Antique jewelry:
materials

What materials do we use to make ourselves look prettier? "Metals" and "stones" is the obvious (though not exclusive) answer.

Metals we can divide into:

• precious metals: gold, platinum, silver
• non precious metals: iron, copper, alpaca, aluminum etc.
• even modern metals specially designed for space travel like titanium
• or a combination of the above metals

Stones we can divide into:

• precious stones like diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies
• semi precious stones like topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline, lapis lazuli etc.
• as well as less valuable stones like onyx and carnelian (or cornaline) belonging to the family of agates
• pyrite (also named foolsgold) and marcasite (steel colored pyrite)

Other materials such as:

• synthetic gemstones made with for example the Verneuil-method.
• strass by Frederic Strass (1710-1773) in Strasbourg; actually simply a clear colorless glass but with a high lead content and very easy to facet.
• enamel (melted glass)
• polished steel as imitation of marcasite (which is cheap itself)
• organic materials ivory, amber, shells, pearls, coral
• less known materials as cows horn, elephant hair, animal skins (leather) fish skin (e.g.shark or stingray)