Silver Glossary

Alloy

Mixing a base metal (such as copper) with a precious metal (such as silver) to improve its working properties. Fine silver (.999) is too soft and subject to wear to be of utility, it is allowed with small amounts of copper and other metals to increase its durability.

Argyle

A gravy server consisting of an interior well for holding gravy and a hollow outer casing for holding hot water to keep the gravy warm.

Baluster

A 3-dimensional turned object of alternating concave and convex forms. The form was often used for the outer shapes of hollowware.

Beading

Linear ornamentation formed by adjacent spheres.

Bombe

A bulbous, outwardly curved form.

Bruise

An accidental indentation or dent to silver.

Burin

An engraving tool.

Cartouche

A blank area that is reserved for engraving. Sometimes referred to as the reserve.

Chasing

Raising and shaping silver by scoring and hammering to create decoration. Unlike engraving, no metal is removed in the process.

Coaster

Shallow sided circular dish for holding a bottle of wine, decanter, or glass.

Cut-card work

Solder application of decorative pieces of silver to flat silver to add ornamentation.

Die cutting

An industrial technique where a die pattern is created in steel. This steel die is used to stamp out identical articles of a softer metal.

Emboss

The decoration by pressure by dies, stamps, or punches from the reverse creating a raised pattern.

Engraving

Decorating by scraping or cutting material to create a design.

Filigree

A technique of curling, twisting, or plating pliable cables of metal, and soldering them at their points of contact to create a design.

Flatware

Diningware used at the table.

Floreated

Decorated with a floral ornament.

Foliated

Decorated with a leafy ornament.

Frosted silver

Decorative technique to create a contrasting layer of pure silver on the surface of sterling silver.

Gilded

Thin surface coating of gold.

Hallmark

An official marking made by a trusted party on items made of precious metals that guarantees a certain purity of the metal.

Holloware

The term indicating a vessel, generally for domestic and culinary use.

Intaglio mark

A mark made in cameo style to create an image or letters in relief. The symbols or letters appear to be raised above the surface.

Latticed

Decorative technique consisting of a series of diagonal crossbars.

Maker’s mark

The proprietary mark of the individual silversmith.

Mounts

Raised decorative or structural elements, made separately and soldered onto an object. These can include legs, feet, finials, and handles.

Patina

Changes to the surface layer of an object resulting from natural aging and use.

Piercing

Decorative technique where parts of the metal are cut away by hand and refined to form a pierced pattern.

Pricked work

Decorative technique where a series of dots are punched into the surface of an object to create initials, dates, or designs.

Rococo

Decoration using flowers, shells, and swags in the naturalistic style.

Silverplate

Objects that are plated to resemble genuine silver.

Soldering

Technique of joining metal parts by using a silver alloy, flux, and high heat.

Sterling

A standard of silver defined by law as 925 parts pure silver in a 1000.

Tempering

Heating of steel to specific high temperatures to strengthen it.

Annealing

The process of heating silver between hammering, pressing, or rolling. The compressions makes the silver brittle and the heating restores its molecular structure to its prestressed state.

Armorial

A decoration depicting a family crest, coat-of-arms, or motto.

Baroque

A period in western architecture from ca. 1600 to the middle of the 18th century known for its abundance of decoration.

Bezel

A solid or pierced metal band soldered on edge to a backing and bent inward to secure a stone.

Bright cut

A type of engraved decoration produced by short, deeply angled cuts to produce highly reflective lines.

Candelabrum

A multi-light candlestick.

Cast

A technique for producing a solid decorative motif or form in silver from a mold, thereby allowing production in mass.

Chenier

Tubular silver used in the making of hinges.

Crosshatching

Engraving term for crossing lines either straight or diagonal.

Damascene

The process of applying one metal onto a base metal. This is usually done by hammering into scored groves. Named from the city of Damascus.

Egg and dart

The decoration of alternating arrow shaped and oval motifs.

Enamel

The colorful result of fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing the powdered glass until it melts and flows and then hardens to a smooth, durable coating.

Feather-edge

Finely engraved decoration resembling a bird’s feather.

Fineness

The proportion of a precious metal in an alloy.

Florentine finish

Engraved finish applied with an engravers line graver that cuts two to twelve lines with each pass. The piece is engraved in one direction of parallel passes, then the item is turned 33 to 45 degrees and cross engraved.

Forging

Technique for shaping metal through hammering it against an anvil or stakes.

Gadroon

Decorative moulding of repetitive curving convex flutes, usually used as a border.

Graver

Steel tool with a pointed edge for engraving metal.

Hammered finish

An uneven textured finish accomplished by the use of flat or round headed hammers.

Incuse mark

The mark where the symbol or letters are stamped into the surface.

Journeyman

A silversmith who has completed his apprenticeship, but still works for an employer.

Lemel

Scrapings and filings of silver that accumulate on a silversmith’s workbench.

Married metals

Soldering or fusing of two or more different metal sheets for a jigsaw-like effect.

Oxidation

Silver tarnish that adds beauty by providing shadows and highlights.

Pique

Process of inserting metal into ivory or tortoise shell to form a pattern.

Plate

Objects that have been silverplated.

Repousse

Decorative technique dependent on hammering the object from the reverse side to raise decoration on the front.

Service

Articles of same pattern, date, and maker, especially of flatware.

Soldering

Technique of joining metal parts by using a silver alloy, flux, and high heat.

Trademark

Mark consisting of a particular company’s trade name or symbol.

Applique

A decoration made separately and then added to an object.

Assay

To test wrought silver to establish its purity or standard before hallmarking. A small sample of metal is removed from the object and subjected to various chemical processes.

Base metal

Any combination of alloys of non-precious metals used as the base for precious metal plating.

Bolster

The raised junction of the knife blade and tang.

Bright finish

Highly polished and reflective finish.

Candelabra

A multi-light candelabrum as a pair.

Caster

A container with a pierced cover for distributing spices, pepper, or sugar on food.

Usually cylindrical or octagonal in shape.

Cloisonne

Decoration using enamel poured into a design pre-determined by a wire outline.

Diaperwork

A pattern made up on squares or lozenges.

Electroplating

A technique of using electricity to deposit a layer of silver on base metal of an object.

Engine turned

Machine engraving used to create a rectangular, often geometric pattern.

Festoon

An ornament in the form of a chain or ribbon appearing to be attached at two or more points and with a sag between the two points.

Finial

The decorative knob found at the top of an item or on the cover.

Fluting

Decoration using parallel grooves and ridges.

Fretwork

Repetitive geometric ornamentation engraved on a border.

Gallery

Perforated setting surrounding the borders of trays, coasters, etc.

Greek key

Classic, ornamental design in the form of pattern of alternating and interlocking right angles.

Hatching

Engraving term for a series of lines applied closely together.

Ingot

A solid block of metal. The raw material of metalsmithing.

Knop

Rounded knob used as a handle or an ornament. Can also refer to the terminal of a spoon.

Loading

Term used for a method of weighting and strengthening thin silver items such as candlesticks. Resins and cement are commonly used.

Parcel gilding

Partial gilding, a technique where a varnish mask is applied to the areas of an object that should not be gilded.

Pounced

Decorative technique of treating metal surface with a dotted texture.

Reeded

Repetitive linear ornamentation of parallel or radiating lines.

Sheffield plate

Technique for plating copper with sterling silver. This method fuses sheets of copper and sterling silver together by binding and heating them.

Swage

A hollow into which sheet metal is hammered to give it form and depth.

Troy weight

Unit of weight measure used by silversmiths and intended for measuring precious metals.