Water sapphire: See
Iolite.
Wedding Cup: The tradition of the
Jungfrauenbecher, meaning "maiden's cup" originated in Germany during the 16th
century. The legend goes that a goldsmith
was challenged by the father of the girl he loved to build a cup that two
people could drink from at the same time in order to marry his daughter. He
came up with a chalice with a split in the handle which suspended a cup on a
swivel. The contraption is now often referred to as the wedding cup for the
role it plays in nuptial feasts. The bridegroom drinks a toast out of the
larger cup and then rights the figure, without spilling the wine in the
smaller pivoted bowl, which is then to be drunk by the bride. The
Jungfrauenbecher has also been known as the "wager cup" - the challenge is
having the couple drink from both cups at the same time without spilling the
contents of either.
White Agate: See White Onyx.
White gold: An alloy made of
gold mixed with
nickel, sometimes also containing
palladium or
zinc.
White Marble: White colored
crystalline limestone used
primarily in sculpture and architecture, especially by the ancient Greeks and
Romans. See also Marble
White Metal: Any combination of
alloys of nonprecious metals such
as lead and tin.
Also called "Pot Metal".
White Onyx: A form of agate
from the chalcedony family which is
semi-translucent with white to
yellowish-white banding.
White Quartz: A translucent
white mineral consisting of
silicon
dioxide in crystal form. White Quartz is basically clear quartz with a
high degree of cloudiness. It is usually uniform in terms of the color, but
has areas of more or less opacity.
Wholesale: Of, relating to, or engaged in
the sale of goods in large bulk or quantity for resale by a retailer or
jobber rather than directly to consumers.
Width: The horizontal measurement across the
widest area of an item of jewelry.
WWJD: Stands for "What Would Jesus
Do?". Worn by Christians as a reminder to think before acting. It is
often seen on all sorts of jewelry
including pendants,
necklaces,
bracelets, and
rings.
