Mission Leather, German Silver, and Other Emulationisms

 

A Collection of Misleading Trade Names, Product Euphemisms, and Related Folklore

 

 

Emulationisms are trade names or terms that sound like something precious or valuable but are in fact only cheap imitations. Most of these terms were created in order to deliberately mislead the public for marketing purposes but a few are merely humorous names from folklore.

 

Since there is no term that refers to this type of name, I coined the term emulationism. To be a true emulationism, or emulationary name, a term must contain at least one word or partial word that relates to a precious or sellable commodity (ivory, jade, apricots, etc.) and it must be employed, at least by some individuals on some occasions, to fool the unwary or to improve the "image" or salability of the commodity.

 

Please email me (Alan's Used Books) if there are any emulationisms I have missed and I will add them to this page. Thanks!

 

A

 

Alaska Diamond. hematite (iron oxide).

 

Alaska Sable. skunk fur.

 

Alaska Strawberries. dried beans.

 

Albany Beef. Hudson river sturgeon.

 

Animelles. ram’s testicles, as an edible.

 

Arkansas Diamond. quartz.

 

Atlas Pearl. imitation pearl made of gypsum.

 

Australian Ruby / Adelaide Ruby. garnet.

 

B

 

Beekite. fossil coral.

 

Black Diamond. hematite (iron oxide).

 

Bohemian Diamond. quartz.

 

Bonded Leather. a mixture of pulverized leather and glue, having an impressed texture resembling animal hide. Also called mission leather.

 

Brazilian diamond / Bristol diamond. quartz.

 

Britannium / Britannia Metal. another name for white metal: a cheap alloy made mostly of tin.

 

C

 

Calf Fries. calf’s testicles.

 

California Moonstone. quartz.

 

Cape Cod Turkey. dried salted cod.

 

Cape May Diamond. quartz.

 

Colorado Jade. feldspar (a very common mineral).

 

Cowboy Caviar. 1. a sauce, similar to salsa, made with chili beans and/or black-eyed peas, peppers, garlic and/or other spices. 2. calf’s or bull’s testicles.

 

Cultivated Pearl. another name for cultured pearl.

 

Cultured Pearl. a pearl produced by an oyster after a bead was implanted inside the oyster for the purposes of growing a pearl. Invented in 1896 by Kokichi Mikimoto, they are also called artificially-induced pearls and cultivated pearls. Unlike most products with emulationary names, a cultured pearl nowadays is nearly as valuable as the genuine article.

 

D

 

E

 

Ebonite. vulcanized black rubber.

 

Evening Emerald. peridot (a green gemstone known also as poor man’s emerald).

 

F

 

Fabulite. strontium titanate, a diamond look-alike.

 

Faux. a French word meaning false or fake, pronounced “foh.” Attached to many products such as faux fur, faux diamonds. Hopefully this impressive sounding prefix will fool only the most ignorant consumers.

 

French Grey. another name for German silver, a silver-colored cheap alloy containing no silver.

 

French Ivory. imitation ivory made of celluloid (plant fiber), invented by John Wesley Hyatt about 1875.

 

French Jet. imitation black onyx made of glass.

 

Fukien Jade. soapstone.

 

G

 

German Lapis. quartz dyed blue.

 

German Silver / French Grey / New Silver / Nickel Silver / Gun Metal. a cheap, silver-appearing alloy, somewhat similar to pewter, made of nickel mixed with copper and zinc, and sometimes also having small amounts of lead or tin. There are many different formulas, none of which contain any silver.

 

Girasol Pearl. imitation pearl.

 

Greenland. this enormous arctic land mass -- which has only a small sliver of green during the summer months -- was named Greenland around the year 985 by Erik the Red of Iceland in order to lure settlers there.

 

Gun Metal. another name for German silver, a silver-colored cheap alloy containing no silver.

 

H

 

Hawaiian Diamond / Herkimer Diamond. quartz.

 

Honan Jade. soapstone.

 

I

 

Indian Jade. aventurine quartz.

 

Irish Apricots. potatoes.

 

J

 

K

 

Kenya Diamond. rutile (titanium oxide).

 

Korea Jade. serpentine (magnesium iron silicate).

 

L

 

La Jausca Pearl / Laguna Pearl. imitation pearl.

 

M

 

Manchurian Jade. soapstone.

 

Mexican Jade. calcite (calcium carbonate) dyed green.

 

Mission Leather. a mixture of pulverized leather and glue, having an impressed texture resembling animal hide. Also called bonded leather.

 

Mogok Diamond. topaz.

 

N

 

Nassau Pearl. imitation pearl made of pink conch shell.

 

Naugahyde. fake leather made of polyurethane (plastic).

 

New Silver / Nickel Silver. other names for German silver, a silver-colored cheap alloy containing no silver.

 

O

 

Olive Jade. serpentine (magnesium iron silicate).

 

Oregon Jade. dark green quartz.

 

P

 

Patona Pearl / Patricia Pearl / Pompadour Pearl. imitation pearl made of pink conch shell.

 

Pennsylvania Diamond. pyrite (iron sulfide).

 

Q

 

R

 

Radium Diamond. smoky quartz.

 

Rainbow Diamond. rutile (titanium oxide).

 

Reconstituted Turquoise. a mixture of powdered turquoise with glue or epoxy which, when dried, forms a fairly convincing turquoise-like substitute.

 

Red Sea Pearl. imitation pearl made of pink or red coral.

 

Rhinestone / Brilliant / Paste. a sparkly, imitation gemstone made of glass, crystal or plastic glued to a shiny foil backing. Rhinestones were named for the Rhine River.

 

Rocky Mountain Oysters / Prairie Oysters. calf’s or bull’s testicles, as an edible.

 

Rose Zircon. synthetic pink spinel (magnesium aluminum oxide).

 

S

 

Siberian Ruby. tourmaline.

 

Sophisticated. refers to some repair or alteration of an antiquarian or collectible book; such alteration generally imparts a lower value.

 

South Sea Cat's-Eye. an operculum (“door” of a snail shell) passed off as a gemstone.

 

Stabilized. refers to some alteration of a gemstone.

 

Strontium Titanate / Fabulite / Wellington Diamond. a diamond look-alike.

 

Styrian Jade. pseudophite (chlorite).

 

Suzhou Jade. serpentine (magnesium iron silicate).

 

Sweetbreads. the internal organs of a piglet or calf. The term encompases both the gullet and thymus gland and the stomach-pancreas.

 

Swiss Jade. dark green quartz.

 

Swiss Lapis. quartz dyed blue.

 

T

 

Tecla Pearl. imitation pearl made of pink conch shell.

 

Transvaal Jade. grossularite (calcium aluminum silicate).

 

U

 

V

 

W

 

Wellington Diamond. another name for strontium titanate, a diamond look-alike.

 

Welsh Rabbit / Welsh Rarebit. toasted cheese or cheese on toast.

 

White Metal. a cheap alloy made mostly of tin.

 

X

 

Y

 

Z

 

Zerfass Emerald. synthetic emerald.

 

references:

 

Gentleman Jim Arner, The Book Ranch

 

Matlins, Antoinette L., and A. C. Bonanno. Jewelry and Gems, the Buying Guide: How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Precious and Other Popular Gems with Confidence and Knowledge. South Woodstock VT: Gemstone Press, 1987

 

Content provided by Gwen Foss, Alan's Used Books

 

TomFolio.com A Cooperative of Independent Dealers

 

Browse our books on gems and gemstones here


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