Editing Jewellery (section)

== Materials and methods ==
[[File:René lalique, pettine in corno, oro, smalti e brillanti, 1902 ca-V2.jpg|thumb|upright|Hair ornament, an [[Art Nouveau]] masterpiece; by [[René Lalique]]; {{circa|1902}}; gold, emeralds and diamonds; [[Musée d'Orsay]] (Paris)]]
In creating jewellery, [[gemstone]]s, [[coin]]s, or other precious items are often used, and they are typically set into [[precious metal]]s. Platinum [[alloy]]s range from 900 (90% pure) to 950 (95% pure). The silver used in jewellery is usually [[sterling silver]], or 92.5% fine silver. In [[costume jewellery]], [[stainless steel]] findings are sometimes used.

Other commonly used materials include [[glass]], such as fused-glass or [[Vitreous enamel|enamel]]; [[wood]], often carved or turned; [[Exoskeleton|shells]] and other natural animal substances such as [[bone]] and [[ivory]]; natural [[clay]]; [[polymer clay]]; [[Hemp]] and other twines have been used as well to create jewellery that has more of a natural feel. However, any inclusion of lead or lead solder will give a British [[Assay office]] (the body which gives U.K. jewellery its stamp of approval, the [[Hallmark]]) the right to destroy the piece, however, it is very rare for the assay office to do so.

[[Bead]]s are frequently used in jewellery. These may be made of glass, gemstones, metal, [[wood]], shells, clay and polymer clay. [[beadwork|Beaded jewellery]] commonly encompasses [[necklace]]s, [[bracelet]]s, [[earring]]s, [[belt (clothing)|belts]] and [[ring (jewellery)|rings]]. Beads may be large or small; the smallest type of beads used are known as [[seed bead]]s, these are the beads used for the "woven" style of beaded jewellery. Seed beads are also used in an embroidery technique where they are sewn onto fabric backings to create broad collar neck pieces and beaded bracelets. Bead embroidery, a popular type of handwork during the [[Victorian era]], is enjoying a [[renaissance]] in modern jewellery making. Beading, or beadwork, is also very popular in many [[African culture|African]] and indigenous North American cultures.

[[Silversmith]]s, [[goldsmith]]s, and [[Lapidary|lapidaries]] use methods including [[forging]], [[Casting (metalworking)|casting]], [[soldering]] or [[welding]], cutting, [[Lapidary|carving]] and "cold-joining" (using [[adhesive]]s, [[staple (fastener)|staples]] and [[rivet]]s to assemble parts).<ref>McCreight, Tim. ''Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing''. Design Books International, 1997, {{ISBN|1880140292}}.</ref>

=== Diamonds ===
{{Main|Diamond}}
[[File:Diamonds.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Diamond]]s]]
[[Diamond]]s were first mined in [[India]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lgdl.gia.edu/pdfs/janse-table1.pdf |title=Home |work=gia.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926091822/http://lgdl.gia.edu/pdfs/janse-table1.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-26}}</ref> [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] may have mentioned them, although there is some debate as to the exact nature of the stone he referred to as ''Adamas''.<ref>Pliny. ''Natural History'', XXXVI, 15</ref> In 2005, [[Australia]], [[Botswana]], [[Russia]] and [[Canada]] ranked among the primary sources of gemstone diamond production.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indexmundi.com/en/commodities/minerals/diamond_(industrial)/diamond_(industrial)_t5.html |title=Natural Diamond: World Production, By Country And Type |work=indexmundi.com |access-date=2007-08-07 |archive-date=2018-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625083105/https://www.indexmundi.com/en/commodities/minerals/diamond_(industrial)/diamond_(industrial)_t5.html |url-status=live}}</ref> There are negative consequences of the diamond trade in certain areas. Diamonds mined during the recent civil wars in [[Angola]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Sierra Leone]], and other nations have been labeled as [[blood diamond]]s when they are mined in a war zone and sold to finance an [[insurgency]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-04-21 |title=How the African Diamond Trade Works |url=https://money.howstuffworks.com/african-diamond-trade.htm |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=HowStuffWorks |language=en-us}}</ref>

The [[British crown jewels]] contain the [[Cullinan Diamond]], part of the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found (1905), at 3,106.75 [[Carat (mass)|carats]] (621.35 g).
[[File:Wedding and Engagement Rings 2151px.jpg|thumb|upright|A diamond solitaire engagement ring]]
Now popular in [[engagement ring]]s, this usage dates back to the marriage of [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] to [[Mary of Burgundy]] in 1477.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/id/2167870/ "Diamonds Are a Girl's Worst Friend: The trouble with engagement rings"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924213522/http://www.slate.com/id/2167870/ |date=2011-09-24 }}. by Meghan O'Rourke at Slate.com, June 11, 2007.</ref>

A popular style is the diamond solitaire, which features a single large diamond mounted prominently.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is a Solitaire Setting |url=https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/what-is-a-diamond-solitaire-setting/ |website=GIA.edu |date=6 June 2012 |publisher=Gemological Institute of America |access-date=21 December 2019 |archive-date=21 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221034505/https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/what-is-a-diamond-solitaire-setting/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Within solitaire, there are three categories in which a ring can be classified: prong, bezel and tension setting.<ref>{{cite web |title=What does solitaire ring look like? |url=https://tidanapp.com/shop/what-is-solitaire-jewellery/ |website=TIDAN |publisher=tidanapp.com |access-date=6 May 2020 |archive-date=5 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205115312/https://tidanapp.com/shop/what-is-solitaire-jewellery/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Other gemstones ===
{{Main|Gemstone}}
<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px" class="center">
Pair of Earflare Frontals MET DP101928.jpg|[[Jade]]
Egyptian - Finger Ring with a Representation of Ptah - Walters 42387 - View A.jpg|[[Jasper]]
Fingerring av guld med rubin och rosenstenar, 1700-tal - Hallwylska museet - 110184.tif|[[Ruby]]
Logan Sapphire SI.jpg|[[Sapphire]]
Clevelandart 1989.39.jpg|[[Turquoise]]
</gallery>
Many precious and semiprecious stones are used for jewellery. Among them are:
;[[Amber]]: Amber, an ancient [[organic gemstone]], is composed of tree resin that has hardened over time. The stone must be at least one million years old to be classified as amber, and some amber can be up to 120 million years old.
;[[Amethyst]]: Amethyst has historically been the most prized gemstone in the quartz family. It is treasured for its purple hue, which can range in tone from light to dark.
;[[Emerald]]: Emeralds are one of the three main precious gemstones (along with rubies and sapphires) and are known for their fine green to bluish-green colour. They have been treasured throughout history, and some historians report that the Egyptians mined emeralds as early as 3500 BC.
;[[Jade]]: Jade is most commonly associated with the colour green but can come in several other colours as well. Jade is closely linked to Asian culture, history, and tradition, and is sometimes referred to as the ''stone of heaven''.
;[[Jasper]]: Jasper is a gemstone of the chalcedony family that comes in a variety of colours. Often, jasper will feature unique and interesting patterns within the coloured stone. Picture jasper is a type of jasper known for the colours (often beiges and browns) and swirls in the stone's pattern.
;[[Quartz]]: Quartz refers to a family of crystalline gemstones of various colours and sizes. Among the well-known types of quartz are [[rose quartz]] (which has a delicate pink colour), and smoky quartz (which comes in a variety of shades of translucent brown). Some other gemstones, such as [[Amethyst]] and [[Citrine quartz|Citrine]], are also part of the quartz family. [[Rutilated quartz]] is a popular type of quartz containing needle-like inclusions.
;[[Ruby]]: Rubies are known for their intense red colour and are among the most highly valued precious gemstones. Rubies have been treasured for millennia. In [[Sanskrit]], the word for ruby is ''ratnaraj'', meaning ''king of precious stones''.
;[[Sapphire]]: The most popular form of sapphire is blue sapphire, which is known for its medium to deep blue colour and strong saturation. Fancy sapphires of various colours are also available. In the United States, blue sapphire tends to be the most popular and most affordable of the three major precious gemstones (emerald, ruby, and sapphire).
;[[Turquoise]]: Turquoise is found in only a few places on Earth, and the world's largest turquoise-producing region is the southwest United States. Turquoise is prized for its attractive colour, most often an intense medium blue or a greenish blue, and its ancient heritage. Turquoise is used in a great variety of jewellery styles.  It is perhaps most closely associated with Southwest and Native American jewellery, but it is also used in many sleek, modern styles. Some turquoise contains a matrix of dark brown markings, which provides an interesting contrast to the gemstone's bright blue colour.

Some gemstones (like pearls, coral, and amber) are classified as organic, meaning that they are produced by living organisms.  Others are inorganic, meaning that they are generally composed of and arise from minerals.

Some gems, for example, [[amethyst]], have become less valued as methods of extracting and importing them have progressed. Some man-made gems can serve in place of natural gems, such as [[cubic zirconia]], which can be used in place of diamonds.<ref>Nassau, K. (1980). ''Gems made by man''. {{ISBN|0801967732}}.</ref>

=== Metal finishes ===
[[File:A002.jpg|thumb|right|An example of gold-plated jewellery.]]
For [[platinum]], [[gold]], and [[silver]] jewellery, there are many techniques to create finishes. The most common are high-polish, satin/matte, [[brushed metal|brushed]], and hammered. High-polished jewellery is the most common and gives the metal a highly reflective, shiny look. Satin, or matte finish reduces the shine and reflection of the jewellery, and this is commonly used to accentuate gemstones such as [[diamond]]s. Brushed finishes give the jewellery a textured look and are created by brushing a material (similar to sandpaper) against the metal, leaving "brush strokes". Hammered finishes are typically created using a rounded steel hammer and hammering the jewellery to give it a wavy [[Surface texture|texture]].

Some jewellery is plated to give it a shiny, reflective look or to achieve a desired colour. Sterling silver jewellery may be plated with a thin layer of 0.999 fine silver (a process known as flashing) or plated with rhodium or gold. Base metal costume jewellery may also be plated with silver, gold, or rhodium for a more attractive finish.