene - Type of jewelry inlaid or engraved with gold or silver metals
and black enamel; originated in
the 14th century in Damascus.
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Dapping: An operation
that adds a third dimension to a normally flat ornament - e.g. doming a flat
ornament.
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Demi-Parure - Partial set of jewelry. A full set usually includes a
necklace, earrings, bracelet and brooch, all matching.
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Diadem: Regal emblem
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Die setting: Forming a
flat piece of metal with hardened steel forms called dies
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Dome: Any convex
decoration. It can be made manually with a dapping block and a dapping punch
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Doublet: Any stone made
of two component parts, frequently genuine stones combined with glass,
plastics, or synthetic stones.
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Drop: A small ornament
suspended from a piece of jewelry
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Ear Nut: A clutch with a
hole through which an earring post is attached to secure the earring to the
earlobe
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Ear Screw: A U-shaped ear
wire with a threaded back, which clamps earrings to un-pierced ears
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Ear Threads: Earring
component made of very small chains and a thin pin that thread through
holes in the ears
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Earring: Any ornament -
button, clip, pendant shape etc. - attached to the lobe of the ear by screw,
clip or wire.
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Enamel - Glass powder or paste applied to metal then fired in an oven
to solifify and fuse the glass onto the metal.
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Engraving - Process of decorating metal by gouging a design into its
surface
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Enhancer: A bail-like
finding that may be opened to fit over a strand of pearls or beads
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Eternity ring: Band set
with full or half circlet of stones given by a husband or wife as a pledge of
undying love. Similar styles include: guard, caliber and insert rings.
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Eye: A loop, made of wire
or other material
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Filigree: Ornamental work
formed of bent wire that is soldered into delicate and complex designs
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Fishhook: A
fishhook-shaped finding used to make earrings
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Flambeau: Ornament shaped
like flame or torch-end.
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Flat stock: Metal passed
through successively narrow rolling mills; generally used for stamping.
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Fob: A chain or ribbon
attached to a pocket watch
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Frame: A banded metal
ornament designed to take a setting and stone-
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French back: An earring
in which one leg of a U-shaped wire is attached to the back of the ornament
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French Clip: An
alternative to a pierced earring, it incorporates a spring clip (tension on
the ear is provided by a spring-loaded pad) and a pad-tipped screw
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French Hook: A
non-closing ear wire shaped similar to a hook
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Guard Chain: A small
chain usually 2 to 3 inches
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Guilloche - Enameling style of continuous decoration engraved by a lathe
then covered with translucent enamel
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Heishi Beads: Small shell
or other disc beads, usually white, of American Indian origin.
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High relief: Ornamental
work in which designs are raised or stamped to stand out from the surface.
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Hinge: Three-component
assembly for joining; permits motion of a finding to complete its function as
a piece of jewelry
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Hoop: Metal wire or
tubing that has been formed into individual rings
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Illusion Setting: A type
of prong setting containing a faceted metal plate that surrounds the girdle
of a diamond,
thus making the diamond appear larger.
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Incised: Engraved or cut
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Intaglio - Carved gem where the design is created by incising into the
stone making a negative pattern.
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Invisible
Setting - Setting style where rows of square cut gemstones
rest flush edge to edge; all within a metal border or frame, with no metal
separating individual gems.
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Joint wire: Hollow wire
or tubing formed by bending a strip of thick flat plate and drawing it
through a drawplate until the desired diameter and opening are achieved
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Joint, Catch, and Pin-Stem: An assembly used to affix jewelry items, such as brooches, to
clothing
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Jump Ring: A plain wire
ring of any size, usually round or oval in shape, used for attaching jewelry
parts
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Kidney Wire: A wire,
formed into a kidney shape, to which dangling earrings are attached
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Knuckle: Tubular section
that forms part of the hinge on the lid of a box, watch case or locket; the
hinge pin fits into the knuckle.
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La Loop Finding: An open
ring or split ring with two swivels attached
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Lapped Border: The
polished edge of an item achieved by using a non-yielding surface, such as a
stiff felt wheel or a wood wheel. It gives the appearance of a rounded edge.
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Lavaliere: An ornament
hanging from a chain, worn around the neck.
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Lever Back: A hook-shaped
ear wire that is hinged to a spring-loaded closure piece at the base of the
hook
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Lobster Claw: A clasp
shaped somewhat like a lobster’s claw. The "pincer" arm is under
tension by an internal spring mechanism that is opened and closed by a lever
on its side
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Locket Bail: An oval- or
D-shaped metal component used to connect pendants, specifically lockets, to a
chain.
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Love knot: Generally
three intertwined rings made from wire or tubing reformed or flattened as a
group (after assembly) into regular or irregular shapes.
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Low relief: Ornament in
which designs are raised above a background surface, but raised only about
half as high as in high relief
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Low square setting:
Usually the replacement for the upper half of a square prong setting;
generally used for repairs.
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Memory Wire: Flexible
steel wire tempered to hold its coiled shape. Used for stringing beads.
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Mesh: A finely woven
metal fabric
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Mounting - Device that holds a gem in place.
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Mounting: A piece of
jewelry onto which a stone or stones will be set. It can take several forms,
such as a ring, a pendant, a bracelet, or a necklace.
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Necklace Extender: A
short length of chain, beaded chain or other necklace material with a
connector on one end and a loop on the other
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Necklet: A short necklace
or chain - less than 18 inches in length.
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Open setting: Stone
setting with the sides open so that the lower portion of the stone is
visible.
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Opera
Length - A necklace 48 to 90 inches long.
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Ormolu - Gilded bronze or brass mounts.
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Oval bead: Oval or
teardrop-shaped metal bead, formed in a swaging process, and cut separately.
See fancy bead.
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Oval setting: A setting
similar to the Tiffany setting, but made oval to accommodate oval-shaped
stones.
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Oxidation - Chemical process to blacken or tarnish. Slphur and oxygen is
used on silver.
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Pallions: Small pieces of
solder.
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Paste - Glass-based substance used to simulate gemstones and has
become one slang term for all fake gemstones. Paste stones are lead crystals
with high lead content and more brilliant than glass rhinestones.
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Paternoster beads:
Alternate term for Roster Beads.
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Patina:
Green film formed by oxidation on copper and bronze; can be formed naturally
over a period of time through exposure to air
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Pave -
French for pavement or cobblestone; a field of small gems set so close
together they create a continuous paved effect.
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Pendant: An ornament
designed to be suspended from a chain or necklace. Photo and additional
information.
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Post: A pin-like finding
attached to an earring. It passes through the pierced earlobe and is usually
secured by a clutch
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Press: Equipment used to
stamp findings - can be a foot press, screw press, electric press, percussion
press, hydraulic press etc.
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Princess
Cut - Highly faceted, square cut crystal similar to a
brilliant cut, but adapted to a square shape to increase its brilliance and
yield of the rough.
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Prong
setting - A gemstone held in place by small finger-like
wires attached to a bezel and bent over the edges of the stone.
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Regard - Acrostic jewelry, meaning jewelry where the first
letter of each type of stone spells out a word.
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Rhinestone - A faceted stone made of glass.
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Riviere - Single strand necklace of equally sized and cut gemstones.
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Rope chain: Chain of fine
wire in close spiral links, making it look like a rope.
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Rosary: A chain of beads
used by Roman Catholics to count devotional prayers.
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Roundel: A
doughnut-shaped or squatted disk shaped bead that is used as a spacer or an
accent in stringing applications.
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Safety
Catch - One means of securing a brooch to a garment.
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Sand
Casting - Using molds to form cavities in casting sands
that are then poured with molten gold.
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Satin finish: A dull
finish imparted by sandblasting, brushing with a stiff wire brush, or by
chemical means; a soft luster rather than a high polish.
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Scarf Clip: Hinged device
that includes a flat surface to allow space to which an ornament is attached,
and an open ring through which the scarf is pulled
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Security post and nut: A push-on, screw-off post/nut unit
for pierced earrings.
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Semi-Mounting: A mounting
that is only partially set. It usually has small side stones, but no main or
center stone.
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Setting - Method by which a stone is held into a mounting. - The part of
jewelry into which stones are set.
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Shank - Portion of a ring that encircles the finger.
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Shepard Hook: A pierced
earring wire shaped like a shepherd’s crook-similar to fishhook wire but with
a longer shaft
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S-hook Clasp: Two
flat stock findings with a matched appearance. One part is shaped like
the letter S, and the other part like the number 8
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Shoulder - Portion of a ring between the shank and the center of the
setting.
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Signet - A personal seal once used to make wax impressions for
signatures or authenticating a document.
The seal would usually be in
reverse, so the impression in the wax could be viewed normally.
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Sister Hook: Two
overlapping metal hooks hinged to form a heart outline when open. Used as a
clasp.
Photo and additional information.
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Snake
chain - A chain made up of round wavy metal rings joined
side by side to form a flexible tube with a smooth, scaly texture like snake
skin.
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Soldering - Technique used in making and repairing jewelry whereby two
pieces of metal are joined when a molten metal with a lower melting point
than the two metals being joined is used.
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Solitaire: Generally used
to describe a ring with a single center stone, or the stone itself.
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Spacer Bars: A flat metal
component with holes which is used to keep strands of beads from
crisscrossing in a multi-strand necklace
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Split Ring: An oval or
round ring inside of which the metal spirals and functions just like a split
key ring
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Stamping - Using a die set to cut or emboss metal with a mark
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Swage: To bend or
shape cold metal using a tool or hammer.
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Swivel: Used to attach
watches or other finished jewelry items to a chain
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Tallis Clip: Also known
as an alligator clip or sweater clip. Usually embellished, then assembled
with a chain in pairs.
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Tap: A hard steel screw
with fluted, hollow cutting edges to cut threads in a pre-formed hole.
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Tempering: Reducing the
hardness of hardened steel by gradual heating to stages less than annealing
heat.
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Torsade - Necklace fashioned from numerous stands of beads.
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Total weight: Generally
used for diamond jewelry but can be applied to any jewelry with small stones.
It refers to the combined carat weight of all stones in the piece.
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Vacuum coating: The
deposition of an extremely thin metallic coating, generally on plastic or
very inexpensive metals, by volatilization within a vacuum.
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V-Bail: A two-loop bail
that looks like a "V" from the front. Also known as a rabbit ear
bail. Photo and additional information.
Thanks for visiting. Please be sure to add your comments and check
back. I will be posting more tips shortly. Thank you - Donna
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