Jewelry Metals Glossary

Annealing - Multi-phased heat and stress treatment that alters the microstructure of a metal adding strength, pliability, and hardness.

Adamantine - Refers to the light reflecting properties of a metallic surface, known as metallic luster.

Base Metal - Base metal is a term used to refer to a metal that oxidizes or corrodes relatively easily as with copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc.

Carat - The term "Carat", "Karat" or "k" is used to indicate the amount of pure (24k) gold in the alloy. Lower Carat ratings indicate proportionally less pure gold.

Corrosion - Corrosion indicates the deterioration of a metallic material due to its reaction and subsequent oxidation due to a chemical reaction with water and/or oxygen.

Ductile, Ductility - A physical quality ascribed to a metal that will permit plastic elongation (wire drawing) without fracturing.

Firescale - Also known as "firestain," a red or purple discoloration that appears at high temperatures when oxygen mixes with the copper to form cuprous oxide, and then cupric oxide.

Forging - Heating a metal to a temperature where the metal becomes malleable (red hot) or deforming its shape by compression or exertion of force (hammering or cold forging).

Goldsmith - A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with precious metals to create jewelry.

Ingot - An ingot is a mass of metal heated past its melting point and then cast into the shape of a bar or block.

Luster - From the Latin word "lux", meaning "light". Describes the way light interacts with the surface of a mineral or metal.

Malleable - A physical quality ascribed to a metal that can be compressed, deformed, extruded, hammered, and rolled.

Mohs Scale - Created, in 1812, by the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs, the Mohs' scale of hardness quantifies the scratch resistance of minerals by comparing the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material ranging from Talc (1) to Diamond (10).

Noble Metal - Noble metals are highly resistant to corrosion or oxidation and include gold, silver, platinum, tantalum, and rhodium.

Oxidation - Oxidation removes electrons from a metal, and is thus reduces its mass. Oxidation (Redox) reactions include all chemical processes in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed.

Periodic Table - The periodic table of chemical elements is a tabular method used to classify, systematize and compare all the 116 (94 natural, 22 synthetic) basic chemical elements.

Plastic, Plasticity - A physical quality ascribed to a metal that can be bent and worked without rupturing. A non-brittle metal.

Smelting - A form of extractive metallurgy used to produce a metal from its basic ore components.

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