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Jewelry Glossary with Photos: M

Posted by Laurie Zeiden on

                         

JEWELRY GLOSSARY -  -

MABE PEARL:  Cultured or man-made pearl in a hemispheric shape

   

MALACHITE: Bright green mineral / stone which takes a high polish

   

MALTESE CROSS:  A cross with arms of equal length which broaden toward the outside 

   

MARCASITE:  Metallic, sparkling PYRITE stone; also called CUT STEEL

   

MATCH SAFE:  Small box; often ornate; used to hold match sticks

MATTE FINISH:  Dull, non-reflective surafce

   

MEMORY WIRE:  Wire that reverts to original shape after stretching

   

METALES CASADOS:  Married or mixed metals; frequently seen in Mexican jewelry

   

MEXICAN JADE:  Usually calcite or other minerals dyed green to resemble JADE

MICROMOSAIC:  Use of very small, fine pieces applied as a MOSAIC design with little or no space between pieces

MILLEFIORI:  Italian word translates to "thousand flowers," glass that is formed from multiple colored canes that are fused together and then cut crosswise

   

MINE CUT:  A stone cut with higher crown and depth compared to modern gemstone cuts

MIZPAH:  An emotional bond between two people who are separated. The motif often includes the Biblical passage: "May the Lord watch between you when you are absent one from the other." Genesis 31:49

   

MODERNIST:  A departure from the traditional; incorporates abstraction and impressionism

   

MOONGLOW: Usually LUCITE or plastic, the stones have a shimmer resembling the shine of the moon

   

MOONSTONE:  Member of the Felspar family; mostly commonly seen in pale blue

   

MOSAIC:  Jewelry and souvenirs made by piecing together small pieces of glass or stone; pieces are often crudely shaped and show space between them

   

MOSS AGATE:  From the AGATE family; it has mineral inclusions which give the suggestion of moss inside the stone

MOTHER-OF-PEARL:  Iridescent inside shell of some mollusks; see NACRE, ABALONE

   

MOURNING JEWELRY:  Jewelry, almost always black, indicating the wearer is in mourning

   

The Jewelry Glossary is a work in progress: As I add more posts, you can access them here:
                         

I hope you enjoyed the photos. To see what's available for sale at my site, visit World of Eccentricity & Charm or click here.

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