D
Daguerreotype: early type of photograph
Damascene: surface decoration process that involves the inlaying of gold wire or silver into an undercut groove in the surface of bronze, iron or steel.
Day and Night: Earrings with detachable bottom ornament (also called ‘Top and Drop’).
Demi-Hunter Watch: watch with a hinged case with a hole that allows the time to be seen without opening the case.
Diadem: A form of head ornament.
Diamond: type of gemstone.
Dissolved Hair: Human hair that has been chopped up and made into a paint or paste to be used for drawing pictures on ivory or porcelain plaques.
Deport: Mark meaning from France.
Demantoid: Variety of andradite garnet / color is generally green or yellow-green.
Dog Collar: A wide, jeweled necklace that was popularized by Alexandra, King Edward VII’s wife. (Late 1890s and until 1915.)
Double-Clip: A brooch that is made with removable components that can be worn joined together, or as separate brooches.
Doublet (or composite): A stone composed of two different stones sealed together.
Dress Clips: type of brooch that attaches with clip.
Dress Set: A jewelry suite designed for a gentleman’s evening attire. Usually includes one pair of cufflinks, together with shirt studs.
Decade Ring: ring with ten bumps around the shank for use as a prayer counter. Popular during 17th and 18th century.
Depose: Patent or registration in France.
Diaperwork: repeating ornamental pattern of one or more designs where one outline figures into the shape of the adjoining outline (eg. Diamond shapes or brickwork.)
Diaphaneity: transmittance of light through an object.
Dichroism: property of doubly refractive colored gemstoneswith two different colors in two different vibration planes due to differences of selection absorption in those planes.
Die Rolled: Die Rolled metal is put through a rolling machine with rollers (i.e. the die) that have been engraved with a design that is pressed into the metal as it passes through.
Die Stamped: Since 1769. A stamping die is used to cut shapes from a sheet of metal andsharp edged die is placed on the metal and hammered until it cuts through the underlying metal.
Die Struck: Jewelry formed by striking metal sheet in a die or between two dies. This compresses the metal into every crevice of the die.
Diffusion: Treatment to alter the color of gemstones (usually sapphires).
Dime Store Deco: Term used to describe the inexpensive fashion jewellery which became prevalent in the 1930s.
Diopside: Gemstone.
Dispersion: separation of white light into different colors.
Double Refraction: The property of splitting a single beam of light into two polarized beams which pass through a crystal at different speeds.
Doublé d’or: French term for rolled gold plate.
Doves of Pliny: mosaic described by Pliny 1st century AD.
Dragon’s Breath: Simulated Mexican fire opal made of glass (popular from 1910-1930)
Drawplate: Sheet of metal with graduated holes through which wire is pulled to reduce its circumference and strengthened it.
Drayson: Jewelry firm founded in 1936, Bond Street.
Drittel Gold: 8 karat gold alloy.
Druse: A surface covered with small projecting crystals.
Ductility: Property of metal which allows it to be worked without breaking.
Duette Pin: Dress clips that convert into a single brooch (attributed to Coro).
Dull Lustre: describes the luster of ivory.
Durability: quality of gemstones to withstand wear and tear.
Dyeing (or staining): applying pigments to gemstones.
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