GLOSSARY| Glossary |
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HANDCRAFTS: Handicrafts are a repertory of objects of a cultural field. They are produced by hand, with the help of low complexity tools, do not accepting seriating process. They show a transformation of the raw material through a specific trade. They have functionality. They have an esthetic which is integrated at that functionality. They have cultural values. ENAMEL ON METAL: The enamel on metal is an old branch of the Arts of the Fire. It consists on applying enamel made of glass material on the metal, and to introduce it in a special oven for some minutes to a temperature of between 750 and 900°C. The enamel is fused and it is stuck to the metal. MARQUETRY: Marquetry is the craft of covering a structural carcass with pieces of veneer forming decorative patterns, designs or pictures. This technique may be applied to case furniture, to decorative small objects with smooth surfaces or to free-standing pictorial panels. Marquetry differs from the more ancient craft of inlay, in which a solid body of one material is cut out to receive sections of another to form the surface pattern. MANUAL LOOM: After shearing the llama, sheep, alpaca or vicuña, its wool is hand spun into a thin, continuous, thread. Then, a second thread is added and it is spun again to make a strong yet flexible yarn. The following step is a very careful washing process to take off all organic elements and animal grease (lanolin), which is very useful while spinning but may interfere in the dyeing process. Sun dried, the wool is now ready to be dyed using both natural pigments (from plants, fruits, flowers, minerals and other natural elements) and dyes. Then weaving on the loom begins in a process that, depending on the size and complexity of the chosen pattern and design, can take from a couple of days up to several weeks of hard work. CARTAPESTA: Cartapesta technique consists in sticking layers of papers and adhesive to make art objects. This old technique is related with recycling. NICKEL SILVER: Nickel silver is a metal alloy of copper with nickel and zinc. It is named for its silvery appearance, but contains no elemental silver unless plated. Other common names for this alloy are German silver, new silver and alpaca. Nickel silver first became popular as a base metal for silver plated cutlery and other silverware. It is used in zippers, better-quality keys and costume jewelry Musical instruments, including the flute, saxophone, and French horn can be made of nickel silver. SILVER: Silver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal. The metal occurs naturally in its pure, free form (native silver), as an alloy with gold (electrum) and other metals. Most silver is produced as a by-product of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining. Silver has been known since ancient times and has long been valued as a precious metal, used to make ornaments, jewelry, high-value tableware, utensils (hence the term silverware), and currency coins. Its compounds are used in photographic film and dilute solutions of silver nitrate and other silver compounds are used as disinfectants. Although the antimicrobial uses of silver have largely been supplanted by the use of antibiotics, further research into its clinical potential is in progress. Silver is a very ductile and malleable with a brilliant white metallic luster that can take a high degree of polish. It has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals, even higher than copper, but its greater cost have prevented it from being widely used in place of copper for electrical purposes. PAILA: A paila is an earthenware bowl, made of metal, used as plate in several South American countries. Dishes served in a paila are often prepared in it inside an oven. GEM: A gemstone or gem (also called a precious or semi-precious stone) is a piece of attractive mineral, which—when cut and polished—is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However certain rocks, (such as lapis-lazuli) and organic materials (such as amber or jet) are not minerals, but are still used for jewelry, and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone. For the past several hundred years, gemstones have been broken down into two categories; precious and semi-precious. Though today we think primarily of diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald as "precious", these categories are based mainly on fashion and the composition of these two lists has changed frequently over time. Historically gemstones were classified into precious stones and semi-precious stones. Because such a definition can change over time and vary with culture, it has always been a difficult matter to determine what constitutes precious stones. Aside from the diamond, the ruby, sapphire, emerald, pearl (strictly speaking not a gemstone) and opal have also been considered to be precious. Up to the discoveries of bulk amethyst in Brazil in the 19th century, amethyst was considered a precious stone as well, going back to ancient Greece. Even in the last century certain stones such as aquamarine, peridot and cat's eye have been popular and hence been regarded as precious. A few gemstones are used as gems in the crystal or other form in which they are found. Most however, are cut and polished for usage as jewelry. The two main classifications are stones cut as smooth, dome shaped stones called cabochons, and stones which are cut with a faceting machine by polishing small flat windows called facets at regular intervals at exact angles. Stones which are opaque such as opal, turquoise, etc. are commonly cut as cabochons. These gems are designed to show the stone's color or surface properties as in opal and star sapphires. Grinding wheels and polishing agents are used to grind, shape and polish the smooth dome shape of the stones. Gemstones are often treated to enhance the color or clarity of the stone. Depending on the type and extent of treatment, they can affect the value of the stone. Some treatments are used widely because the resulting gem is stable, while others are not accepted most commonly because the gem color is unstable and may revert to the original tone.[11] Lab created gemstones are not imitations. For example, diamonds, ruby, sapphires and emeralds have been manufactured in labs to possess identical chemical and physical characteristics to the naturally occurring variety. Synthetic (lab created) corundum, including ruby and sapphire, are very common and they cost only a fraction of the natural stones. Smaller synthetic diamonds have been manufactured in large quantities as industrial abrasives. Larger synthetic diamonds of gemstone quality, especially of the colored variety, are also manufactured. Whether a gemstone is a natural stone or a lab-created (synthetic) stone, the characteristics of each are the same. Lab-created stones tend to have a more vivid color to them, as impurities are not present in a lab, so therefore do not affect the clarity or color of the stone. However, natural gemstones are still considered more valuable on average due to their relative scarcity. |
