That's Just Swell Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cameo

While cameos are mostly worn as jewelry today, historically they were used as signet rings that would leave an impression in clay or sealing wax. Many times they were an individual's personal seal. They were also popular as large earrings. The subject of the relief was typically a scene from Greek or Roman mythology, or perhaps a profile of an important ruler. Sometimes rulers gave them as gifts to their subjects.

Answer: Bakelite

Bakelite was an early form of plastic that was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907. Many different objects, such as kitchenware, toys, and jewelry, were made from the material, and are considered to be collectibles today. One of the outstanding characteristics of bakelite is the vibrant color. Be careful not to rub it too hard, though! It will smell kind of like fishy formaldehyde.

The smell is one way, however, that it can be determined that the object is the real deal and not just a clever reproduction.

Answer: Choker

The choker is worn above the collarbone, tight around the neck, just like a dog collar. A favorite style in 1900, it is said that Queen Alexandra of Denmark popularized the use of the choker in order to hide a small scar on her neck. Made of many different types of materials, such as gold, leather, or velvet, chokers are still popular today - but be careful! Sometimes they are used to mark certain people.

For example, in the late 1800s prostitutes commonly wore red or black chokers.

Answer: Engraving

Historically, engraving was used in printing and map making; engravers would use a burin, which is also called a graver, to cut the design on a hard surface, such as metal or glass. While there are modern machines that can do the work, traditional engraving is still done today; it is said that under magnification the hand-engraved design is much more sharp. Engraving initials, flowers, or other scenes on jewelry was very popular in Victorian times, and sometimes the depressions were filled with enamel for additional color and effect.

Answer: Fetish

Typically a fetish has a ceremonial purpose for its creator or wearer. The Native American Zunis, for example, made beautiful fetishes out of local materials, such as turquoise; sometimes bone, coral, or antler were used. Many types of animals, including wolves, bears, mountain lions, and even frogs were carved.

The sacred powers of the animal represented by the fetish would protect the owner of the charm, bring good luck, or maybe even fertility.

Answer: Parure

In a parure the matching pieces typically include earrings, bracelet, some type of pin or brooch, and/or necklace. Sometimes a tiara might be included in the set. (That's REALLY swell!) Victorian ladies included two bracelets in their parure; before watches became widely worn on the wrist, it was common to have matching bracelets.

Answer: Seed Pearls

In the past seed pearls, sometimes called keshi pearls, were very tiny pearls formed in a freshwater oyster or mussel, usually less than 2mm in diameter; today they are also created by pearl farmers. During the Victorian age, these small pearls would be strung on horsehair or set in other pieces of jewelry as accents. They were also worn as sautoirs, which was a type of necklace.

Answer: Opal

A cabochon is a stone that does not have facets; instead it has a polished rounded surface, usually in the shape of an ellipse. In addition to opals, it is a common style for jewelry using turquoise, moonstones, jade, or any other gemstone that has a hardness lower than 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. Garnets that are made as cabochons are called carbuncles.

Answer: Chatelaine

A chatelaine was made to either be useful, beautiful, or both! For the ones that are useful, items such as pencils, thimbles, or scissors were hung from chains attached to the chatelaine. This type of chatelaine would be worn by a housekeeper. It was common for the woman of the home to have a chatelaine with keys to the various household cabinets dangling from chains, a symbol of her high status.

Some chatelaines were more decorative in nature, being made of precious metals and gems.

Answer: Fob

The fob and chain, typically worn by gentlemen, hung outside the watch pocket, and were used to pull the watch out. There was no particular rule regarding what sort of material should be used as a fob; it could be metal, a coin, or even a piece of leather.

It is said that men began to wear their watches in their pockets rather than on pendants about 1675 when Charles II of England introduced waistcoats.