Jewelry Glossary
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Mabe Pearl
Mabe pearls grow up by having hemispherical nucleus bead inserted into the pearl. After insertion, the pearls and the nucleus are removed from the shell. Then it is filled with resin, and the shell lid is attached.
[Moh's hardness: 2.5-3] [Organic matter: Cultured pearl]" -
Magnetic Barreling
Magnetic barreling is done prior to buff polishing. A barreling machine works using magnetic power.
Gold products treated with a barreling machine can achieve strong polishing. -
Main Stone
Please refer to "center stone."
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Malachite
The name is derived from the plant, mallow, in Greek. In Japan, it is also called peacock stone because it looks like the wings of a peacock. It was used as an eye shadow powder, amulet, and jewelry in ancient Egypt and Greece. It is semi-transparent on thin plates, but its green shades and patterns like contour are attractive.
[Moh's hardness: 4] [Mineral species: Malachite] -
Manual Metal Processing
Manual metal processing is a traditional metal processing method which first cuts precious metal with a fretsaw, then shapes parts with abrasive paper, and finally brazes and assembles the product.
This technique is used to produce one-of-a-kind items, but is also used when making metal molds for mass production; lost-wax casting. -
Marine Chain
A marine chain is similar to the shape of the chain used for ships such as yachts.
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Marking
Marking is the first step of cutting a rough diamond to decide where to divide the diamond into two parts and marking a line through the sawing process.
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Marquise Cut
The marquis cut is boat shaped cut that has softly curved lines which form a larger section in the middle which tapers as the lines meet.
In 1745, French King Louis XV gave the title of marquis to Mrs. Pompadour.
At the time, marquis cut diamond had been developed and was named "marquis" after Mrs. Pompadour who was famous for being a trendsetter. -
Marriage Ring
Marriage ring is also called wedding ring and people exchange it with their partner when getting married. Domed or flat band are popular because these are comfortable to wear at all times. Platinum rings are common in Japan, but gold rings are common in Europe and in the United States.
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Master Stone
A master stone is a criterion to define another gemstone's color, brightness, and scratch level during the grading process.
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Melee
Melee is a small stone that usually indicates a diamond smaller than 0.1ct.
In the past, the word melee meant messy in French, and essentially, it means a mixed lot of various sizes of small stones.
Now, melee also indicates emerald or ruby, and they are called "melee eme" or "melee ruby." -
Mesh Chain
A mesh chain is made by forming a thin precious metal line in a mesh shape, sometimes by pressing it flat.
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Metal Clay Process
In the metal clay process, a clay-like metal is processed according to the desired design.
After it is dried and fired, non-gold and silver components evaporate, which then produces a finished product. -
Metal Stamping (Pressing)
The metal stamping (pressing) method enables thin and light products, and is employed for mass production. A lot of jewelry can be made with a press machine by stamping with the use of a mold.
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Middle Ring
The middle ring is worn on the middle finger, which is said to be an intuition and inspiration finger. It is believed that it is good to wear a ring on the middle finger when you need creativity or to aim for high goals. It might be a good idea to wear this ring when you want to achieve something at work.
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Milk and Honey Color
The most sought after color of cat's eye is "milk & honey," which is not too dark and not too light. It is important to cut well to show the chatoyancy effect clearly.
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Milk Crown Prong
The name comes from its resemblance to the crown shape formed when a drop is placed on top of milk. The tips of milk crown prongs are spherical. The rest are simply called crown settings if the tips are not spherical.
It is used to set pearls, and cabochon cut gemstones. -
Milky Aqua
Milky aqua is produced by making use of a light translucent raw stone of aquamarine. The charm of this gem is its gentle and soft impression. Cabochon cuts make gems more attractive, chatoyancy can be seen in some of them.
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Mixed Cut
A "mixed cut" is a type of facet cut identified by a brilliant cut for the crown at the upper facet, as well as a step cut for the pavilion at the lower facet.
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Moh's Hardness
Moh's Hardness is measured by checking how much a stone can withstand scratching. Vienna mineralist Friedrich Mohs (1773-1839) developed this process, which is his namesake. According to this method, all jewels can be graded on a scale from 1 to 10.
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Moldavite
The mineral tektite is a natural glass, and the green one is called moldavite. Tektite is made when giant meteorites drop on the ground, melt by pressure and heat, and rapidly cool and solidify while scattering through the air.
[Moh's hardness: 5] [Mineral species: Tektite] -
Moonstone
Moonstone is a bluish hue reminiscent of moonlight. From ancient times, it has been believed that it brings good luck and you can see the future if you hold it in the mouth during the full moon.
There are also other colors such as orange, yellow and white, but white is most popular. The most notable feature is a sheen (moonstone effect). When you choose a Moonstone, you should focus on transparency, the scene effect and shape. Especially blue moonstone which gives off bluish white light is considered precious.
[Moh's hardness: 6] [Mineral species: Orthoclase] -
Morganite
Morganite was named after John Morgan who was an American banker and a jewelry collector. Morganite is of a pale pink coloration. It is mined in many areas of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil and may also form as a large crystal. Morganite can also be treated by irradiating it to deepen its color.
[Moh's hardness: 7] [Mineral species: Beryl] -
Moss Agate
Moss agate is a colorless translucent chalcedony which includes green amphibole similar to moss.
When it is cut into a thin plate, you will get a clearer image of a moss.
It is usually polished into cabochon cut and set in ring, brooch and pendant. It is also made for beads and used for necklaces.
[Moh's hardness: 6] [Mineral species: Chalcedony] -
Mounting
The mount is where gemstones are placed, and the process of setting stones is called "mounting." More specifically, the part of metal that encloses around a gemstone is called a bezel. Furthermore, the bezel for melee-sized gemstones is called a "chaton."
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Mystery Setting
Mystery setting is a technique to set gemstones without showing how the gems are actually set. It is also called "invisible setting" because none of the prongs or metal holding the gems can't be seen.
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Gemstones
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