Words of the Week
VINTAGE JEWELRY LANE - WORD OF THE WEEK
This page contains a wide range of information about individual vintage jewelry terms in detail. We add a new word each week. Click on the links to see the page for more information about the term.
Vintage Words A-F - Vintage Words G-L - Vintage Words M-R - Vintage Words S-Z
What is abalone? Information on this seashore jewelry component.
What is an aigrette? Royalty and common folk alike.
What is arabesque? Delicate and floral intertwined motifs.
What is aurora borealis jewelry? The northern lights in a rhinestone or glass finish.
What is a baguette? Bread anyone? Or maybe rhinestones.
What is bakelite? Bakelite? Fakelite? French Bakelite? So confusing.
What is a bar pin? Not a drinking game but a piece of jewelry.
What is basse-taille? You can see through this enamel to the metal design.
What is Bohemian Jewelry? Flower Power personified.
What is a brushed finish? Not your normal reflective jewelry finish.
What is a C Clasp? How your brooch closes.
What is a cabochon? Fancy or plain - a pretty flat back stone.
What is celluloid? Lovely vintage plastic, but can be oh so delicate.
What is cloisonne? Color within the lines.
What is Damascene? Far east or near - a wonderful jewelry style.
What is a Demi Parure? Demis? Semis? A set? Married set? Get the scoop.
What is a Dress Clip? Prongs? One clip? Which was worn with a dress?.
What is The Edwardian Period for Vintage Jewelry? A time for royalty and royal designs.
What is Enamel Jewelry? So colorful. Want more info?
What is Fakelite? Sounds faux - come find out.
What is a Figural? Charming animals, themes and designs.
What is Filigree? Romantic, feminine, and still popular.
What is a Finding? Small bits and pieces that make up your jools.
What is German Silver? Is this alloy truly silver?
What is Guilloche? The use of spirograph in jewelry manufacture.
What is Hair Jewelry? Mourning a loved one in a natural way.
What is Hematite? Magnetic or not?
What is intaglio? Reverse carving - cameo gone backwards.
What is ivory? Is it ivory or bone? Animal tusk jewelry.
What is japanning? How do they get that black metal finish?
What is jet? Queen Victoria and Mourning..
What is a karat? Not something that a rabbit eats, for sure!.
What is lavalier? Dangles on pendants and brooches.
What is lucite? Plastic introduced by DuPont in 1937.
What is a Maker's Mark? How designers sign their jewelry.
What is marcasite? Gunmetal gray stones with a rhinestone look.
What is a Marquis cut? Oval in shape and pointed at tips but not a navette.
What is Nielloware? Thailand Goddesses as a jewelry motif.
What is Patina? How jewelry ages.
What is Pave? Paving a jewelry surface.
What is Pietra Dura? Miniature works of Art in Marble.
What is a Regard Ring? Victorian love jewelry.
What is Repousse? Hammering from behind.
What is a Sautoir Necklace? Perfect for the Roaring Twenties.
What is a Solje Jewelry? Traditional national jewelry of Norway.
What is a Stickpin? Tiny tops on a pointed pin.
What is a Tessera? Tiny tiles tell a tale.
What is a Torsade? Tightly twisted strands of glass.
What is a Tutti Frutti? Leaves and flowers good enough to eat.
What is a Verdigris? That ugly green gunk and what to do about it.
I try to offer accurate vintage jewelry information, but may make errors from time to time due to mistakes in research information.
