Today's Word: FINIAL

Finials in architecture are ornamental elements that decorate the top or corner of a structure. While originally used purely for ornamental purposes, such as at the tops of bedposts and chairs, or on flagpoles, smaller finials are also used to serve practical purposes, such as the decorative screws that hold lampshades on lamps, or as ends of curtain rods which keep curtains from sliding off.

Today's Word: INGOT

An ingot is usually a pure metal (most often gold, silver or steel) that is cast into a shape that would make it easy for future processing. Ingots are manufactured by pouring a molten liquid into a mold and then freezing it. The freezing maintains the physical properties of the material. The most common shape is a rectangular bar, which has been used as a theme in jewelry - mainly charms. Pictured here is a miniature "ingot" set in ring with a diamond surround.

Today's Word: ORMOLU

Ormolu, from the French for "ground" or "beaten" gold, is a gold leaf used in gilding another metal. It is also the term used for metal itself (usually bronze) that has been gilded. The technique for producing ormolu are basically the same as that of silver-gilt, or vermeil (see earlier post). Ormolu (though the word came into use in 1830), has been around since antiquity.

Today's word: ROLLED GOLD

Rolled Gold is another term for "Gold Filled," and they are one and the same. Basically it's a layer (or several layers) of real gold covering a brass base. Often, if testing a piece of rolled gold jewelry, it may turn up as real gold, because the outer gold layer is gold. To get to the bottom of it, you have to actually "get to the bottom of it" by filing down the outer layer and testing the base metal with acid (brass will turn green, gold won't), but this should only be done on an inconspicuous part of the jewel, so that it isn't marred.

Today's word: SHAKER FURNITURE

A religious sect led by Mother Ann Lee, the Shakers came to America from England in 1774. Influenced by their ascetic religious beliefs, Shakers created functional, furniture and useful objects which were distinguished by their unadorned simplicity, innovative joinery, and high quality.

Today's Word: BELLE EPOQUE

The turn of the 20th century (the Edwardian era) saw style and elegance as one of its most important values. Platinum became the metal of choice, it's sturdiness enabling the creation of lace-like pierced pieces previously impossible to make. Jewelry was light and lacy, always striving to reflect finesse and femininity, and almost always incorporated diamonds and other gemstones. Sautoirs, consisting of long strands of pearls with tassels, a favorite of Queen Alexandra, became the rage. Beauty was everything. Therefore, it's not surprising that this period came to be known as the "Belle Epoque" (the Beautiful Epoch), which lasted until the eve of World War I.

Today's word: DAMASCENE

Dating to the middle ages, and the trademark of Toledo, Spain, for centuries, and still produced there today, Damascening involves the inlay of 18-24K gold into non-precious blackened metal to create scenes and decorative patterns - usually birds and flowers - and landscapes in Japanese Damascene.