Taille d'epargne:  (tie ya day PARN)  Enameling technique where the engraving is partially filled with opaque enamel, usually black.

Taller:  (ta yair) Spanish.  A workshop or atelier.

Tanzanite:  A blue zoisite which often exhibits different colors when seen from different directions.  To clean your tanzanite, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water.  Never clean ultrasonically.  Never steam clean.  Moh's scale of hardness:  6 - 7.

Tessarae:  (tessa RAY)  Tiny colored glass pieces used in mosaic.

Tests:  By sticking a hot needle into an inconspicuous place, you can test for several different materials.  Amber:  pine scent.  Bakelite:  Carbolic acid.  Celluloid:  Camphor.  Jet:  Burning coal.  Tortoise Shell:  Burnt hair.

Thunderegg:  According to ancient Native American legend, when the Thunder Spirits living in the highest recesses of snowcapped Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson became angry with one another, amid violent thunder and lightning storms they would hurl masses of these spherical rocks at each other.  The hostile gods obtained these weapons by stealing eggs from the Thunderbirds' nests, thus the source of the name "Thundereggs."  Thundereggs are Oregon's official state rock.   Also known as geodes, thundereggs are essentially rock cavities or with internal crystal formations or concentric banding. The exterior of the most common geodes is generally limestone or a related rock, while the interior contains quartz crystals and/or chalcedony deposits. Other geodes are completely filled with crystal, being solid all the way through. These types of geodes are called nodules.

Tigereye:  Naturally occurring striated or banded stone in tones of golden brown to deep brown.  A variety of quartz.  To clean your tigereye, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly.  Never clean ultrasonically and never steam clean. Moh's scale of hardness:  7.

Topaz:  Naturally occurring gemstone.  Not all topaz is yellow.  Pure topaz is colorless.  The colors are from the stone being coated or heat-treated.  To clean your topaz, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water.  Never clean ultrasonically.  Never steam clean.  Moh's scale of hardness:  8.

Torsade:  Multi-strand twisted short necklace, usually beads or pearls.

Tourmalated:  Containing Tourmaline crystals.

Tourmaline:  Naturally occurring stone in shades from pink to green to black.  Tourmaline is thought to promote motivation.  Pink tourmaline gets its color from manganese.  Green tourmaline gets its color from chromium, iron or vanadium.  To clean your tourmaline, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water.  Never clean ultrasonically.  Never steam clean.  Moh's scale of hardness:  7 - 7.5.

Trifanium:  Metal alloy invented by Gustavo Trifari of Trifari Jewelry.  High quality durable finish which resembled rhodium.  Done in both goldtone and silvertone, Trifari began using this finish in July 1947 on all of their jewelry.

Turquoise:  Naturally occurring stone in shades of blues and greens. The blue tones come from the presence of copper and the green from iron.  Sometimes contains matrix in shades of gray, brown or black veining due to inclusions or oxide stains.  Highly valued by the Native Americans in their jewelry making.  To clean your turquoise, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly.  Never clean ultrasonically.  Never steam clean.  Moh's scale of hardness:  5 - 6.

Unakite:  Naturally occurring stone in a blend of greens and reds.  Named for the place it was discovered in South Carolina.

Vermeil:  (ver MAY)  10k or better gold plated over Sterling silver.

Vulcanite:  Vulcanized (hardened) rubber used for mourning jewelry in the 19th century.

White Gold:  Alloy of gold with nickel, palladium or platinum.

Wirework:  Twisted wire decoration applied to metal ground.

Yellow Gold:  Alloy of gold with silver and copper.

Zoisite:  Naturally occurring stone of deep green with black hornblende inclusions and occasional natural ruby crystal.  First found in Austria's Sau-Alp mountains.  Thought to boost creativity. To clean your zoisite, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly.  Never clean ultrasonically and never steam clean.