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Glossary of antique and collectable terms

There are 856 entries in this glossary.

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Term	Definition
Aragonite	Aragonite is a mineral that is rarely used for jewellery. It is transparent to translucent and can range in colour from honey-coloured to pale reds, blues and greens to clear or white. It forms hexagonal crystals, pyramidal crystals, chisel shaped crystals, and other shapes. Aragonite has a hardness of 3.5-4 (relatively soft) and a specific gravity of 2.9 g/cm3.(average). Its chemical composition is CaCO3 (it is a form of Calcium Carbonate). Aragonite is named for Aragon, Spain, where it was first found in 1790, but it is also found in many other European, North African, and some North American locations.
Arcade Setting	An arcade setting, also called coronet or claw setting, is one in which the stone is held in by many metal claws around a metal ring. See also Coronet Setting and Claw Setting
Arctic Opal	Arctic opal is a blue-green stone that is a mixture of azuritea and malachite; and it is not a type of opal at all. Arctic opal is mined in the Wrangle Mountains and the Chugach Mountains of Alaska, USA (near Anchorage).
Argyll	Argyll or Argyle is a 1700’s British gravy warmer, drum shaped like a tea pot. The gravy was in a central cylinder connected to the spout, and surrounded by hot water. It was generally made of silver or other metals, but there are also pottery versions. Argyles are recorded from around 1760 and are said to be named after the 4th Duke of Argyll.
Armorial	Engraved crest or coat of arms
Art Deco	The first truly modern style, which made full use of mechanised production and new materials. The name derives from the first major exhibition of decorative arts held after the First World War in 1925 L’Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Inustriels Modernes, in Paris, France. The style was popular from around 1920’s until 1940’s. Geometric lines and angles, with very few curves, characterize Art Deco pieces. This art movement eventually became bolder and evolved into Art Moderne
Art Nouveau	A new, short lived and excessive style, that thrived between circa 1890 – 1914. The style is characterised by curving, swirling, organic, naturalistic designs, particularly, the whiplash motif and long-haired sensual women. Louis Comfort Tiffany made archetypal Art Nouveau pieces. The name derives from a shop opened by Bing in Paris in 1895. Known as “Stile Liberty”. In Germany and Scandinavia, Art Nouveau is known as “Jugendstil” and “Secession” in Austria
Arts & Crafts	The Arts and Crafts was an artistic movement that produced hand-crafted pieces toward the end of the 1800's. The movement, led by William Morris and his artist and designer companions in UK, which sought to challenge increasing industrialisation by re-introducing the medieval concepts of craftsmanship. Pieces purposely look hand-made, incorporating hammer marks and simple cabochon settings. The Arts and Crafts movement also revived the art of enamel. A prominent Arts and Crafts jeweller was C.R. Ashbee (1863-1942); Ashbee founded The Guild of Handicraft in 1888. Other important Arts and Crafts jewelers include: Arthur Gaskin (1862-1928) Georgina Gaskin (1868-1934, Arthur's wife) Fred T. Partridge John Paul Cooper (1869-1933) Bernard Cuzner (1877-1956) Henry Wilson (1864-1934) Alexander Fisher (1864-1936) Edgar Simpson
Assay	The testing of a metal or ore to determine its ingredients, purity and quality. The testing and proving of precious metals to verify that they contain only the legal proportion of base metal alloy. The Assay Office strikes the relevant marks as proof that it has been tested.
Asscher Cut	Joseph Asscher was an eminent diamond cutter who cut the 3,106 carat Cullinan diamond. Asscher worked in Amsterdam, and in 1902 his company the Asscher Diamond Co., developed and patented the Asscher cut, a squarish step cut with an almost octagonal outline. This new cut enhanced the fire and light of the stone; it had a small table, a high crown, wide step facets, a deep pavilion and square culet. This cut became very popular in Art Deco jewellery and was a forerunner of the emerald cut. Recently, the Royal Asscher Diamond Co. resumed production of the original Asscher cut diamonds.
Asterism	An asterism is a star-like luminous effect that reflects light in some gemstones.
Aurora Borealis	Aurora borealis, meaning "northern lights", rhinestones (imitation gems) have a special iridescent finish that shines with many colours. The iridescent surface is a result of a very thin layer of metallic atoms that have been deposited on the lower surface of the stone. The Swarovski Company together with Christian Dior invented this process in 1955.
Australian Ruby	An Australian ruby is actually a pyrope garnet and not a ruby at all
Aventurine	Aventurine is sometimes misspelt as adventurine, and is also known as goldstone. It is a shimmering quartz stone that ranges in colour from yellow to red to light green to light brown. The shimmer is caused by tiny metallic particles known as mica within the stone. See also Adventurine and Goldstone
Aventurine Feldspar	Aventurine feldspar is also called Sunstone, a variety of oligoclase. This gemstone varies from golden to orange to red-brown, and can be transparent or translucent. Sunstone is metallic-looking due to sparkling red, orange or green crystalline inclusions (these are hematite or goethite crystals). Sunstone is found in Canada, the USA (in Oregon, India, Norway, and Russia) This brittle stone has a hardness of 6 and a specific gravity of 2.63 - 2.67. Sunstone is not enhanced.
Aventurine Quartz	Aventurine quartz is a type of quartz that has sparkling flecks (inclusions) of mica or iron. The colours of this stone include red-brown, yellow, grey, and green. This stone is usually cut with a flat or rounded surface to maximize its sparkle. Aventurine quartz has a hardness of 7 and a specific gravity of 2.64-2.69. Aventurine quartz is found in India, Russia, and Tanzania.
Awabi Pearl	The Japanese name for abalone pearls is Awabi pearls
Axinite	Axinite is an unusual, lustrous stone that is brown, yellow, blue, green or grey. Violet axinite is rare and from Tasmania. It has both transparent and translucent varieties. Axinite is dichroic, and is a boro-silicate of aluminium and calcium. It is used only as a mineral specimen and not in jewellery. Axinite has a hardness of 7 and a specific gravity of 3.3.
Axis of Symmetry	An axis of symmetry, also called a rotational axis, is an imaginary line around which an object can be rotated a certain number of degrees and look like the original shape. When two planes of symmetry intersect, they form a straight line, which is an axis of symmetry.
Azurite	Azurite is a beautiful copper-based blue mineral that is often used in jewellery. The colour ranges from very deep blue to pale blue. Azurite has also been used as a dye for paints and luxury fabrics. Azurite is hydrated copper carbonate; its chemical formula is Cu3 (CO3)2(OH)2. Malachite (another copper-based mineral) and azurite are often found together. Azurite is sometimes coated with a colourless wax or impregnated with plastic in order to enhance the colour and increase the hardness. Azurite is found in massive monoclinic crystals in Australia the south-western USA, France, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Zaire, and Europe. Azurite has a hardness of 3.5 to 4 (relatively soft) and a specific gravity of 3.7 to 3.9.