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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Ballas ruby (or balas ruby)

The name comes from Balascia, the present-day Badakshan (north Afghanistan) where mines of red spinels have existed since at least the 10th century. Magnificent jewels came from there to decorate the jewels of the royal houses of England, Russia and France. Ballas were considered to be inferior relatives of rubies in 16th century Portugal.