| Word |
Description |
| 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" |
| Calibré Cut |
Small stones cut in an oblong shape and set close together. |
| 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. |
| Camphene |
A volatile, turpentine-derived liquid fuel used for lighting. Camphene lamps are distinguished from whale oil lamps by their longer, tapered burners without air slots. Wick caps are usually provided to prevent fuel evaporation when not in use. |
| Cann |
An early American term for a mug. |
| Cannetille |
A wirework decoration which uses coiled and twisted gold wire to achieve a delicate scrolling effect. |
| Cape Amethyst |
A form of Amethyst layered or striped with milky quartz. |
| Capstan |
A form named after the devise used to tie a boat to a dock. In pewter, a form often found in inkwells and sanders. Common in English pewter; rare in American pewter. A salt in the general form of a capstan; in use c 1675-1700. Cartouche. A scroll-like label that may contain the pewterer's name, place or city, Hard Metal, London, or other words. See Pewter Marks. |
| 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.) |
| Carb |
carburetor |
| 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. |
| Carbuncle |
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". |
| 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. |
| Cartouche |
A blank area encircled by ornamentation that is reserved for engraving. Sometimes referred to as the reserve. |
| Caster |
A pieced used to dispense salt, sugar or sand.
|
| Casting |
The technique of creating an object by filling a mould of desired form with molten metal.
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. |
| CC |
cubic capacity of the engine expressed in cubic centimeters, e.g. 1,200cc, 2,000cc 6,250cc;also expressed in liters as 1.2l, 2.0l, 6.25l and so on. The greater the number the more powerful the engine is. |
| CE |
Common Era, or in the Christian calendar, AD, anno domini, meaning "in the year of our Lord". |
| Cellar |
A container (usually open) used to hold salt (corruption of 'salière'). |
| 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 |
Made during the mid-nineteenth century reflective of the style 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. |
| Chairback (Pewter) |
Name used to describe a thumb piece of flagons and tankards in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
|
| 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. |
| Chalice |
A stemmed cup used for ecclesiastical purposes |
| Champlevé |
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. |
| Chandelier Earring |
An earring with a drop suspended like a chandelier. Also called a "Drop Earring" or "Dangle Earring". |
| Channel Inlay |
A design similar to enameling in which stones, rather than melted plastic or glass, are cut to shape and set into the recesses of a piece of jewelry. Commonly seen with jewelry using mother of pearl and turquoise. |
| Channel Set |
A style of setting in which a number of uniformly sized small stones, usually of the round cut, princess cut or baguette shapes, are set side by side in a grooved channel. Unlike most setting methods the stones are not secured individually with prongs and there is no metal visible between the stones. |
| Chaplet |
A garland, wreath, or ornamented band worn around the head. Chaplets are made of metal with repoussé decoration or embellished with gemstones and pearls. |
| Charger |
A piece of sadware, 18 inches (460mm) or greater in diameter.
|
| Charm Bracelet |
A chain link bracelet with charms attached to it. (It's not a charm bracelet until it has charms attached.) |
| Charm Ring |
A ring with a charm attached to the ring band. |
| Chasing |
The technique for giving definition and a texture to a design with the use of small punches. Unlike engraving, no metal is removed in the process. Chasing is often used in conjunction with repousse. |
| Chatelaine |
French for "Lady of the House", a chatelaine is an ornamental chain or pin worn at a woman's waist from which dangle keys, trinkets, scissors, needle cases, pencils, purse, etc. Chatelaines may be utilitarian or beautifully decorated and made from precious materials like silver. |
| Chaton |
A cone shaped rhinestone or crystal. |
| Chatoyant |
A stone having a changeable luster due to the way it reflects light, such as the cat's-eye or tiger's eye gemstones. From the French "chatoyer", meaning to shimmer like cats' eyes, from the French "chat" meaning "cat". |
| Chatter Mark |
Coarse radial lines extending outward from the center on the bottoms of mugs, tankards, plates, etc., and caused by vibration of the skimming tool used in smoothing the pieces on a lathe. Chatter marks are especially pronounced on 17th and 18th century pewter skimmed on lathes with wooden bearings. |
| Chevron Setting |
A chevron is a design found in heraldry resembling a shallow inverted "V". In jewelry design, a "chevron setting" is reflective of the heraldic chevron in that it is made up of lines in a shallow inverted "V" pattern. |
| Choker |
A close fitting necklace worn tight around the neck like a collar. |
| Chopin |
A Scottish measure with a capacity equal to a half Scots pint, or 1½ pint Imperial measure. |
| Chrome |
A hard, brittle, grayish white metal, fusible with difficulty and resistant to corrosion. Its chief commercial importance is for its compounds, as potassium chromate, lead chromate, etc., which are brilliantly colored and are used dyeing and calico printing. The common modern usage is for very shiny metal objects like chrome bumpers, etc. |
| Chromium |
A lustrous, hard brittle, steel-blue metallic element, resistant to corrosion and tarnishing. It is used in the hardening of steel alloys and the production of stainless steels, in corrosion-resistant decorative platings, and as a pigment in glass. |
| Chrysoberyl |
(also called "cat's eye") A rare, hard, yellow-green mineral consisting of alumina and glucina, (beryllium aluminate), in crystal form. It is popular as a gemstone for its chatoyant qualities. |
| Chrysolite |
(Also called "olivine" and "peridot") A mineral composed of silica, magnesia, and iron sometimes used as a gem. Chrysolite ranges in color from a light pea green to a deep olive green and an oily shine. It is common in certain volcanic rocks and meteorites. Mystics have claimed that this lustrous green stone drives away evil and has special healing properties. The name chrysolite has been used in the past for yellow varieties of tourmaline and topaz. |
| Cigar Band |
A very wide band-style ring. |
| Cinnamon Stone |
A brown or yellowish-brown variety of garnet more properly called "essonite". |
| Cire-perdue |
Lost Wax Casting: An object is made of wax and coated in clay. When the clay is fired, the wax melts and is drained away or evaporates leaving an exact impression of the object in the hardened clay, which is then filled with molten metal. |
| Citrine |
Named after the French word for lemon, "citron". Citrine is often incorrectly called quartz topaz or citrine topaz. A variety of quartz, citrine is found in light yellow, amber-brown, and a brilliant orange that may be confused with fine imperial topaz. Most citrine comes from South America. In ancient times, citrine was revered as a gift of the sun and believed to be a powerful antidote to a viper's venom. Citrine is the birthstone for November. |
| Claddagh Ring |
First crafted by Master Goldsmith Richard Joyce in 1689, it is named after Claddagh, the fishing village he lived in at the time, which overlooks Galway Bay. The ring belongs to a class of rings called "Fede" or "Faith rings", which date from Roman times and were popular in the Middle Ages throughout Europe. Whereas "Fede" rings have only two clasped hands, symbolizing faith, trust, or "plighted troth", Claddagh rings have two hands clasping a heart, symbolizing love, surmounted by a crown, symbolizing loyalty. The ring worn on the right hand with the heart turned outward indicates that your heart is yet unoccupied. Worn on the right hand with the heart turned inward indicates that love is being considered. Worn on the left hand the with the heart turned inward shows everyone that your heart is truly spoken for. |
| Clarity |
One of the 4 C's of diamond grading. Gemstones with the highest clarity contain few or no inclusions (imperfections) in the stone's crystalline structure. Clarity is graded with a 10x magnifier. The clarity rating of a diamond ranges from FL (flawless) to I (inclusions visible to the naked eye). |
| Class Ring |
A ring that commemorates graduating from high school. It is usually engraved with the name of the school, the year of graduation, and a gem featuring one of the school's colors. |
| Claw Setting |
A way of securing a stone in its mount using small prongs that surround it. |
| Cleavage |
Cleavage is the tendency which a stone has to fracture along its crystal structure. |
| Clip-back Earring |
A hinged ring with a pad, called a "comfort back", at one end to secure the earring to the earlobe without requiring that the ear be pierced. |
| Cloisonné |
Occasionally called "cell enameling", it is a type of enameling in which compartments made of thin strips of metal soldered onto a metal plate are filled with powdered glass prior to firing. The glass powder melts filling the compartments with solid glass. |
| Cluster Brooch |
A brooch developed in the 14th century in which a large central gemstone is surrounded by a cluster of smaller gemstones and pearls. |
| Cluster Earring |
A decorative earring made up of a cluster of glass and/or metal beads and stones |
| Cluster Ring |
A ring featuring a central gemstone surrounded by a number of smaller stones. |
| Cocktail Ring |
A large oversized ring set with precious or semiprecious stones popular during the 1940s and 1950s. |
| Coiffe |
A net made of gold or silver threads, decorated with gems or pearls worn on the head. |
| Coin Silver |
An American term for the alloy of 90% fine silver and 10% copper or base metal alloy. This standard was commonly used in the U.S. until sterling became the accepted standard around 1870.
A silver alloy that is 80% silver and 20% copper. Many European silver pieces are coin silver and are marked "800", indicating that 800 parts out of 1000 are silver. |
| Collet |
The ring of metal that surrounds and secures the stone in a bezel setting. |
| Colored Diamond |
Diamonds can be found in a full spectrum of colors. Colored or “Fancy” diamonds are simply referring to diamonds that are not white. |
| Comfort Fit |
A ring that adds to the comfort of the wearer by being curved on the inside of the shank. |
| Commemorative Wares |
Items used to commemorate an important or historical event, such as a battle, coronation, or wedding. |
| Communion Token |
A piece of pewter, coin like (often round or rectangular), issued to those determined suitable to take communion. |
| Compass Ring |
A rotating ring that can be used to determine compass direction by using the position of the sun and the time of day. |
| Concha |
One of the ovals of a segmented silver belt or bridle. Also a reference to the belt itself. Now commonly called a "Concho Belt." From the Spanish word "concha", meaning "shell". |
| Copper |
A common reddish-brown metallic element, copper is the only metal which occurs abundantly in large masses as opposed to small veins or nuggets that must be mined out of other rocks. It is also found in various ores such as chalcopyrite, chalcocite, cuprite, and malachite. When alloyed with tin it forms bronze, and when alloyed with zinc it forms brass.
Copper is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and is widely used for electrical wiring, as well as water piping and corrosion-resistant parts. When in moist conditions, a greenish layer forms on the outside. It has been extracted and used for thousands of years. The name is derived from the Greek "kupros" (the island of Cyprus), called "Cyprian brass", and known by the Romans as 'cuprum.' |
| Coral |
Coral is a form of calcium carbonate, (like aragonite or marble), secreted in long chains by coral polyps, who live in colonies under the ocean. Coral can be found all over the world, but the bulk of coral used in jewelry making has always come from the waters off Sardinia and the coast of Sicily, in the Mediterranean.
Coral comes in colors from vivid orange, red, and white, to salmon and pale pink (called angelskin coral). In jewelry making, coral is either carved into beads, cameos, and other forms, or is left in its natural branch-like form and just polished. During the mid-Victorian era large cameo brooches of coral finely carved in high-relief floral sprays or faces were popular. It used to be thought that coral protected the wearer, so it was a traditional gift to children. Since it is composed of calcium carbonate, real coral will effervesce if touched with acid. Imitation coral is made from glass, porcelain, or plastic and will not effervesce when touched with acid. |
| Corallium Rubrum |
A valuable red coral introduced to the Indians by the Spanish. |
| Cord belt |
A thick belt worn on the waist, usually with a caftan. |
| Coronet |
A small or inferior type of crown worn by a person of high rank but lower than a sovereign. |
| Corundum |
The name of a family of stones composed of crystallized aluminum and oxygen that includes rubies and sapphires. The color of these stones depends on the oxides present in their composition. Corundum is one of the hardest minerals second only to diamonds rating a 9 on the Mohs scale. See alumina. |
| Cowrie Shell |
The highly polished and brightly marked shells of tropical marine gastropods of the genus Cypraea, some of which are used as currency in the South Pacific and Africa. Small cowrie shells are commonly used as beads in jewelry. |
| Crested (Pewter) |
A Scottish tappit hen with a knop on the lid. |
| Crimp Bead |
Small soft metal beads that are squeezed shut to secure clasps onto the ends of cords or chains. |
| Crown Height |
A measurement of the distance from the girdle to the table on a diamond or other cut stone. |
| Cruise Control |
electronic speed control. It reduces driver fatigue on long journeys as well as saving money on fuel and on speeding fines. |
| Crystal |
A fine, high-quality glass invented in 17th century England. In order to be considered crystal rather than simple glass, the product must contain at least 10% lead oxide. The lead oxide is attributed to providing the glass with extraordinary qualities of brilliance, sound and a suitable texture for cutting or engraving. Some of the finest crystal ever made is from Baccarat in France (est. 1816) and Waterford in Ireland (est. 1729). |
| CT |
on form V5 indicates a change of VRM |
| Cuban Link Chain |
A standard cable chain with oval shaped links that are each decorated with a twisting pattern resembling rope. |
| Cubic Zirconia |
(CZ) A clear, hard, mass-produced gemstone cut to resemble a diamond. The mineral baddeleyite has the same chemical composition, but to become a CZ the mineral must be heated to almost 5000 degrees Fahrenheit and have an oxide stabilizer such as yttrium or calcium added to keep it from reverting back to its original form when cooled.
Almost all the rough CZ's in the market are composed of zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide, both of which are naturally white but combine to form a brilliant clear crystal. Like diamonds, the best cubic zirconia gems are colorless but colored forms are also manufactured. Vivid green CZ is sometimes referred to as C-OX, and CZ in numerous colors is frequently sold under various tradenames, such as the yellow CZ from Ceylon called "jargon". Cubic zirconia gemstones are cut in the same fashion as diamonds, and like diamonds the size of the gemstone is usually indicated by its weight in carats.
The stone can also be measured in millimeter diameter size. Because the cubic zirconia stone is so dense and solid, it outweighs a diamond of the same millimeter size, weighing 1.7 times more than a diamond of the same millimeter diameter. It is also not as hard as a diamond rating only an 8 on the Mohs scale.
Natural skin oils, soap, and dirt cause a film that dulls the beauty and luster of the cubic zirconia, just as it dulls real diamonds. The best cleaning agent for cubic zirconia is liquid dishwashing detergent, but other gem and jewelry cleaners can also be used. |
| Cuff Bracelet |
A wide rigid bangle with a narrow opening on one side to allow the the wrist to pass through. |
| Cuff Link |
A decorative fastener worn to close the cuff of a shirt that provides holes on the cuff for the cufflink rather than closing with buttons. |
| Culet |
The tiny flat facet on the tip of the pavilion of a cut gemstone. |
| Cultured Pearl |
A means of duplicating the organic process of natural pearl creation invented by Kokichi Mikimoto circa 1893. A tiny irritant like a bead, grain of sand, or a piece of mother of pearl from another mollusk can be inserted into the opening of an oyster or mollusk.
This irritant becomes the nucleus of a pearl once that mollusk secretes a lustrous substance (nacre) to cover the foreign body. An oyster or mollusk can take between five to seven years to secrete enough nacre to produce a jewelry quality pearl. |
| Curb Link Chain |
A chain composed of oval-shaped links that are twisted and often diamond-cut so they lie flat. |
| Cushion Cut |
A stone that is cut to look like a square or rectangle with rounded edges. The cut is usually multi-faceted to give the highest possible light refraction. |
| Cut Diamond |
In the context of gemstones, it means the same as "Brilliant cut". In the context of diamond cut objects, (usually metal objects), it means that part of the object has been cut into a flat diamond shape. |
| Cut Glass |
Any glass whose surface has been cut into facets, grooves and depressions by a large, rotating wheel. Wheel cutting glass was developed in the 8th century BC, but the technique of faceting wasn't perfected until the 18th century in England. Although cutting glass is a costly and difficult process, the brilliant effects are extraordinary! |
| Cut-Card Work |
A decorative applique technique in which sheets of silver are pierced with patterns and solder applied as ornamentation. |
| Cyl |
cylinder as in 4 cyl, 5 cyl, 8 cyl. The more cylinders, the smoother the engine runs and the heavier the fuel consumption is. |
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