Techniques
Jewelry-making involves a variety of techniques and methodologies. Technological innovations over the last few centuries have greatly altered and enhanced the way jewelers work. Select from the pictorial glossary below to learn more about Jewelry Techniques.
Vignettes
Glyptography comes from the Greek word glyptos which means to carve. In jewelry, glyptography is the art of gemstone carving and applies to both intaglios and cameos. Begun in ancient times as one of the earliest forms...
Enameling is a decoration technique in which a glass of certain composition is fused to the surrounding or under laying metal. Although the exact origins are unknown, the art of...
Glyptography is the art of gemstone carving and the term applies to both intaglios and cameos. Begun in ancient times, circa 15,000 B.C., as one of the earliest forms of communication,...
Micromosaics are a type of mosaic created from tiny fragments of glass, called tesserae. The tesserae are mosaic pieces made from an opaque vitreous glass or enamel in a multitude of colors called smalto. The smalto is pulled into rods...
Human hair has been incorporated into jewelry since at least the seventeenth century. Around that time, the hair of the dear departed began to be incorporated into memento mori pieces, as...
Cannetille is a close relative of filigree work. It typically features fine gold wires or thinly hammered sheets. Jewelry with cannetille was very popular in the 1820’s and 1830’s. Motifs included tendrils, scrolls,...
Cut-steel jewelry is jewelry “set” with tiny faceted and polished steel studs, fashioned to resemble gemstones and usually riveted in place. All manner of jewelry was produced from cut-steel: earrings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, chatelaines, shoe buckles,...
Granulation (from Latin: granum = “grain”) is a goldsmith’s technique whereby the surface of a jewel is decorated with small spheres of precious metal, named granules, according to a design pattern. The...
Terms & Definitions
QUICK LINKS:
Creating an antique finish involves chemically treating metal to cause it to take on the patina of age.
An item composed of many movable parts to allow realistic movement is considered to be articulated. An example would be a snake link bracelet composed of many segments joined in such a way...
Basse-taille, which translates from the French as “shallow cut”, is a design made on metal most often by carving, engraving, stamping, or engine-turning, that is then covered by translucent enamel. The recesses formed by incising...
Bead setting is a method of securing a faceted stone. A small burr of metal is raised with a graver, worked at a 30-degree angle, and pushed to the edge of the stone....
Wire is referred to as “beaded” when a bead-like decorative element is added to its edge. Millegraining is one technique that can be used to bead wire (or any raised edge), die striking is...
Blooming, a popular finishing technique for karat gold jewelry from 1870 to 1890, was first documented in 1853. The means for creating a bloom finish involved dipping a karat gold item into a...