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Glossary of antique and collectable terms

There are 856 entries in this glossary.

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M

Term	Definition
Mabe Pearls	Mabe pearls are large, hemispherical cultured pearls that grow attached to the inside shells of oysters. Mabe pearls are used in earrings, pins, and rings
Machine Stamping	Machine stamping, also known as die-stamping, is a process in which sheet metal is cut and shaped between two dies, forming a pattern in relief. Two steel dies are used, the male die has the design in cameo (protruding); the female die has the design hollowed out. The male die is put on top of the metal, the female die is put on the underside of the metal. The press is forcefully brought down onto the dies and metal, forcing the metal into the shape of the mould. Many medallions and mass-produced jewellery findings are made this way
Mahogany Obsidian	Mahogany Obsidian, also called Apache tears, is brownish obsidian. This glassy, lustrous mineral is found in lava flows, and obsidian stones can be massive. Obsidian is formed when viscous lava from volcanoes cools rapidly. Most obsidian is 70 percent silica. Obsidian has a hardness of 5
Maiolica	Tin glazed Italian earthenware See also Delft and Faience
Majolica	Lead glazed British imitation of Italian maiolica
Malachite	Malachite is an opaque semi-precious stone with layers of deep green and light green. It is usually found in copper mines; malachite is about 57% copper. It is monoclinic; it has one two-fold axis of symmetry. Malachite is sometimes coated with colourless wax, oil, or hardening agents to increase its durability and enhance its appearance. Malachite is usually cabochon set in silver. Malachite was used as jewellery thousands of years ago by the ancients Egyptians. Russian malachite carvings were done in miniature and in large scale; malachite was also inlaid in furniture. Malachite has a hardness of 4
Malleable	Malleable metals are easily worked with a hammer or a roller. Gold and sterling silver are very malleable metals
Maltese Cross	Maltese cross is a cross whose four equal-length arms get larger the farther they get from the centre
Mandrel	A mandrel is a metal rod used to coil molten glass in order to make a bead
Marcasite	Marcasite is a shiny, metallic semi-precious stone. It is actually iron pyrite. Marcasite is generally faceted
Marquetry	This is not inlay, but a furniture veneer made of pieces of coloured woods fitted together into a design on the surface of a piece of furniture. Marquetry decoration was fashionable during the later 1600's, waned in the early 1700's, and waxed popular again between around 1775 and 1800
Marquise Cut	Marquise cut stones have a shape like an oval with two pointed ends
Matinee Length	A matinee-length necklace is a single strand that is from 22 to 23 inches (56 to 58 cm) long. Matinee-length generally refers to a string of pearls that hangs to the top of the cleavage
Matte Finish	A matte finish on a metal's surface is a soft, lustrous finish that reduces the metal's reflectivity. This term is commonly mis-spelt as matt finish.
Maw Sit Sit	Maw-sit-sit is a rare green gemstone that has dark-green to black veining; it sometimes has white spots. The stone is opaque to translucent. Maw-sit-sit was first identified in 1963 by the Swiss Gemologist Eduard Gubelin; the locals called the stone maw-sit-sit, and the name was retained. Although its exact composition is still unknown, Maw-sit-sit is composed of chromite, ureyite, chrome jadeite, symplektite, chrome amphibole, and other lighter minerals. This stone is found in Maw-sit-sit, Myanmar (Burma), and is often found neat jadeite, but maw-sit-sit is not a type of jade. Maw-sit-sit has a hardness of 6.0
Medallion	Small round or oval medallion motifs were popular furniture ornaments during the classical-style period of the late 1700's
Melee	A melee is a small diamond, under 0.20 carat
Memory Wire	Memory wire is a tough, stiff wire that retains its shape. It is often used for necklaces and bracelets
Mexican Diamond	Mexican diamond is a misleading term for rock crystal, and is *not* a diamond at all.
Mica	Mica is a soft, lightweight, transparent mineral that cleaves into thin, elastic sheets (it has a single perfect cleavage direction). It is used for lampshades and electrical insulators. There are about 30 different types of micas, ranging in colour from yellow to green to grey to violet to white to brown. Tiny mica particles give the shimmer to aventurine (goldstone). Mica has a hardness of 2.5