Jewellery Glossary

Hi All,

To answer to everyone queries about the material ALBTM used. Here's a mini glossary to help you choose the type of materials you would prefer.

All prices quoted are for the materials used as quoted. If you wish to opt for other materials on the piece that you like, you may wish to enquire with me at alittlebirdtoldme08@lycos.com or SMS me at 9348 9755.

Hope you find these information helpful.


Cheers,
ALBTM



METALS

RHODIUM
An expensive whitish-gray metallic element from the platinum family.

GOLD-FILLED
A gold alloy plate made by soldering, brazing, welding or other means that is not less than 10Kt fineness, where the plating constitutes at lest 1/20th of the weight of the metal in the entire article. The term must be preceded by the karat fineness of the plating, such as 14Kt Gold-Filled.

VERMEIL
Gilded or gold-colored sterling silver, copper or bronze.

GOLD-PLATED
An electrolytic coating with gold, or with an alloy of not less than 10% fineness to a minimum thickness throughout.

SILVER FILLED (a.k.a. 925 sterling silver)
A mechanical bonding with a silver alloy of at least 92.5 percent fineness. The bonding must be equal to at least one-twentieth of the metal in the article. This can also be called silver overlay, but never silver plate.

SILVER PLATED
A fine silver film deposited on a base metal by electrolysis, in the same kind of electrically-charged bath used to make gold electroplate. A silver plate item cannot be called sterling or bear a marking of ’silver’.



BEADS

CZECH FIRE-POLISHED BEADS
Faceted fire-polished beads from the Czech Republic comes in a rainbow of colors in fashionable styles, two-toned, metallic, translucent, aurora borealis, etc.

RHINESTONES
Originally quartz from the gold washings along the Rhine river. Today, generally means colorless potash-and-lead glass that contains quartz in the form of melted lead crystal and is cut like a diamond. Also called strass, diamante.

PRECIOUS STONES (i.e we'll nv be able to afford these materials either)
Rare and costly gems: diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES
Natural stones that generally have a lower value than precious stones, including amethyst, aventurine, carnelian, garnet, opal, rose quartz, smokey quartz, turquoise, bloodstone, onyx, citrine, coral, emerald, fossil, fluorite, howlite, jade, jasper, lava, moonstone, opal, peridot, topaz, sodalite, etc.

PLASTICS

LUCITE
A transparent thermoplastic acrylic resin

ACRYLIC
A glassy thermoplastic; can be cast and molded or used in coatings and adhesives

RESIN
Any of a class of solid or semisolid viscous substances obtained either as exudations from certain plants or prepared by polymerization of simple molecules