Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical M’s
Mabe - A dome shaped stone, often cabochon cut, popularized in the 40s or 50s with cocktail style jewelry. Sometimes called mobe.
Mabe Pearl - An assembled pearl created by filling a hollow blister and then applying a mother-of-pearl back to complete the pearl.
Marquise - An oval stone which is pointed at both ends, also called navette. Also, a stone cut in a boat shape, pointed at both ends, with rounded sides.
Matte - A frosted, non-shiny surface effect commonly used in precious metal jewelry.
Melee Diamond - A term used for small brilliant-cut diamonds as well as all small diamonds that are used in embellishing mountings for larger gems.
Milgrain - Decorative raised bumps made in precious metals within a jewelry piece's design. Milgrain is done with a special engraver's tool.
Millefiori - Means "thousand flowers" in Italian. A method of creating glass or clay beads with intricate patterns using canes.
Minerals - Inorganic, naturally occurring materials with a constant chemical composition and regular internal atomic structure.
Mohs Scale - A commonly used scale that compares mineral hardness, which was developed by Frederick Mohs in the early 1800s.
Moissanite - A man-made gemstone that closely resembles a diamond. It is only slightly less hard and can mimic almost all of the diamond's other qualities.
Mourning Jewelry - Jewelry worn in memory of the deceased. These commemorative pieces often featured amethyst, pearl, or diamond accents and were usually made from an affordable material like jet or black glass. Sometimes they were in the form of a locket in which a lock of the deceased person's hair was kept.
Filed Under: Jewelry Terms Glossary
About the Author: Wanda Fitzgerald is a Florida native and an vintage charm collector who loves to share her adventures in an e-commerce jewelry business with anyone who is interested.
