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NACRE
Nacre is a usually whitish
crystalline substance which
oysters, mussels, snails,
and other mollusks secrete
around a foreign object (like
a tiny stone) that has made
its way into their shell.
As layers of nacre coat the
intruder, a pearl is formed
over a period of many years.
NAJA
(or "Najah") From
the Navajo word "Najahe",
meaning "crescent". A crescent-shaped
silver ornament believed to
go back to Moorish designs
that was originally a forehead
pendant on horse bridles.
It is now commonly found pendant
from the bottom of a squash
blossom necklace.
NAPIER
Napier was a costume
jewelry company that made
a wide range of pieces. The
company began operations in
1875 in Attleboro, Massaachusetts,
making silver products; it
was then called "Whitney and
Rice." When the company was
sold in 1882, it was renamed
"Carpenter and Bliss," and
soon after, "E. A. Bliss and
Co., Inc." In 1890, the company
moved operations to Meriden,
Connecticut. During the 1910's
(after Word War 1), the company
began making costume jewelry.
In 1920, when James H. Napier
was president of the company,
the company name was changed
to "Napier-Bliss." (Napier
headed the company until 1960.)
In 1922, the name was again
changed, this time to "Napier."
"Victoria & Company Ltd."
(now called Victoria Creations)
bought the company in the
late 1980's (it also bought
Richlieu and Givenchy). The
"Jones Apparel Group" bought
Victoria in 2000, also buying
the Napier brand (which is
no longer manufactured). The
Napier apple pin above is
gold plated metal with a translucent
plastic apple.
NATURAL PEARL
A natural pearl (also
called a genuine pearl) is
a pearl that was produced
in an oyster, freshwater mussel
or other mollusk as a reaction
to a tiny invading object
that happened to be caught
inside its shell.
NAVETTE
A navette is a gemstone
which is cut as a marquise.
NECESSAIRE
Necessaire is another
word for etui, a tiny, decorative,
cylindrical-shaped case that
was often carried on a chatelaine.
The necessaire/etui was used
to carry small "necessary"
items like pencils and scissors.
The etui was first used in
the 1720's.
NECKLACE
A necklace is a peice
of jewelry worn around the
neck. Necklaces of perals
of different lengths have
different names: A choker
is 14" to 16" long; a princess
necklace is 18" long; a matinee
necklace is 22" to 23" long;
opera is 30" to 35" long;
a rope is over 40 " long.
NEEDLE POINT
Stones shaped to
a fine point at both ends.
NEGLIGEE PENDANT
(See Lavalier)A necklace
with two pendants of unequal
length suspended from it.
NEMO
Nemo was a mark of
the Brier Manufacturing Company,
a costume jewelry company
located in Providence, Rhode
Island, USA. The Nemo mark
was first used in January,
1913; the marks L/N and L/N25
"Nemo Gold Seal Quality" also
belonged to this company (L/N
perhaps standing for "Little
Nemo"). This company produced
brooches, necklaces, bracelets,
dress clips, earrings, tiaras,
hair clips, etc., often featuring
colorful rhinestones in gold-plated
pot metal.
NEOCLASSICAL
New designs inspired
by artistic elements from
classical antiquity, such
as urns, garlands, greek key,
palmette.
NEPAL DIAMOND
Nepal diamond is
a huge flawless, pendeloque
diamond that probably came
from the Golconda mines in
India. The Nepal diamond weighs
80 carats. It was originally
owned by the Nepalese government
but is now owned by Harry
Winston, an American jeweler.
NEPHRITE
Nephrite is a semi-precious
stone, a variety of jade (sometimes
called greenstone). Two different
minerals are known as jade,
jadeite and nephrite. Nephrite
is slightly softer that jadeite
and is often veined; it is
used in carvings and for making
beautiful bowls and vases.
NEVADA DIAMOND
Nevada diamond is
a misleading term for artificially-colored
obsidian (a semi-precious
stone) - it is not a true
diamond.
NEVADA TOPAZ
Nevada topaz is a
misleading term for obsidian
(a semi-precious stone) -
it is not a true topaz.
NICKEL SILVER
Nickel silver (also
know as German silver) is
an alloy consisting of mostly
copper (roughly 60 percent),
and approximately 20 percent
nickel, about 20 percent zinc,
and sometimes about 5 percent
tin (then the alloy is called
alpaca). There is no silver
at all in German/nickle silver.
This alloy was invented around
1860 in Germany as a silver
substitute.
NIELLO
Niello is ancient
technique in which an engraved
design in metal is filled
with powdered niello alloy
(a black/dark gray metal alloy
composed of silver, copper,
lead, and sulphur). The niello
alloy is melted (the entire
metal piece is heated in a
kiln) and it fuses with the
underlying metal. The object
is then polished - the result
is an enamel-like effect.
Niello has been made at least
since the time of ancient
Rome. In older pieces, the
niello alloy fills an engraved
design in metal. In newer
pieces, the nilello forms
the backround - the niello
alloy is simply "painted"
onto the metal (this process
is simpler, cheaper, and less
durable).
NIGHT EMERALD
Night emerald is
a misleading term for peridot
(a semi-precious stone) -
it is not a true emerald.
NIZAM DIAMOND
The Nizam diamond
was a huge Indian diamond
that may have weighed from
340 to 440 carats uncut. After
being cut into an elongated,
convex shape with irregular
facets, it was 277 carats.
This diamond was owned by
the Nizams of Hyderabad in
the 1830's. This diamond was
"lost" or broken up during
a battle.
NOBLE METALS
The noble metals
are gold, platinum, and silver.
These are metals that are
relatively impervious to chemical
action.
NONMETALLIC
A material which
is not composed of metal.
NON-PRECIOUS
Any metal that is
not considered to be a precious
metal or any gemstone that
is not considered to be a
precious gemstone.
NOSE STUD
A simple style of
jewelry for pierced nostrils
that has a single stone, pearl,
or metal ball on a straight
post.
NUGGET
The term used for
a lump, or irregularly shaped
mass, of precious metal.
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