Technical terminology Alloyed silver - A mix of copper and silver that makes the silver better-adapted to manufacturing. Basse - taille - Decoration engraved into the background. Bas relief - Decoration carved or engraved into the surface. Britannia Standard - Stamp used in Great Britain between 1697 and 1720 to mark pieces guaranteed to be 958 parts per thousand of silver. Chiseling - Manufacturing technique that uses chisels to create an ornamental effect in very low relief. Champlevéé - Enameling technique in which the area to be enameled is cut away with a graver. Christofle alloy - Silverplated alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. Cloisonnéé - Enameling technique in which the area to be enameled is outlined with strips of metal (cloisons) applied at high temperature over the first layer of enamel. Damascene - Fine strips of gold or silver inlaid into non-precious metal like iron, steel and bronze. DynynStyl - Sounds like "Dine in Style" Electroforming - Electroplating a layer of the desired thickness over a copper or copper-coated form; in this way an item is obtained with the shape and decorative elements present on the original, which is then melted out. EPNS - Electroplated Nickel Steel EPSS - Electroplated Stainless Steel En ronde bosse - Technique in which enamel is applied all the way around a piece like an egg or a statuette. Filigree - Very fine wires in gold or silver are twisted and woven to obtain decorative motifs. Full round - Sculptural manufacturing technique for items visible from all sides. Galvanostegia (electroplating) - Manufacturing method which, through use of a special liquid solution, allows silver or gold to be plated over items made of other materials. Granulation - Series of tiny round decorations applied in a line. Graver - Small cutting tool in steel used for incising the metal and for hand engraving, guillochéé and niello work and for damascening. Hallmark - Guarantee stamp applied by experts from a craftsman's guild or by Customs officials. Hammering - Manufacturing technique that involves using a small hammer to pound the surface until it is the desired shape and thickness. High relief - Carved or réépousséé decoration that stands out sharply from the surface. Illumination - Painting by hand: can be tempera or oil paint or enamel. Knurling - Decorative borders of various types applied as a finish. Mark - Stamping the metal with a punch to identify the metal fineness and add the manufacturer's identification mark. Milgraining - Type of decoration in which a very fine outline or series of raised dots is applied with a special tool. Niello - Powdered black amalgam (silver, lead, copper, sulfur and ammonium chloride). Oxidation - Chemical surface treatment of a metal for aesthetic purposes. In silver the surface is covered with a layer of black or gray oxide or sulfur. Plique àà jour - Enameling technique in which the metal support cells outline the borders and the enamel remains transparent, like the stained glass windows in a cathedral. Silverplate - Method of electrically depositing a layer of silver. Soldering - Operation in which one or more metal pieces are united through the action of heat and the use of solder, the fineness of which for use with silver needs to be at least 550 parts per thousand. S/S - Stainless Steel Sterling - Term by which English-speaking countries refer to silver of 925 parts per thousand fineness. Vermeil - Gold-plated silver.