Samson Jewellery
Glossary

Diamante Word used in the past to describs paste.
Dispersion The fire in a transparent gemstone, due to the ability of the faceted stone to separate the colours of the spectrum.
Doublet A stone composed of two or more pieces of gem material, either natural or synthetic, which are bonded together.
Ductility The property of a metal to be drawn down to produce fine wire.  Gold is the most ductile of all metals.
Essence
d'Orient		 The mixture of fish scales and lacquer used to cost artificial pearls.
Electrum A natural alloy of gold and silver used to make ancient jewels.
Enamel Inlaid or overlaid decoration produced by firing powdered coloured glass.
Engine
turning		 Machine engraving on gold and silver which produces such patterns as 'Barley' and 'Fox-head'.  Often covered by transparent enamel in the nineteenth century.
Engraving Decoration produced by cutting lines into metal with a graver.
Facet A flat area polished on to a stone.
Feather A type of inclusion found in gemstones, particularly sapphires.
Filigree Ornament made from twisted wire, characteristic of Hellenistic jewellery.  'False filigree' is cast decoration simulating filigree.
Flat A slab of gem material cut from an opaque stone.
Foil Thin matal sheet, usually coloured, placed in the base of a setting to improve the appearance of the stone placed on top of it.
Freshwater
pearls		 Pearl's taken from mussels living in lakes and rivers.

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Samson Jewellery
Room 1013A-1015, Level 10, Landmark North, 39 Lung Sum Avenue, Sheung Shui, Hong Kong
Tel:  852-27284562 - Fax: 852-27250911