Antique jewelry glossary

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Staining

The process of changing the colour of certain gemstones by soaking the stone in an aniline dye or precipitating various chemicals within cracks or a porous structure. The colours are often permanent, but some organic dyes fade in time. The terms 'staining' and 'dyeing' are often used interchangeably.

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