ANTIQUING-(Oxidizing) Darkening silver chemically to create contrast or to accent a design.

APPLIQUE-Decorative silver cutouts, such as leaves or feathers are soldered to a silver jewelry item.

BEZEL SETTING---A method of setting gemstones in which the stone is held in the mounting by a narrow band of silver surrounding the girdle (outside perimeter) of the stone and is soldered to the silver base.

BLACK JET---See jet.

BOWGUARD---See Keytoh.

CASTING---Creating handmade silver jewelry using molten silver and a mold of tufa, sandstone or other material.

CABOCHON---A stone with a rounded surface, rather than with facets. This style is commonly used with opaque to translucent stones such as opal, moonstone, jade and turquoise. Less expensive transparent stones such as amethyst and garnet, are also sometimes fashioned as cabochons. A garnet cabochon is also referred to as a carbuncle.

CARAT---Abbreviated "ct." and spelled with a "c" is a measure of weight used for gemstones. One carat is equal to 1/5 of a gram (200 milligrams). Stones are measured to the nearest hundredth of a carat. A hundredth of a carat is also called a point. Thus a .10 carat stone can be called either 10 points, or 1/10 of a carat. Small stones like .05, and .10ct are most often referred to by point designations. Note that karat with a "K" is a measure of the purity of a gold alloy.

CHASING---A metalsmithing term; the process of moving metal to achieve line or form; a silversmith may have as many as 100 chasing tools, each to achieve a particular effect; unlike stamping, the tool moves laterally

CLUSTER---Zuni style group of stones in individual bezels.

COIN SILVER---Original old silver coins melted to be cast as jewelry...indeterminate amount of silver...percentage of silver varies.

CONCHA/CONCHO---The Spanish term for shell; may be oval or round, frequently with scalloped edges, with or without stones; may appear in rings, pendants, bolos, buckles and belts. Now most often a Navajo design for a belt.

CORAL---Formed when small sea animals create living quarters, coral comes in colors ranging from vivid orange to palest pink.

EMBOSSING---Process used in silverwork where the piece is decorated or shaped by a raised design.

ENGRAVE---To decorate metal by gouging a design with graver's tools; embellishing metal or other material with patterns using a stamping tool or drill. Stamped pieces can be designed to imitate hand engraving. Under magnification, the design is much sharper in a hand engraved piece, with subtle irregularities.

FETISH---Used and made by all Southwestern Indian tribes, fetishes are objects which represent the spirits of animals or the forces of nature. Original fetishes were simple stones (or shells, turquoise or bone) which seemed to resemble people or animals, sometimes made more realistic by a carver. The Zuni people have the reputation of being the most skilled at fetish carving. Zuni tradition has six directions, each with its guardian animal fetish: the mountain lion, north; the bear, west; the badger, south; the eagle, the sky, or up; the mole, underground, or down; and the wolf, east.

FILEWORK---technique used in finishing silver jewelry...can also be used as a decorative tool.

GERMAN---see Nickel Silver

HALLMARK---Native American Indians artist mark...stamped, cast or engraved initials, names or symbols usually on the back of the jewelry item.

HEISHI---A Pueblo term literally meaning shell; discs or tubes with a hole in the center, usually of turquoise, coral, shell, or other materials, strung together to form a flexible strand, often of graduated size. The Santo Domingo Pueblo people are known for fine heishi.

HOST ROCK/MOTHER ROCK---The host rock also sometimes referred to as the mother rock is the site where a gem is formed. Turquoise is usually forms on igneous rocks. The host rock also is the matrix in much turquoise.

INLAY/INLAID---Fine stones, shell and other materials are fit into silverwork or shell so that it is flush with the surface. Channel inlay is the same but with a silver bezel between the stones.

JET--- Jet is a form of fossilized wood similar to coal, but harder. Jet and amber have a close relationship...they both come from trees, amber being fossilized tree resin.

KETOH---Navajo for bow guard. It is to be worn on the left wrist like a bracelet to protect the wearer from the sting of the bow string. As it is now decorative you will find bow guards in several materials.

LIQUID SILVER...Silver heishi...a type of necklace or bracelet constructed of very thin, fine, small silver cylinders originally strung on catgut, now strung on fine wire...most liquid silver is now made overseas.

MATRIX--- The matrix is the part of the turquoise host rock that can bee seen in a stone between the turquoise vein formations. The color and distribution of the matrix varies widely due to the composition of the host rock and formation time of the turquoise.

MOSAIC---A technique similar to inlay...Santa Domingo mosaic is some of the best.

NAJA---The crescent shaped pendant that hangs from squash blossom necklaces and other jewelry items.

NEEDLEPOINT---Small stone cluster work using stones thin and pointed at both ends. Zuni artists are famous for needlepoint.

NICKEL SILVER---A white metal mixture of copper, zinc, and nickel which contains no silver.

OVERLAY---A technique of silver working where two sheets of silver is soldered together after first cutting out a design in the top layer. Made famous by the Hopi but practiced by many Native American artists...Tommy Singer is quite famous for his overlay work.

OXIDISE---To use a chemicals to blacken silver to create greater accents or contrast on a silver jewelry item.

PEARL--- A natural gemstone formed when an oyster is irritated by a substance that gets into its shell. A Freshwater pearl is formed by an irritant in a Mussel.

PETTIPOINT---Similar to needlepoint but typically round stone clusters versus needle shape. In practice, much needlepoint jewelry is referred to as pettipoint.

REPOUSSE---Hand wrought silver is hammered from the back to create embossed or raised designs.

SANDCAST--- To cast in stone molds.

SNAKE EYES-Round domed pieces of turquoise. Sometimes called pettipoint.

SPIDERWEB---Spiderweb is highly desired net looking matrix pattern of turquoise jewelry. Also note that the "web" matrix also a matrix of web like design but not quite at precise as the spiderweb style.

STAMPWORK--- Design that uses small metal punches to stamp designs, initials or hallmarks into the silver.

SQUASH BLOSSOM--- The Navajo word describing this type of necklace means "bead that spreads out." These necklaces have a design that resembles a squash blossom.

STERLING SILVER---Metal with silver of .925 and .075 copper to make it harder.

TURQUOISE---The Skystone...a hydrous phosphate compound of aluminum and copper. The color and properties range slightly due to its formation processes and the host rock properties. Turquoise is fairly fragile with hardness around that of glass.  We have several articles on SacredBear that cover turquoise in more depth.

The color of turquoise can vary from deep blue to deep green with every variation in between. Generally the more copper in the molecule, the bluer the turquoise (example mines in Arizona). Iron in the stone makes it greener (example mines in Nevada).