We’re going to try this as a new feature here in the Mirror – a word a day about jewelry and its manufacture. All “Word of the Day” vocabulary comes from this book: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry by Harold Newman, published by Thames and Hudson of London in 1981.

Today’s word is Staining

Page 288, The process of changing the color of certain gemstones by soaking them in an aniline dye* or precipitating various chemicals within the cracks or a porous structure. The colors are often permanent, but some organic dyes fade in time. Often interchanged with dyeing.

*aniline dye – from Wikipedia: an organic compound used as a precursor to more complex chemicals. Main application is the production of polyurethane. It is POISON and highly flammable.

hm – makes me wonder if staining is what is used on Howlite, Pearls and Marble to get their lovely and wonderful colors.