Jewelry glossary
Glossary of jewelry terms, materials and techniques
Are you passionate about the world of jewelry? At 711 Grados you will learn more about the different types of jewelry, the materials used to create them, and the techniques employed to shape and enhance their beauty.
Latest entries
Tools
Starter tool kit for jewelry making
Which basic tools you need to start making jewelry: pliers, saw, files, hammer, mandrel, torch and materials, with an indicative budget.
Jewelry care and maintenance
Why silver turns black and how to prevent it
Silver turns black from sulfur in the air and on skin (silver sulfide). How to prevent it with good storage and regular wear, and how to clean it.
Tools
Rolling mills: how to flatten metal
The rolling mill flattens and stretches metal into sheet and grooved wire; manual and electric types, how to use it and how to care for it.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean costume and fashion jewelry
How to clean costume jewelry without damaging it: a damp cloth, no long soaking or harsh products, and what to do if it has turned green.
Materials
Enamel
Vitreous enamel is powdered glass fused onto metal at high temperature; it gives intense, lasting colors in techniques such as cloisonné.
Jewelry around the world
Pre-Columbian gold of Colombia
The Muisca, Quimbaya and Tairona worked gold in Colombia with lost-wax casting: tunjos, poporos and offerings of sacred value.
Tools
Draw plate
The draw plate is a steel plate with decreasing holes through which wire is pulled to thin it or change its section; how it is used.
Jewelry
Seals in jewelry: Mesopotamian cylinders, scarabs and intaglios
Engraved stone seals are among the oldest jewels: Mesopotamian cylinders, Egyptian scarabs, Roman intaglios and Chinese seals; what they are and how they were used.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean a diamond ring
How to clean a diamond ring at home with lukewarm water, mild soap and a brush, and how often to have a jeweler check it.