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Antiques & Collectables

Glossary of antique and collectable terms

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Term Definition
Chatoyancy

Chatoyancy is the lustrous, cat's eye effect seen in some cabochon stones, like cat's eye, tiger's eye, and sometimes in other stones, like aquamarine.

In chatoyancy, light is reflected in thin bands within the stone. Chatoyant stones are cut in cabochon to maximize the lustrous effect.

Chatoyancy Chatoyancy Chatoyancy

Chenier

Chenier is fine, hollow tubing that is used in the production of some jewellery findings (like clasps and joints), and lately, in the actual production of jewellery. The hollow tubes are lightweight and save in the use of gold. The tubes are hard to bend when they are empty, so a metal rod is inserted before bending, facilitating the bending.

Chinese Lattice Back

The name given to a particular Chippendale design for a chair in the Chinese taste – Chinoiserie. It was supposed to resemble Chinese fretted work and is an example of the highly romanticised vogue of Far Eastern styles and objects which swept fashionable circles in the mid 1700's

Chinese Lattice Back

Chinoiserie

The term used to describe Chippendale-style Western interpretations of Chinese styles in Chinese lattice back furniture, porcelain, textiles etc. These were very popular during the 1600's and 1700's upto around 1765, and again in the early 1800's to a briefer extent. Since then there has been a recurrance roughly every fifty years

Chinoiserie Chinoiserie Chinoiserie

Chippendale

Thomas Chippendal (1718 – 1779) was a designer and cabinet maker. He published 'The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker's Director' in 1754, reissued in 1755 and again between 1759 and 1762. He worked in London in St Martin's Lane at the sign of 'The Chair' where his son Thomas Chippendale the younger carried on the business after his death

Choker

A choker is a type of necklace that fits tightly around the neck.

Chokers are from 14" to 16" in length.

Choker Necklace Choker Necklace

Chrome Diopside

Chrome diopside is an emerald-green colored gemstone.

It is a chromium-rich variety of the common mineral diopside (Calcium magnesium silicate).

Chrome diopside has a hardness of 5 to 6 and a specific gravity of 3.3 to 3.6.

Chrome Diopside Chrome Diopside Chrome Diopside

Chromium

Chromium is a hard, shiny, grey-white metal. This metal resists corrosion very well and is used in costume jewellery as a coating over other metals.

Chronograph

An instrument for recording time with immense accuracy.

Chrysoberyl

Chrysoberyl is a hard stone that ranges in colour from yellow, to brown, to green.

Some chrysoberyls include alexandrite and cat's eye.

Chrysoberyl Chrysoberyl

Chrysolite

Chrysolite is a name used for many stones.

During Victorian and Edwardian time, it referred to green-yellow chrysoberyl.

It can also refer to peridot.

Long ago, the name was used to refer to almost any yellowish gem.

Chrysolite Chrysolite

Chrysoprase

Chrysoprase is the most valued variety of the mineral chalcedony (microcrystalline quartz) that contains nickel, giving it an apple-green colour. Chrysoprase is sometimes called "Australian jade," but it is not related to jade. Chrysoprase is porous and translucent.

It is usually cut as a cabochon, and has been used since ancient times.

Hard-to-detect imitation chrysoprase is made by staining agate with chromium salts.

Chrysoprase is mined in Australia, Russia (Ural Mountains), Brazil, and the western USA.

Chrysoprase has a hardness of 7 and a specific gravity of 2.6.

Chrysoprase Chrysoprase Chrysoprase

Cire Perdu

Cire perdu, French for "lost wax", is a process of casting metal in which the original model is sculpted in wax. The wax is entombed in clay, and the wax is then melted out, producing a hollow mould. The mould is then filled with molten metal. When cool, the clay is broken off and the cast metal remains.

Citrine

Citrine, from the French for "lemon", is a rare, yellow type of quartz, a semi-precious stone that ranges in colour from pale yellow to orange to golden brown.

Many of the stones sold as citrine are actually heat-treated amethysts.

The best quality citrine is found in Brazil.

Citrine has a hardness of 7 and a specific gravity of 2.65.

Citrine Citrine Citrine

Claddagh Ring

A claddagh ring is an Irish betrothal ring.

The Claddagh ring, from the Irish: fáinne Chladaigh, is a traditional Irish ring given as a token of love or worn as a wedding ring. The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the city of Galway. The ring was first produced in the 1600’s during the reign of Queen Mary II, though elements of the design are much older.

The Claddagh's distinctive design features two hands clasping a heart, and usually surmounted by a crown. The elements of this symbol are often said to correspond to the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown). The expression which was associated with these symbols in the giving of the ring was: "With my two hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my loyalty." Yet, the expression, "Let love and friendship reign forever" can be found as another meaning for the symbols.

See also Engagement Ring

Claddagh Ring Claddagh Ring

Clarity

Clarity is the clearness of a gemstone, or the lack of internal flaws. The clarity scale for diamonds runs from FL (flawless, with neither internal nor external flaws), to I3 (having many clearly visible imperfections using only the naked eye). A ten-power loupe is used to examine a diamond for clarity

Clasp

A clasp is a fastener that can open and close, attaching two things together, for example, the two ends of a necklace, or a pin to a garment. The clasp on a piece of jewellery can tell you a lot about the piece, including giving an indication of its age, by determining when that particular type of clasp was invented and looking at the wear on the clasp, its quality (better quality pieces generally have better-quality clasps), and its composition and manufacturer (the clasp is often where the maker's stamps are).

For example, the spring ring clasp was invented early in the 1900's; jewellery made prior to 1900 or so will not have a spring ring clasp.

Some other common clasps include the lobster claw clasp, the box clasp, the barrel clasp, the fold-over clasp, the hook-and-eye clasp, and the bar and ring toggle clasp.

Larger clasps are used to fasten girdles and belts whilst smaller clasps are used to fasten bracelets and necklaces. A slot does not attach some clasps for a belt, but have a hook(s) that is fitted into a hole(s) in the other end of the belt.

On some valuable pieces of jewellery there is an added safety clasp that is closed after the main clasp has been fastened, to prevent the accidental loss of the item.

Claw

A claw is a metal prong that holds a stone securely in a setting.

Claw & Ball

The style of a chair or table foot, a lion's or an eagle's claw clutching a ball, gained increasing popularity throughout the first half of the 1700's and has been used a lot since on reproduction pieces. It went out of favour for fashionable furniture with the classical revival of the later 1700's

Claw & Ball

Claw Setting

A claw setting is one in which a series of metal prongs called claws, holds a stone securely in a setting (the claws grips the stone just above the girdle of the stone), with no metal directly under the stone, it is an open setting.

This setting lets light in under the stone, so this type of setting is usually used for transparent, faceted stones.

The modern-day claw setting became popular in the 1800's.

Claw Setting Claw Setting Claw Setting

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