SHELLS

Alloy	An alloy describes a metal which is made up of more than one metal.
Bead Set	Bead Set is a means of setting stones by engraving a small curls of metal at the perimeter of a stone and forming it into a beads that act as a prongs to hold the stone in place.
Bezel Set	Bezel Setting is a means of setting stones by fabricating a thin band of wire to create a "cup" which surround the stone, which is subsequently burnished to hold the stone in place.
Burnishing	Burnishing is a means of simultaneously moving and polishing small areas of metal with a highly polished steel tool.
Casting	Casting is a means of creating solid three-dimensional objects in metal. An original model is made, generally carved by hand, that is reproduced by a process of pouring molten metal into the void of a mold. The void can be created by a wax model that is burnt out, or and solid model that is pressed into the mold, or by carving the mold itself. Click Here to View Picture
Channel Set	Channel Set is a means of setting stones into a groove or channel, cut directly into the metal, the sides of which are burnished over the stones to hold them into place.
Chasing	Entirely done by hand, chasing is the application of decorative motifs to surfaces with blunt steel tools. These tools, known as a liners, are hand-made for a particular shape and trace a shallow groove into the metal. Click Here to View Picture
Engraving	Engraving refers to incising designs and motifs into surfaces with sharp steel tools. These tools, called gravers, are like miniature chisels of varying shapes designs to cut fine grooves into the metal. This technique leaves a much brighter cut than chasing.
Finishing	Precious metals are sought after because of their high degree of reflectivity, silver being the most reflective of all metals. The finishing process requires bringing out the high shine of these metals through a series of consecutively finer abrasive polishing steps. Click Here to View Picture
Flush Set	Flush Setting is a means of setting stones by cutting a hole to exactly fit a stone.
14 kt Gold	14kt Gold is an alloy of gold that, by law, must contain at least 58.34% pure gold. The other 41.63%, typically silver, copper, zinc, palladium or nickel, are added to change the color and create strength and durability. For instance, "14kt Green Gold" had a predominance of silver in the remaining 41.63%, whereas "14kt Pink Gold" would have a predominance of copper in the remaining 41.63%, and "14 kt White Gold", either palladium or nickel as a predominance of the 41.63%.
18 kt Gold	18kt Gold is an alloy of gold that, by law, must contain at least 75% pure gold. The other 25%, typically silver, copper, zinc, palladium or nickel, are added to change the color and create strength and durability. For instance, "18kt Green Gold" had a predominance of silver in the remaining 25%, whereas "18kt Pink Gold" would have a predominance of copper in the remaining 25%, and "18 kt White Gold", either palladium or nickel as a predominance of the 25%.
Hand-Crafted	"Hand-Crafted" refers to items made entirely by hand, without the use of power tools or pre-fabricated elements.
Hand-Made	"Hand-made" refers to items made entirely by hand, with the assistance of power tools, such as a spinning lathe, flexible shaft, or stamping machine.
Hand-Raising	Hand-raising entirely done by hand, is the forming with hammers of hollow vessels and shapes from flat sheet over special anvils, called stakes. Before the mechanical era, this ancient art was the only way to forge these products. It requires great skill to maintain symmetry of the shape and an even thickness of the metal. The rhythm of the hammer marks distinguishes these items as hand-made, as this finish cannot be replicated in its warmth and characteristic life by a machine. Click Here to View Picture
Hand-Spun	"Hand-Spun" is a technique of forming hollow vessels and shapes by working flat circular sheets over steel or wooden forms, known as "chucks" while they are spinning at high speed on a lathe. The chuck dictates the finished shape of the metal. Click Here to View Picture
Hand-Wrought	"Hand-wrought" refers to forging solid articles from sheet or wire stock, whereas hand-raising refers to forging hollow vessels and forms. For instance, a vase may be hand-raised, whereas a fork may be hand wrought.
Inlay	Inlay is the mechanical bonding of dissimilar materials, one inside the other. For example, channels can be cut in silver, these channels filled with gold wire, and the silver burnished up to hold the gold in place. Metals can also be inlayed in this way with stone, wood, ivory etc.
Mokume Gane	Mokume Gane is an ancient Japanese art of fusing dissimilar metal sheets in layers and patterning them. The patterns are created by incising the metal to various depths within the fused layers. The metal is rolled and stretched or forged with hammers, to reveal the pattern throughout the metal. Mokume Gane literally means "wood-grained metal" which was often used to decorate sword guards. Typically, the metals used are silver, copper, brass, various gold karats and colors. They are often etched away with acids, or chemically colored with patinas, to enhance the patterning effect.
Pavé Set	Pavé Set describes a group of stones set side by side, to literally "pave" the surface of the piece.
Planishing	Planishing, entirely done by hand, is the final smoothing of a hand-raised or hand-spun item, with overlapping hammer marks to provide the final shape of the article. It characteristically leaves small facets in the metal that catch the light and reveal the warmth and aliveness of a hand-made item.
Prong Set	Prong Setting is a means of setting stones by creating a basket of thin wires that hold the stone.
Repouse	Entirely done by hand, Repouse refers to the hand-embossing of designs into metal in low-relief with blunt steel tools, known as punches, from the front of the piece and the back. it is often done together with chasing to apply decorative motifs, texture and a sculptural quality to the surface of the metal.
Sterling Silver	Sterling Silver is an alloy of silver that, by law, must contain 92.5% pure silver. The other 7.5%, typically copper, is added to create strength and durability.
Soldering	Soldering is a means of joining metal parts together by filing the gap between them with an alloy of the primary metal, that has a lower melting point.
Wax-Carving	Many of the highly decorative and sculptural effects achieved in metals are achieved by carving an original in wax and casting it in metal. Click Here to View Picture