JEWELRY GLOSSARY J-O
JABOT Long, narrow pin with decorations at both ends, like an arrow
JAPANNING Process which blackens metal
JASPERWARE High fired porcelain created by the Wedgwood Company
JELLY BELLY Jewelry with a glass or lucite stone at the center
JET Fossilized coal used during the Victorian period to make mourning jewelry. Black glass is sometimes called French Jet
JEWELRY CASKET Ornate jewelry box often with a locking mechanism and usually made of gold or silver
JUMP RING Circular piece of metal with an opening used to hang charms or pendants
LAMPWORK Hand-blown glass beads and jewelry
LAVA Volcanic rock
LAVALIER A pendant with a dangling stone that hangs from a necklace
LOCKET A pendant which opens to reveal a cavity for photos, hair or other small object
LORGNETTE Opera glasses with a long handle
LOUPE Jeweler’s small magnifier held up to the eye
LOVE TOKEN Coins polished clear of mint marks and then engraved with initials or pictorials
LUCITE A plastic material introduced by Dupont in the 1930s
MARCASITE Metallic, semi-precious stone; it sparkles when faceted; also called Cut Steel
MATCH SAFE Small box, often ornate silver or gold, used to hold stick matches
MICROMOSAIC Use of very small, fine pieces applied as in mosaic
MILLEFIORI Italian word meaning “thousand flowers.” Glass that is formed from multiple canes of colored glass that are fused together and cut crosswise
MINE CUT A square stone with rounded corners
MIZPAH An emotional bond between two people who are separated. The double heart motif often includes the Biblical passage: “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.”
MODERNIST A departure from the traditional; incorporates abstraction and impressionism
MOSAIC Jewelry and souvenirs made out of extremely small pieces or tiles of stone, glass or other materials
MOTHER-OF-PEARL Iridescent coating on the inside of mollusk shells
MOURNING JEWELRY Type of jewelry worn after the loss of a loved one; often made of jet, onyx, bog oak or ebony; sometimes has hidden compartments for hair or photos
NICKEL SILVER Also called German Silver; there is no silver in nickel silver. It was invented as a silver substitute
NIELLO An old technique in which an engraved design in metal is filled with an alloy powder then heated and fused. After polishing, it can resemble enamel
OBSIDIAN Naturally formed glass-like material found in igneous rock and lava
OBVERSE Front side of a coin or piece of jewelry
ONYX A variety of chalcedony; usually black