Glossary I-M

A-B ~ C-D ~ E-H ~ N-S ~ T-Z ~ Glossary TOC

India glass	Glass beads made in India.
iridescent glass	Glass mixed with arsenic to create a rainbow or pearly luster. The arsenic is chemically bonded with the glass and presents no health hazard to the wearer at all.
jade	(Green nephrite).Valued by the Chinese more than any other gemstone. It is also believed traditionally to cure hip and kidney ailments, as well as bringing good luck.
jasper	A member of the quartz group, jasper is a chalcedony , although some put it in a separate category. The name jasper comes from the Greek meaning spotted stone. It can be spotted or striped depending on the foreign minerals included. Found all over the world, in antiquity it was used for seals and amulets, and for protection from drought.
jet glass	Glass pigmented with coal.
kevlar	A space-age plastic, that is quite durable and holds its shape. I use various weights of braided kevlar cord for bead stringing. Kevlar is a registered trademark of the DuPont Corporation.
labradorite	First found on the Canadian peninsula of Labrador in 1770. It shows irridescent color (labradorescence) in lustrous metallic tints, often blue and green, though rare specimens with the complete spectrum are very valuable. There are deposits in Canada (Labrador, Newfoundland), also in the Malagasy Republic, Mexico, Russia and the U.S. Labradorite from Finland which exhibits the spectral color particularly well is offered in the trade as Spectrolite^®. Used for bead necklaces, brooches, rings and ornamental objects.
lapis	As lapis lazuli (Arabic/Latin blue stone) is composed of several minerals (if only in small quantities - augite, calcite, diopside, mica, hauynite, hornblende, pyrite) some experts consider it not to be a mineral, but a rock; the main ingredient being lazurite. It is very sensitive to pressure and high temperatures, hot baths, acids, and alkalies. Lapis has been used for beads and jewelry since prehistoric times. Mineable deposits are rare. For centuries the best lapis has come from the West Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan near the source of the river Amu-Darja. Lapis lazuli is mined under primitive conditions and in difficult terrain where it is present as an irregular occurrence in limestone. Russian deposits are at the southwest end of Lake Baikal. Chile supplies lower quality stones with many white spots of calcite. The finely grained, gray-brown jasper from Nunkirchen is colored with Prussian blue and sold as an imitation under the name of "Swiss lapis." In 1954 a synthetic grainy spinel, colored with cobalt oxide, with a good lapis color made an appearance on the market. Inclusions of thin gold pieces simulated the pyrite and improved the character of the genuine stone. Can be confused with azurite, dumortierite, lazulite, sodalite and glass imitations.
malachite	The favorite gemstone of Louis XIV. A copper mineral that features a deep green and yellowish banding pattern. During the Middle Ages, malachite was worn to protect from sorcery and black magic. Today it is worn to attract money.
malocchio	Italian for "evil eye".
Mardi Gras	Since 1872, official colors of Mardi Gras in New Orleans are purple, green and gold. More info here .
millifiori	Italian , means thousand flowers, it is the proper name for "mosaic" beads.The pattern goes back to the Byzantine era.
Moretti	The oldest, most prestigious glassmaking family in Italy today.
Murano	The island, just outside of Venice, where the glassmakers are situated. More info here.
murrina	Italian name for the gold dust or copper dust suspended in glass.

More terms will be added as time goes by. I welcome questions, comments or even corrections by email.