For Jewelers

Appliqué- A design cut out of one piece of silver or goldand soldered to the silver base.

Basse-taille – Translucent enameling that is applied over an engraved metal surface.

Beveled – A stone cut on slant

Burnished Finish – A directional bright finish done by hand with a burnishing tool or “burnisher.”

Champlevé – Enameling technique, meaning “raised field,” are stamped depressions in metal that are then filled with enamel.

Electroplating – Depositing one type of metal onto the surface of another type by using the process of electrolysis or an electro-chemical reaction. Plated coatings are measured in microns.

Engraving – Incising designs in metal or stone with sharpened steel gravers. 

Etching – A process of producing a design upon stone or metal using corrosive acid. 

Filigree – Delicate jewelry or metalwork with wire soldered to a metal background in patterns. Also describes pattern-work made with twisted threads of gold and/or silver.

Granulation – Tiny granules or “grains” are fusion-welded to the metal’s surface to create a pattern or design.

Hammered Finish – Using a cross peen hammer to leave indented hammer marks on the metal’s surface.

Intaglio – Intaglio is the opposite of cameo with an incised negative image. Intaglio is used to make engraved seals, where it leaves a raised design on the material being stamped.

Lamination – The bonding of two different metals to create a pattern when cross-sectioned.

Limoges – French technique for enameling and firing to create a pictorial image, typically a portrait, to be used as a brooch.

Lost wax casting – Creating an original artwork from wax, a mold is made of the original sculpture. When the molten metal enters the mold, the wax evaporates leaving the cast metal in its place.

Metal Inlay – Imbedding or inserting of sheet metal or wire into an indentation or groove in the surface of a finished piece of metal.

Mirror Finish – A highly reflective surface with no visible abrasion pattern. Created with rouge, muslin, or a flannel buffing wheel.

Mosaic Inlay – Patterns or designs using small pieces of stones that are not seperated by silver.

Overlay – A design is cut out of one piece of silver and soldered onto a plain piece of silver abd then the design is oxidized with sulfate.

Patina – Patina is a chemical film formed on the surface of metal through wear, corrosion, or oxidization due to exposure to the elements. A patina is often deliberately added by metalworkers.

Pavé technique – A setting in which jewels are placed close together so as to show no metal.

Piqué – Gold or silver inlayed design pattern (pricked). Also, a carbon diamond inclusion.

Plique à Jour – Translucent enameling technique that has the look of stained glass.

Repoussé – French for “to push back,” Repoussé is a technique for creating a relief design by pressing or hammering the inside or backside of a metal surface.

Reticulation – Giving the surface of the metal a rough or wrinkled texture (network or web) that has a naturally formed appearance.

Sand Casting – Sand casting uses casting sand (a mixture of dry cement and oil) to form silver jewelry. A master sample is created and a reverse mold created in the sand. The master sample is removed and filled with molten silver to create a new piece. Sand cast molds can only be used once before being discarded.

Satin Finish – A non-directional or directional finish created with abrasive compounds that produce fine lines across the surface of the metal.

Scoring – Using a tool to engrave a groove or furrow into the flat surface of the metal.

Shot Ball – Metal fusion using tiny shot balls fused to the metal’s surface to create a pattern or design. A technique used in ancient Etruscan jewelry to add texture to the surface.

Stampwork – The use of a tool with the design on one end and hammered until the design is impressed into the silver or gold.

Tufa Casting – Tufa casting is named for the tufa stone, a soft lava rock into which a shape and some design elements of a piece of jewelry is carved. The tufa stone is not completely smooth, so the silver jewelry cast using this method is textured. Because heat degrades the tufa stone, a tufa stone mold can only be used once or twice before a new stone must be carved.