Art Deco: geometric designs popular from mid 1920’s to late 1930’s.
Art Nouveau: free flowing designs based on nature popular from 1890-1914.
Arts & Crafts: simple designs using mainly silver and semi-precious stones, starting in the 1890’s.
Assay: the testing of metal for purity.
Bakelite: a plastic popular from the 1920’s-1940’s.
Base Metal: non precious metal.
Berlin Ironwork: jewellery made from black cast iron started in the early 19th century until the mid 1830’s.
Bog Oak: wood preserved in peat used as a substitute for jet.
Cameo: a stone or shell with a design cut to reveal a contrasting coloured under layer.
Carat: unit to measure the quality of gold or the weight of gemstones.
Cloisonné: metal with enamel decoration within metal wire frames.
Collet Setting: the stone is held in place by a round band of metal.
Cultured Pearl: pearl formed artificially by introducing a foreign body into the mollusc.
Cut Steel: faceted steel ‘stones’ to imitate diamonds.
Demi-Parure: matching set of two or three pieces of jewellery.
Diamanté: faceted stones to imitate diamonds.
Double Clip/Duette: a double brooch which can be worn joined or separately.
Doublet: two layers of stone glued together to look like a solid stone.
Enamel: a coloured decorative coating applied to metal.
Engraving: decoration etched into the surface.
En Tremblant: jewellery with a spring mounted motif which trembles when worn.
Faceted: a stone cut to reflect the light:
Faience: glazed earthenware from parts of France and Italy.
Faux: false, made to imitate the real thing.
Filigree: delicate patterns made from thin metal wire.