Pavé: stones set very close together so that no background shows.
Pietra Dura: pattern made of inlaid hardstones.
Pinchbeck: alloy of copper and zinc to imitate gold in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Piqué: inlaid metal decoration common in tortoiseshell.
Plating: a thin coating of an expensive metal over a cheap one to imitate solid metal.
Plique-à-Jour: enamel held in an open metal frame with no backing similar to stained glass.
Pop Art: bold geometric shapes and bright colours used in the 1960’s.
Porcelain: fine semi-transparent china.
Retro Jewellery: bold design popular in the late 1930’s and 1940’s.
Rhinestone: faceted glass stones to imitate diamonds and precious gems.
Shank: the section of a ring which goes round the finger.
Shoulder: the side of the ring.
Sterling Silver: 925 parts pure silver and 75 parts base metal.
Swarovski Crystal: high quality cut crystals to imitate gemstones manufactured by the Swarovski company from 1890.
Tortoiseshell: jewellery made from the shell of the Hawksbill Turtle popular in the Victorian period.
Trembler: jewellery with a spring mounted motif which trembles when worn.
Vauxhall Glass: mirror like glass, usually black or red, cut to imitate gemstones.
Vermeil: sterling silver plated with gold popular in America in the 1940’s.