Today's WORD-A-DAY: VERMEIL

A process developed in France in the mid-18th century, VERMEIL (pronounced "ver-may"), is basically an alternative for what we usually refer to as silver-gilt. To be considered vermeil, however, the gilding has to be at least 10 Kt gold and 2.5 microns thick. Vermeil is usually used in gilding jewelry.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: LITHOPHANE

From the Greek combination of "litho" (stone) and "fainein" (to suddenly appear), a lithophane is an etched or molded picture on a delicate, translucent porcelain plaque, which, when held in the hand, seems devoid of decoration, but when held up to the light, almost magically reveals a 3 dimensional scene in shades of gray. Lithophanes first appeared throughout Europe (almost simultaneously) in the late 1820s.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: SCOTTISH PEBBLE JEWELRY

Scottish Pebble Jewelry first appeared in the mid-19th century, and quickly became popular with the British Grand Tour travelers, who emulated Queen Victoria's affinity for Scotland and all things Scottish. (Although they couldn't afford to buy Balmoral Castle, as she did, they could easily afford Scottish trinkets.) Called "pebble" jewelry because of the use of indigenous hardstones (such as agates, carnelian, bloodstone, granites and jaspers), these pieces also often incorporated faceted quartz stones such as citrine and amethyst. Scottish pebble jewelry was most commonly made in silver, and often displayed Scottish themes (in engravings or applications), such as clan symbols, knots, and shields. In later years, this type of jewelry found new centers of production, such as Birmingham, and took on more English themes, such as serpents, anchors, and buckles.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: PATE-SUR-PATE

French for "paste on paste" and pronounced "paht-sur-paht," PATE-SUR-PATE is a porcelain decorating method developed by Sevres in France in the mid-19th century, in which a series of layers of slip (liquid clay) are brushed onto a ceramic piece, to create an almost translucent cameo-like effect.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: AIGRETTE

An Aigrette is a hairpin or hatpin usually in the shape of flowers or feathers on a long stem. Also known as a "turban pin" because it originally adorned the turbans of sultans and harem favorites, the aigrette has always been considered a symbol of power and worthiness. Jeweled aigrettes would even be used to adorn the heads of horses at equestrian events.

NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT

Remember that old "American Express" slogan? Well, if you buy antiques ... and especially jewelry ... there is something you should NEVER be without. And that's the trusty LOUPE. No matter how good your eyesight is, you can't rely on the naked eye to see tiny flaws or read almost invisible hallmarks in small items.
Want to make sure you don't forget to keep one with you at all times? Put it on your keychain, like I do. You can get them fairly cheap on ebay. But make sure you get one that has 10X magnification. The ones that have higher magnification are (a) not necessary, and (b) not as easy to focus with. Diamond dealers use only 10X magnification loupes, so if it's good enough for them ...

If you think a loupe is too bulky to carry around (the standard size is usually about 1"), you can find smaller ones, but they are more expensive. A standard loupe is very cheap, and shouldn't cost more than a few dollars. There are loupes with built-in flashlights, which are very good too.

How to use the loupe:
First, find your "dominant" eye. If you're right-handed, it will usually be your right eye. If you're left-handed, your left eye (but that's not a steadfast rule ... you have to try it with both eyes and see which side is more comfortable). When you use a loupe, contrary to what you may have thought, you do not close the other eye. Keep both eyes open, even though you look through the loupe with one eye. Hold the loupe close to your face and very close to the item you're examining. You'll get a much clearer image that way.

Always keep the loupe closed when not in use, so that the glass doesn't scratch.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN

Although there were early attempts to reproduce Chinese porcelain (which first appeared in Europe near the 14th century), soft-paste porcelain was developed in the early part of the 18th century. European potters tried to achieve the quality of Chinese hard-paste porcelain, but they didn't have the same materials that were readily available in China. The mixture of clay and glass, which the Europeans initially used, required a firing at lower temperatures (so that it wouldn't melt), and therefore the consistency was "softer," and more porous. Soft paste porcelain has a creamy quality to it (as opposed to the pure white color of Chinese porcelain), and if there's a convenient chip somewhere, you will see a grainy interior covered with a glassy glaze.