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.
Ear Cuff: A wide decorative
ring with a gap designed to be pinched onto
the ear without need for piercing. Ear
cuffs may be pinched onto any part of the ear, not just the earlobe.
Earring: Jewelry worn on the
earlobe.
Earring back: A disk or bead that
fits over an earring post
and holds the earring securely in place, like a catch.
Earring jacket: A small piece of
jewelry with a hole pierced in the
center designed to be held onto the ear with a
stud earring.
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.
Egyptian Revival:
Jewelry 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:
Jewelry that has been coated with
gold through the process of
electroplating. The
gold plating eventually wears away.
Electroplating: The process of covering
a base metal with a thin film of
gold by setting it in a chemical solution
through which an electric current flows to coat it with
precious
metal.
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.
Element: A substance that cannot be broken
down into different kinds of matter. For example, water is composed of the
elements oxygen and hydrogen.
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. Enamel Charms 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.
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: Any pattern design or mark that
is cut into a piece of
jewelry with a special engraver's tool;
The process of cutting or carving lines into a surface.
Enhanced: 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.
Epidote: A
silicate of alumina,
lime, and
oxide of iron, or
manganese. It is commonly of a
yellowish green (pistachio) color.
Essex crystal: See
Reverse Crystal
jewelry.
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.
Excellent Condition: A piece of
jewelry in Excellent
condition will show reasonable evidence
of wear, and have developed a fine patina.
See condition.
Export: To carry, send, or transport a
commodity abroad for trade or sale.
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.
Copyright 2007
