- abalone
- A group of marine snails with a very large shell. The innermost layer of the shell is highly iridescent, with a wide range of strong and clear colors. Buy this sterling silver abalone eternity ring or sterling silver abalone pendant:
- agate
- A type of quartz that appears in many different colors and patterns, caused by the percolation of silica-laden water through rock. In ancient times believed to be a healing stone.
- aglet
- A small ornamental object often made of precious metal, worn on the ends of ribbons to hold clothing together prior to the invention of the button.
- aigrette
- Originally the head-plumes of the egret used in a woman's headdress, also can be an ornament in precious metals and gems.
- aluminum
- At one time rare and sought-after, aluminum made lightweight yet strong jewelry. Demand (and thus usage) for decoration dropped after cost-effective means of refining aluminum were invented.
- amatory jewelry
- Pieces meant to convey friendship or love by explicitly spelling out a message or using a code such as the language of stones.
- ambergris
- A gray or blackish solid waxy sustance sometimes molded, decorated and used as beads during the Renaissance.
- amethyst
- Purple quartz.
- anchor
- A type of jewelry chain that mimics the chain that holds large anchors on ships. An oval link with a dividing bar through the middle. Also called Marina.
- aurora borealis
- A type of artificial gemstone (crystal) invented and popularized by Swarovski in the 1950s. The technique involves applying thin layers of metal to glass to achieve a rainbow iridized effect.
- bead
- A small decorative object that is drilled for threading or stringing. Current-day plastic beads may be molded onto a thread rather than strung freely. These are called MOT beads.
- Berlin iron
- Cast iron ornaments made in the early 1800s in patriotic motifs, often given to women in exchange for their gold jewelry (which was needed to fund a war effort).
- blue topaz
- Colored stone popular in the last several decades that is produced by heat-treating natural white topaz. Buy this or :
- bog oak
- Hardened and blackened wood from peat bogs. Carved and pressed into Irish souvenir jewelry.
- brilliant cut
- A 58-facet shaping of diamonds first invented by a Venetian diamond cutter.
- briolette
- A type of chain with square links, more commonly known as box chain.
- brooch
- A decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments. Usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material.
- Byzantine
- A very intricate chain reminiscent of ancient times and old chain-mail.
- cabochon
- A gemstone, usually opaque, which has been shaped and polished into a domed shape with a flat bottom. Softer gemstones are often made into cabochons.
- cairngorm
- A variety of quartz crystal found in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland, used in Scottish jewelry.
- cameo
- A method of carving or an item of jewelry made in this manner. It features a raised (positive) relief image as opposed to intaglio, which has a negative image. Cameos are generally made from agate or shell, though other materials are sometimes used.
- cannetille
- A method of working gold in which the surface of the object is covered in wire spirals.
- champleve
- A technique where enamel is filled into depressions or cells of a metal object. The object is then heated until the enamel melts, then polished once cooled. Similar but not identical to cloisonne.
- Celtic cross
- A traditional symbol of pre-Christian origin that combines a Christian-type cross with a ring centered over the intersection.
- chaplet
- Another word for coronet.
- chatelaine
- A set of short chains on a belt worn by women and men for carrying keys and useful implements. The French word chatelaine means the wife of the lord of a castle.
- coronet
- A small crown-like headpiece consisting of ornaments fixed on a rigid metal ring. Crowns are usually reserved for royalty; coronets are worn by nobles.
- cut steel
- Faceted steel studs closely arranged to maximize sparkle. Such ornaments were common in England in the second half of the 18th century.
- diadem
- A type of crown, generally in a circular shape. Also a kind of tiara (half-crown) worn over the forehead.
- equipage
- Early name for chatelaine.
- estate jewelry
- Commonly used to refer to any previously owned piece of whatever age but can also refer to vintage jewelry of a particular period.
- etui
- A small case that contained miniature tools, attached to a chatelaine.
- ferronniere
- A jewel worn on a ribbon across the forehead.
- fibula
- An ornamental clasp used by Romans, Greeks and also by Celts and migratory tribes in Europe from the Early Bronze Age. Used to hold clothing together, they looked a bit like a large safety pin.
- figaro
- A popular variation on many different basic types of chain. A number of standard links (usually three) precede an elongated link all the way through.
- fleur-de-lis
- A stylized design of an iris flower, once associated with the French monarchy. Buy this sterling silver fleur-de-lis pendant:
- fruit salad
- Costume jewelry that is set with molded stones, which can be glass, lucite or plastic. Material may be transparent or translucent. Sought after by some vintage jewelry collectors.
- funerary locket
- A pendant worn close to the heart that opens to show pictures or images of a lost loved one. The Victorian era saw the rise of mourning jewelry such as this and hair jewelry.
- giardinetti ring
- A setting fashioned to look like a tiny basket of flowers with petals picked out in gemstones. Popular around 1750.
- gimmel
- Connecting twin rings given as a token of love.
- girandole
- A style of earring or brooch in the 1700s, made to look like a chandelier.
- hair jewelry
- A type of mourning jewelry devised during the early Victorian era, where strands of a loved one's hair are woven or plaited into forms such as a bracelet strap or watch chain.
- herringbone
- Nowadays dubbed magic chain, it is formed from v-shaped links and lies entirely flat.
- intaglio
- A method of carving that produces negative relief (an image that recedes rather than stands out). The opposite of cameo carving.
- jet
- Black fossilized wood which was carved or polished into various forms, such as beads and cameos or in its unpolished form, as mourning jewelry. jet is light compared to metal or stone. Widows in the middle Victorian period were expected to wear mourning for a year and a day.
- keeper ring
- Worn by a lady to safeguard her wedding ring from loss. Sometimes set with diamonds and similar to today's eternity rings.
- keepsake locket
- A specialized pendant with a thin pane of glass at front to display the contents, such as a dried flower or lock of hair, without having to open the locket.
- language of stones
- The first letter of the stone is used to spell out a message, such as REGARD (ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, diamond).
- Luckenbooth brooch
- Traditional Scottish token of love from the 16th to 18th century, with a heart or hearts topped by a crown. Often made in silver.
- lunette
- A half-moon shape. In the plural, it refers to eyeglasses.
- malachite
- A soft green stone associated with copper ores in nature. Much modern-day production originates in Israel, where the finest examples are to be found.
- marcasites
- Iron pyrite crystals which came into common use in jewelry in the 18th century. Iron pyrite is a soft, somewhat brittle material.
- Mary's brooch
- Also known as Queen Mary's brooch, this is a variation of the Luckenbooth with two hearts entwined to resemble an M. Mary Queen of Scots received one as a gift from her husband Lord Darnley.
- micro-mosaic
- Hundreds of tiny bits of opaque glass arranged in a picture and attached to a metal plate, then coated with wax and polished. Popular subjects were flowers and birds.
- mother of pearl
- Also known as nacre, an iridescent natural shell material widely used in jewelry. Sometimes dyed or colored. Buy this white mother of pearl inlay Celtic knot pendant:
- Murano glass
- A product of the Venetian island of Murano and a centuries-long tradition. Most Murano glass is made using the lampwork technique. Gold flecks embedded in clear or color glass is a hallmark of Murano. Buy this Murano-style glass ring:
- necklace a la Jeannette
- Black velvet ribbon with a heart-shaped slide and a cross in gold.
- niello
- A technique where an alloy of sulphur, copper, lead and silver is inlaid onto designs cut from metal. The Egyptions probably invented it. 20th century Siam silver jewelry features niello but only on the black and silver pieces.
- parure
- A set of matching jewelry which became popular first in the 17th century. Components might include brooches, necklaces, earrings, bracelets or combs.
- paste
- Precursor to the rhinestone. Flint glass cut and polished, then mounted in silver-foil backs.
- pendant
- A hanging object or bauble, usually attached to a necklace, earring or bracelet.
- perfume locket
- An openwork or filigree pendant containing absorbent material, to which a few drops of perfume are added.
- peridot
- One of the few gemstones that only occur in one color. In this case, green. Sometimes referred to as poor man's emerald.
- pietre dure
- A type of micro-mosaic jewelry common in Italy in the 1800s, often brought home as souvenirs from the Grand Tour. The mosaic was made up of bits of colored stone rather than glass.
- pinchbeck
- A gold-colored alloy of copper and zinc invented by Christopher Pinchbeck, a London watchmaker.
- placard or placket
- Another term for stomacher.
- platinum
- Metal which came into popular use for jewelry in the early 1900s due to its beauty and superior strength.
- reverse intaglio
- The design is carved in reverse on the back of a crystal.
- rhodolite
- Purplish-red or rose color member of the garnet family. Buy this rhodolite garnet and amethyst ring:
- sautoir
- A long decorated chain.
- serpent biting its tail
- Symbolizes eternity.
- snake
- A dense chain that is round or square in cross-section and in which the links create a zigzag look.
- Spartan diadem
- A type of tiara that rises to a point in the center.
- spiga
- A type of chain in which links form a three-dimensional chain that looks as though the wire has been plaited.
- stomacher
- A very large brooch, often made in connecting sections to allow for movement, that covered a gown's front panel from neckline to waist. Also could mean a fabric panel pinned to the front of a gown in the same location.
- tanzanite
- The blue/purple version of the mineral zoisite discovered in northern Tanzania in 1967. Breaks easily in certain cuts and not generally suitable for jewelry that may be knocked about. Buy this genuine tanzanite snowflake pendant:
- Tara Brooch
- Early (about 700 A.D.) Irish brooch, about seven inches long, crafted of silver gilt and adorned with wolves' heads and dragons' faces.
- tremblant or en tremblant
- A trembling effect produced by mounting part of a brooch on a coiled spring so that it moves when the wearer does.
- tresson
- Another word for bandeau.
- Trinity ring
- Three interlocking hoops of red, yellow and white gold.
- Zierscheibe
- German for "ornamental disk". Iron pendants worn by women as early as 800 B.C. The pendant has a swastika symbol in the center.