Cabochon: A type of cut used for gemstones but generally known to mean a flat backed stone or bead with a convex top and no holes. Glued or set in place with prongs.
Gemstones: I try
to use natural gemstones wherever possible. Gemstones often undergo
a process of treatments including heating or the application of
dyes to improve colour or the injection of resin to improve durability.
Gold-filled: A
layer of 10 to 20 carat gold is bonded to the surface of a base
metal - usually brass. Gold filled jewellery is very hard wearing
and less yellow in colour than vermeil.
Hill Tribe Silver:
Handcrafted by artisans in Northern Thailand for centuries, it is
purer than Sterling silver at 95% to 99% silver. It is softer and
has a slightly different appearance than Sterling. All the Hill Tribe
silver I use is fair trade.
Lampwork glass beads:
Beads made by heating a glass rod onto a metal rod using a blowtorch.
Beads are then annealed by firing in a kiln for durability.
Lucite: A type of plastic originally intended as a cheaper alternative to bakelite. Usually of much higher quality than modern plastic beads.
Sterling Silver: Usually
stamped 925, it is strong and hardwearing. It is an alloy with a
silver content of no less than 92.5%.
Swarovski Crystals:
Precision cut glass containing 32% lead which means they have
better refraction than other lead crystal beads and a nice weight
to them.
Threading: I use
professional nylon coated wire in my designs. It comes in
different sizes but the
minimum tensile strength is approximately six pounds and the maximum
is 40 pounds.
Vermeil: Sterling
silver with a plating of 22 or 24 carat gold. The plating is much
thicker than standard gold plate and whilst it is not as durable
as gold filled it will last a very long time.
Vintage: All items made in the period up to the 1980's. Vintage findings will
show natural signs of age, including patina and some tarnishing.
