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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Florentine mosaic

See our: flower jewelry.

A type of mosaic made in Florence, composed of tiny pieces of opaque varicolored hardstones, selected and arranged so that the colours and gradations of tones created and enhanced a pictorial effect, usually of flowers or scenes, and cemented on a background of white or black marble. Sometimes called "intarsia" (although that term is mainly applied to inlaid woodwork) or "commesso di pietre dure", referring to the hardstones used. It is used mainly in plaques and boxes, but sometimes in pieces of jewelry.

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