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| Word |
Description |
| E.P.B.M |
Electroplated Britannia Metal. |
| EDC |
electronic damper control for suspension |
| Edwardian |
Refers to the period during the reign of Edward VII of England (1901-1910), but the style has it's beginnings during the final years of Victoria's reign, and continued until shortly before World War I when the more geometric influences later to be called Art Deco began to make headway.
In jewelry, this period was characterized by delicate filigree in white gold and platinum, with diamonds and pearls predominating, and colored stones used less frequently, producing a light, monochromatic look. Delicate bows, swags, and garland effects were used in necklace and brooches. Both dog collars, and long fringed necklaces were also "in", being popularized by the graceful, long-necked Queen Alexandra. |
| Efi |
electronic fuel injection. All new cars have fuel injection. It’s mentioned on older models when a carburettor model was also available |
| Egyptian Revival |
A style that evokes the feeling of ancient Egypt in its use of styles, symbols, and motifs. It was popular in the 19th century when archaeological finds in Egypt were making headlines and filling museums with artifacts. |
| Electroplated |
A base metal that has been coated with gold through the process of electroplating. The gold plating eventually wears away. |
| Electroplating |
The use of electricity to deposit a coating of precious metal, suspended in a solution, on the base metal of an object. The first patent for the process was granted to the Elkington Brothers of Birmingham, England in 1840. The brothers, George & Henry, founded the silver electroplating industry that has spread to all parts of the world. Common markings on electroplated silverware include:
E.P.C. - Electroplated Copper
E.P.B.M. - Electroplated Britannia Metal
E.P.N.S. - Electroplated Nickel Silver.
E.P.W.M. - Electroplated White Metal
Silver Soldered |
| Electrotype |
Electroplating applied to a mold. The gold is then peeled away from the mold producing a cast object made of pure gold. |
| Electrum |
An alloy of gold and silver that occurs naturally. |
| Emboss |
To create a three-dimensional design by pressure with the use of dies, stamps or punches from the reverse. See Repousse |
| Emerald |
A rich green gemstone of the beryl family. Fine emeralds are among the most valuable gemstones. Emeralds are created when chromium combines with various impurities.
Unlike most gemstones, inclusions, (called “jardin,” the French word for garden), are quite common in emeralds, so they lower the value much less than with other precious stones such a diamonds. As a remedy to lessen the appearance of common flaws, emeralds may be oiled or dyed. The most highly prized emeralds are mined in Columbia.
A valuable emerald will be a bright, vividly colored green. Those with a slight blue cast to the bright green are actually the most valuable color. Many emeralds seen in jewelry are of relatively low quality. If an emerald appears to be very fine, it may actually be a synthetic.
There are several types of synthetic emeralds on the market, and some of them are challenging to identify, even for a trained gemologist. Emeralds have long been regarded as a symbol of fertility, rebirth and springtime. They were believed to protect the wearer from the perils of long journeys. Emerald is the birthstone for May. |
| Emerald Cut |
(Also referred to as "table-cut" or "step-cut"). A rectangular or square shaped cut with chamfered corners and stepped facets, typically parallel to the girdle. This cut is also used for precious stones other than emeralds. |
| En Tremblant |
A moveable, trembling effect generally achieved through the use of coiled springs of metal mounted to the brooch fitting, often found in antique brooches or hair ornaments. |
| Enamel |
Colored, opaque glassy material fused onto metal, pottery or glass. In its simplest terms, all enamel is produced by fusing colored powdered glass to metal to produce a vitreous or glass-like, decorative surface. See Enameling. |
| Enameling |
A decorative technique in which a vitreous pigment of metallic oxide is mixed with finely powdered glass is applied to the surface of a metal--normally bronze, copper, silver or gold. This glass composition adheres to the metal through fusion under very high temperatures.
The color of the enamel and its degree of transparency depend on the metal oxides that exist in the glass and the temperature at which the glass melts and coheres to the surface. Popular during the mid-Victorian period was a solid black, blue, or white enamel used to fill engraved designs. See Arts and Crafts, champlevé, cloisonné, faberge, filigree enamel, guilloche, and plique-a-jour. |
| Engagement Ring |
A ring set with a gemstone, (usually a diamond), that is traditionally given to a woman by a man to signify their intention to be married. |
| English Export Pewter |
English pewter exported to America from the late 17th century through the first quarter of the 19th century. Several forms such as pear-shaped teapots and creamers, drum-shaped teapots, and sugar bowls were made specifically for the American market and are rarely found in England. At the time of the American Revolution as well as today, there are more pieces of English Export Pewter to be found in this country than pieces made by American pewterers. |
| Engrave |
To decorate metal by gouging a design with graver's tools; embellishing metal or other material with patterns using a stamping tool or drill.
This was a popular technique in mid-Victorian jewelry. The resulting depressions were often filled with colored enamel in a technique called champlevé.
Also refers to inscribing a dedication or monogram to identify a piece. Stamped pieces can be designed to imitate hand engraving. Under magnification, the design is much more sharp in a hand engraved piece, with subtle irregularities. |
| Engraving |
The technique of cutting lines in metal with burins or graver's tools as a decorative means. Monograms, armorial crests and many other decorations are accomplished by this method.
A variety of effects can be achieved by using different graving tools. see; Bright Cut |
| Enhanced Gems |
Nearly all gemstones available today have been enhanced to bring out their best color or to strengthen them. For example, an accepted industry practice in the polishing process for sapphires involves heating the stones to bring out their color. This process simply extends what nature began, since it is heat and pressure that give gemstones their color in the first place. |
| Essex Crystal |
Reverse Crystal Jewelry: (also called Essex crystal) A clear crystal is cut as a cabochon. A carving is made on the flat side, like an intaglio, and painted with a thin layer of mother of pearl to produce a three-dimensional effect. |
| Essonite |
(Also called "Cinnamon stone") A brown or yellowish-brown variety of garnet. |
| Estate Jewelry |
The term does not necessarily refer to jewelry that has come from an estate, but simply jewelry that has been previously owned. |
| Etched |
Very faintly carved decoration scratched onto the surface of a piece. |
| Eterna Gold |
A trademarked name for a type of 14k gold that is more durable, more luminous and more resistant to tarnishing than other 14k gold products |
| Eternity Ring |
A ring set with a continuous line of gemstones. |
| Etruscan Revival |
Like Egyptian revival, which drew inspiration from the archaeological digs in Egypt, Etruscan revival was a popular style of jewelry in the 19th century that drew its inspiration from the archeological discoveries at Herculaneum and Pompeii. See Granulation |
| Etui |
French for "case", an etui is a small, usually ornamental, case for holding articles such as needles, scissors, tweezers, and other articles of toilet or of daily use. |
| Euclase |
A silicate of alumina and glucina occuring as light green, transparent crystals with a brilliant clinodiagonal cleavage. Named after the Greek word "euklas", in French "euclase", meaning "to break", because it is so brittle. |
| European Cut |
A style of diamond cutting popular from approximately 1890 to the 1930s typified by a round girdle, a smaller table in relation to the diameter of the stone, and a large culet. The large culet appears to create a hole at the bottom of the diamond when viewed from the top, since the large culet lets light escape instead of reflecting back to the viewer. |
| European Wire |
A means of attaching an earring to a pierced earlobe with a curved wire which passes through the earlobe and clasps shut. |
| Extender Chain |
A chain which may be attached to another chain in order to increase the length. |
| Eye Agate |
An agate that when cut at the right angle reveals a series of concentric rings resembling an eye. Unlike other agates which are categorized by their color, this agate is distinguished by the pattern. Eye agates come in a large variety of colors. |
| Eyepin |
A type of finding, an eyepin is simply a long piece of wire with a loop, or "eye", at one end, resembling a needle with an extra-large eye. Beads are strung along the wire to settle on the loop so that they don't fall off the other end. The long end is then crimped or attached to another finding, such as an ear hook. |
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