Jewelry Designers Glossary, Part 7 - Ea to Em
Welcome to the latest edition of my jewelry designers glossary. I took a break from writing about jewellery for a while, partly because of all the fun surrounding the Royal Wedding, and partly because I wanted to save this particular part of the Glossary until May. The traditional birthstone for May is an Emerald (see my Birthstones article) and of course the word Emerald begins with an "E". Also, my birthday is in May, and I just LOVE emeralds (hint, hint)!!!
The contemporary handcrafted jewelry pieces illustrated below were all made by members of Jewelry on Etsy (JETs), and you'll be delighted to know that at time of going to press, all the items were available for purchase!
E is for …
Ear Cuff
Earrings
Jewelry worn on or in the ears, earrings may be studs or wires that pass through the earlobe, or clips that fasten onto the earlobe
Earring Back
A disk or bead that fits over an earring post to hold the earring securely in place in pierced ears (see also Butterflies, Glossary Part 2)
Earring Jacket
The metal housing on the earring on which the settings and gemstones are placed
Earring Post
A finding for pierced ears. The post is the straight part of the earring that is passed through the ear, that is secured by a butterfly back
Earwires
Metal wire earrings that pass through the pierced earlobe
E Beads
Another name for size 6/0 seed or pony beads
Ebony
Hard dark brown wood from certain tropical trees, which is often carved into beads
Edwardian Jewellery
The term Edwardian refers to the reign of King Edward VII in the United Kingdom, from 1901 to 1910. However, the Edwardian style of jewelry emerged during the last years of Queen Victoria's reign, and continued until just before World War I. One very popular jewelry style during this period was the long fringed necklaces, made fashionable by Queen Alexandra
Edwardian jewellery was generally less ornate than Victorian, and is still fashionable today, largely because the designs were generally classic and simple.
White precious metals were particularly popular, especially white gold and platinum. Necklaces and brooches tended to feature filigree bows, swags, and garlands, featuring lots of diamonds and pearls
E.G.L.
The European Gemological Laboratory, an independent gemological laboratory providing professional gemstone identification and certification services throughout Europe
Egyptian Revival
Jewelry inspired by ancient Egyptian styles, symbols, and motifs. Egyptian revival jewelry became very popular during the archaeological excavations in Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and particularly after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922
Eight Cut
A type of cut used for small gemstones, with 8 facets on both the upper and lower parts as well as the table
Electroplated/Electroplating
Electroplating is the process of covering one metal with a thin film of another metal. The coating on electroplated jewellery is usually very thin, so will eventually wear away
Electrotype
This term refers to when the Electroplating process is applied to a mould, to cast an object made of pure metal
Electrum
A naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver
Elevated Ring
A bold aesthetic ring, such as a cocktail ring, where the top feature area stands proud of the rest of the ring
Elongated
A piece of jewelry that has long accents, or is designed to look as though it has been stretched
Email
No, not what you think! In jewellery terms, email is the French term for enamel
Embossing
Embossing is a method of surface decoration in which a design is raised slightly above the surface to create a three dimensional effect
Emerald
The traditional birthstone for May (see my Birthstones article), and one of the most valuable of all gemstones, emeralds are a member of the Beryl family (see Glossary Part 2) which also includes aquamarines, morganite and chrysoberyl
Like all Beryls, emeralds have large and perfect six-sided crystals, and the grass-green colour is produced by traces of chromium and vanadium in the crystalline structure of the Beryl
Unlike diamonds, emeralds are graded by eye. An emerald that has no inclusions visible to the eye is considered flawless, but most emeralds contain inclusions and other flaws, or cloudiness (called jardin)
Although Beryls are very hard stones, the fact that most emeralds are included means their toughness, or resistance to breakage, is classified as poor. These days, most emeralds are oiled to improve their clarity, irradiated to improve their appearance, or dyed to improve their colour. Because of this, emeralds can also lose their colour when strongly heated, so emerald jewellery should never be cleansed with hot soapy water or in an ultrasonic cleaner, as this might damage the stone
Emerald Cut
A rectangular, octagonal gemstone cut, with rows of step cuts along the edges and truncated corners. Frequently used on diamonds as well as emeralds
Emery
An abrasive paper used in the cleaning, texturing and polishing of surfaces
The contemporary handcrafted jewelry pieces illustrated below were all made by members of Jewelry on Etsy (JETs), and you'll be delighted to know that at time of going to press, all the items were available for purchase!
 |
| Spring Bouquet Earrings by YOURDAILYJEWELS |
Ear Cuff
A semi-circular band of metal which clamps onto the side of the ear
Earrings
Jewelry worn on or in the ears, earrings may be studs or wires that pass through the earlobe, or clips that fasten onto the earlobe
 |
| Ear Cuff Hoop Earrings by Adroit Jewelers |
A disk or bead that fits over an earring post to hold the earring securely in place in pierced ears (see also Butterflies, Glossary Part 2)
Earring Jacket
The metal housing on the earring on which the settings and gemstones are placed
Earring Post
A finding for pierced ears. The post is the straight part of the earring that is passed through the ear, that is secured by a butterfly back
 |
| Gemstone and Ebony Wood Necklace by jemsbyjbandcompany |
Metal wire earrings that pass through the pierced earlobe
E Beads
Another name for size 6/0 seed or pony beads
Ebony
Hard dark brown wood from certain tropical trees, which is often carved into beads
 |
| Stunning Edwardian Diamond Ring from Gemstones UK |
The term Edwardian refers to the reign of King Edward VII in the United Kingdom, from 1901 to 1910. However, the Edwardian style of jewelry emerged during the last years of Queen Victoria's reign, and continued until just before World War I. One very popular jewelry style during this period was the long fringed necklaces, made fashionable by Queen Alexandra
Edwardian jewellery was generally less ornate than Victorian, and is still fashionable today, largely because the designs were generally classic and simple.
White precious metals were particularly popular, especially white gold and platinum. Necklaces and brooches tended to feature filigree bows, swags, and garlands, featuring lots of diamonds and pearls
 |
| Fine Silver Egyptian Anubis Ring by Jewelry24Seven |
The European Gemological Laboratory, an independent gemological laboratory providing professional gemstone identification and certification services throughout Europe
Egyptian Revival
Jewelry inspired by ancient Egyptian styles, symbols, and motifs. Egyptian revival jewelry became very popular during the archaeological excavations in Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and particularly after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922
Eight Cut
A type of cut used for small gemstones, with 8 facets on both the upper and lower parts as well as the table
 |
| Elongated Spring Earrings by CrystalImpressions |
Electroplating is the process of covering one metal with a thin film of another metal. The coating on electroplated jewellery is usually very thin, so will eventually wear away
Electrotype
This term refers to when the Electroplating process is applied to a mould, to cast an object made of pure metal
Electrum
A naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver
Elevated Ring
 |
| Embossed Fine Silver Pendant by ErikaPrice |
Elongated
A piece of jewelry that has long accents, or is designed to look as though it has been stretched
No, not what you think! In jewellery terms, email is the French term for enamel
Embossing
Embossing is a method of surface decoration in which a design is raised slightly above the surface to create a three dimensional effect
Emerald
The traditional birthstone for May (see my Birthstones article), and one of the most valuable of all gemstones, emeralds are a member of the Beryl family (see Glossary Part 2) which also includes aquamarines, morganite and chrysoberyl
 |
| The 75.47 carat Hooker Emerald Brooch © Smithsonian Institution |
Unlike diamonds, emeralds are graded by eye. An emerald that has no inclusions visible to the eye is considered flawless, but most emeralds contain inclusions and other flaws, or cloudiness (called jardin)
Although Beryls are very hard stones, the fact that most emeralds are included means their toughness, or resistance to breakage, is classified as poor. These days, most emeralds are oiled to improve their clarity, irradiated to improve their appearance, or dyed to improve their colour. Because of this, emeralds can also lose their colour when strongly heated, so emerald jewellery should never be cleansed with hot soapy water or in an ultrasonic cleaner, as this might damage the stone
 |
| Emerald Cut Garnet Ring by WearableByDesign |
A rectangular, octagonal gemstone cut, with rows of step cuts along the edges and truncated corners. Frequently used on diamonds as well as emeralds
Emery
An abrasive paper used in the cleaning, texturing and polishing of surfaces
Fantastic Blog - very informative!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful jewelry too!
great information Erika....Thanks....
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting my earrings...xo.....
I learn so much from these glossary blog posts! Thanks for the information and the eye candy!
ReplyDeleteAs usual, a lot of info. I did not know and really great photos. Ok, one was mine, but it is a great photo! Thank you for including me and for taking on this great project.
ReplyDeletelots of interesting info. and love the jewels!
ReplyDeleteLovely Blog, love the Jewellery pieces. Cant wait till the next one
ReplyDeleteLots of lovely information here, Erika, thankyou.
ReplyDeleteGreat info Erika.
ReplyDeleteI learn so much from your posts, Erika. Thank you for taking on this huge project!
ReplyDeleteLove seeing this feature on the blog. I've learned some new things too. Thanks for including one of our pieces in this edition.
ReplyDeleteI love this blog. With each edition, I learn something new! Thanks, Erika!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing those wonderful items!!
ReplyDeleteYou were selected to co-host Handmade Wednesday Store & Blog Hop! I have emailed you with more information! Please let me know if you didn't get it!
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