BEAD SETTING: for gemstones, raising beads of metal from the surrounding surface to hold a stone in place

BEZEL: a flat band of metal encircling and holding a stone in place by means of a burnished edge, usually an integral part of a piece of jewelry

BLOOMED GOLD: karat gold which has been treated with nitric acid, causing the alloy to dissipate from the surface, leaving a thin matte surface layer of pure gold (has a "frosted" appearance)

CANNETILLE [kan TEE yuh]: lit., flat twisted braid (of gold or silver), decorative technique, twisted wire filigree forming cone-shaped scrolls or spirals, usually as part of a setting or framework for gemstones

CASTING: molten metal poured or forced into a mold made from a design model

CHASING: decorative technique, application of a design to the front surface of metal, by indenting and raising with hand tools, without removing any metal

CHANNEL SETTING: a groove or trough engraved inside two parallel strips of metal to hold a stone (often a row of stones) in place

COLLET: a collar or tube of metal (often with a millegrained edge) holding a stone in place and attached to a piece of jewelry

CUT-DOWN COLLET: stone-setting technique in which vertical ribs of metal are raised around a collet to hold a stone in place

DAMASCENING: decorative technique, the embedding of gold and/or silver wire and/or cutout sheet metal shapes into a blackened iron or steel base (a.k.a. "inlaid metal")

DIE ROLLING: repeating design created by rolling thin metal sheets between two steel rollers incised with a pattern

DIE STRIKING or STAMPING: the creation of a design in relief with the pressure of incised steel dies on flat sheet metal. Can resemble hand techniques, such as repoussage or filigree

ENGRAVING: decorative technique, the application of a design or pattern to the front surface of metal or stone by incising and removing material from the surface

ETCHING: decorative technique, the application of a design or pattern to the front surface of metal using acid to remove metal from the surface

FABRICATION: hand construction using soldered sheet and wire

FILIGREE: decorative technique using fine metal wire to create a pattern or design

FORGING: the shaping of metal by heating and hammering

GRANULATION: decorative technique using minute spheres of metal (usually gold) applied to a same-metal surface without using solder (eutectic bonding). Mock granulation uses solder to achieve a similar effect

GYPSY SETTING: technique for holding gemstones in place so that the table is flush with the metal surface, most often used for rings. When radiating lines are engraved in the surrounding metal, called "star-cut setting"

INVISIBLE SETTING: gemstones cut to fit a setting (calibré) and grooved on the underside so they can be slid along a metal track to hold them in place with no metal showing from the front

MARRIED METALS: the creation of a design in contrasting colors of metal (e.g., silver, brass, copper), each metal piece cut out and put together like a jigsaw puzzle to form the design, the edges butted and joined using minimal amounts of solder to form a smooth solid surface (a.k.a. "metal mosaic")

MILLEGRAINING: decorative technique, also used for stone-setting, using a knurling tool to create a series of small raised beads along the top edge of a metal strip or collet

PATINATION: the coloring of metals by the application of chemicals to simulate a natural patina or oxidation

PRONG SETTING: for faceted gemstones, four or more tapered metal claws (prongs) spaced equidistant around the girdle of a stone to hold it in place

SAW PIERCING: decorative technique, the creation of an openwork design or pattern by cutting away metal, often used for platinum in the early 20^th century

SHAKUDO: Japanese alloy of copper with small amount of gold

SHIBUICHI: Japanese alloy of copper with silver, tin, and lead or zinc

SOLDERING: the joining of metal parts using an alloy of lower melting point. Soft solders (lead and tin alloys) melt at the lowest heat. Hard solders (gold, silver, brass, or platinum alloys) require higher heat but make a stronger bond.