Antique jewelry glossary

Welcome to our extensive antique jewelry glossary with around 1,500 jewelry related entries.If you feel you are missing an explanation, feel free to let us know and we will add it.

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Portrait jewelry

Various articles, principally brooches, pendants, bracelets, and finger rings, decorated with a portrait, usually executed by carving as a cameo or by enamelling as a medallion on porcelain, bone china or copper, or painting on vellum set under a crystal. Rings made in the Roman period often bore portraits, as did enamelled pendants made in the 16th/ 17th centuries and enamelled rings, bracelet clasps, etc., made in the 18th century.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson