OVERSTOCK JEWELER GLOSSARY OF JEWELRY TERMS
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White gold: An alloy made of gold mixed with nickel, sometimes also containing palladium or zinc; developed in 1912 to mimic platinum
White Metal: Any combination of alloys of nonprecious metals such as lead and tin. Also called "Pot Metal".
Zinc: An abundant, lustrous, bluish-white, metallic element of the magnesium-cadmium group. Zinc is brittle at room temperature but malleable when heated. It is used to form a wide variety of alloys including Brass, Britannia, Bronze, various solders, and Nickel Silver. Because zinc is not easily oxidized in moist air it is used for sheeting, coating galvanized iron (and other metals), for electric fuses, anodes, meter cases, in roofing, gutters, and is also largely consumed in electric batteries.
Zircon: A common mineral occurring in small crystals which is heated, cut, and polished to form a brilliant blue-white gem used as a refractory when opaque and as a gemstone when transparent.. They are not man made stones like cubic zirconia are. Although they are frequently color-treated, zircons occur naturally in clear, yellow, orange, brown and red. They are a chief source of zirconium.
