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| Word |
Description |
| H/L(R)W/W |
headlight (rear) wash wipe |
| Hair Jewelry |
A style of jewelry popular in the mid-19th century. Lockets of the hair of loved ones were preserved in brooches under glass. The hair was sometimes intricately curled or woven. These pieces were often inscribed on the back to identify the donors. Later in the century, hair was woven into watch chains, bracelets, and earrings and given as tokens of affection. All forms of hair jewelry are very collectible today. |
| Half-hoop |
A bangle, bracelet, or ring in which only half of the circumference of the piece is set with stones. |
| Hallmark |
An official marking made by a trusted party, usually an assay office or guild hall, on items made of precious metals (platinum, gold and silver) that guarantees a certain purity of the metal. This should not be confused with a marking, such as a sterling stamp, which is done voluntarily by the manufacturer. A hallmark is only applied after the item has been assayed to determine its purity. Often the hallmark is made up of several elements including: the type of metal, the maker and the year of the marking. The term does not apply to American silver marks nor should ever be used in the context of silverplate.
The Hallmark is a form of consumer protection against fraud, hallmarks are simply marks stamped onto a precious metal by a legally appointed official after assaying to denote the amount of precious metal contained in a piece.
European hallmarks are legally required and date back to the early middle ages. Marks are not officially required in the US but are carried by custom and practice. Marks may indicate the purity of the metal, the maker, the country of manufacture, and/or the date that the piece was assayed or had its design registered. |
| Hammered Booge |
The booge of all English sadware was hammered; however American pewterers discontinued this practice, as a means of reducing costs, after the Revolutionary War. Hammering was thought to strengthen the metal, but modern metallurgists know that pewter quickly loses this strengthening effect. |
| Hammered Finish |
An uneven textured finish accomplished by the use of flat or round headed hammers. |
| Hammerhead (Pewter) |
A rare type of thumb piece found on early baluster measures and flagons. Similar in appearance to a hammer. |
| Hammermen |
A term that was used in Scotland and many provincial British towns for metalworkers (including pewterers) whose work involves use of a hammer. |
| Haystack |
An Irish measure with a shape reminding one of a haystack or possibly an oast house. |
| Haystack Measure |
A 19th century Irish measure with a shape similar to a haystack. Never imported into this country, but many were brought here by Irish immigrants in the 19th century. Many have also been brought into this country in the 20th century by collectors and dealers.
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| Heart Cut |
A "fancy cut" diamond or stone in the shape of a heart. |
| Heishi |
(hee-shee). The oldest form of jewelry in New Mexico, pre-dating the introduction of metals. The literal meaning of heishi is "shell" and specifically refers to pieces of shell which have been drilled and ground into beads and then strung into necklaces. Centuries ago, the shells used by the Pueblo Indians to make beads were obtained in trade from the Gulf of California.
The most commonly used are seashells of all kinds--dark and light olive shells, spiny oysters, mother of pearl, and melon shell. Coral and stones such as lapis, turquoise, jet, pipestone and serpentine are also used to create exquisite contemporary heishi necklaces. A string of good heishi will have a uniform consistency. If you gently pull it through your hand, it should feel like a single serpent-like piece. See Liquid silver and Olivelia Shells. |
| Heliotrope |
Bloodstone: A variety of chalcedony that is dark green red spots resembling blood. |
| Hematite |
Iron ore consisting of ferric oxide in crystalline form, hematite is silvery, shiny opaque stone that becomes a red powder when ground down. It manifests in splendent rhombohedral crystals that are very heavy and cold to the touch. |
| Hemp |
Any plant of the Cannabis family. The fibrous skin is used for making cloth and rope. Hemp rope has become popular for necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. It is usually strung with brightly colored beads. |
| Herringbone Chain |
A chain made up of short, flat, slanted parallel links with the direction of the slant alternating row by row resembling the spine of the herring. |
| Hessonite |
A variety of garnet which is yellow in color. Also called "Cinnamon Stone". |
| Hidden Box Clasp |
A box clasp hidden under the last link of chain so that when the chain is closed it looks uniform, except for the release lever. |
| High Polish |
A piece of jewelry that has been polished to a mirror-like finish. |
| Holloware |
Term indicating a vessel, usually associated with food and beverage wares. |
| Hopi Overlay |
Jewelry made by Hopi Indians that employs a method of creating jewelry called the Overlay technique. See Overlay technique. |
| HT Leads |
High Tension leads which carry very high voltage. Do not touch. Keep any metal objects well away. Arcing or sparks jumping several inches have been seen. And felt! |
| Hue |
The specific color classification given to an object based on the seven colors found in the spectrum; red, orange yellow, green, blue, indigo, or violet.
For example, garnets are found in a variety of shades of red from pink to plum, but all of these shades fall under the "hue" of "red". The more internally consistent a stone's hue is, the more valuable the stone is considered to be. |
| Hyacinth |
A variety of Zircon used as a gem which can be brown, red, orange, or an amber-like combination of yellow/orange/brown. |
| Hydrous |
Simply means "combined with water"; especially water of crystallization. |
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