The term antique is in and of itself a bit confusing. An item that is over 100 years old is usually the accepted norm for antiques, but in some cases an item can be only 50 years old or more.
Firing cracks is a term used in pottery collection. This occurs during the baking, inside the kiln, and is not considered as damage
The word circa is often used in discussions of the age of antiques. It is usually represented by the letter "c" in front of a date. This means that the item can be dated ten years either way from the date quoted as a guide.
Soft and hard paste are both terms used in talking about porcelain. Hard paste porcelain comes usually from Europe, while soft paste is usually made in Britain and sometimes France.
When antiques are classified as being from the Victorian era, they are usually referring to three different distinct times....early, middle and late victorian periods which are usually referring to furniture and ceramic pieces.
Periods of time are also referred to as Elizabethan, Queen Anne, Carolean, Mary and Georgian. An item is considered Edwardian if dated 1901 to World War I.
Staffordshire pottery usually refers to a collection of pottery generally from Britain. This is the area where pottery was made and includes Royal Doultan and Wedgewood pottery pieces.
Enamel is a word used to describe the material, or in particular the type of paint used to decorate porcelain or pottery.
Jasperware is a term used in pottery and more often in reference to Wedgewood pottery. Wedgewood invented the jasperware process, most famous for it's representation of classical scenes in relief in white.
Art Deco is a term used to describe decorating and architecture in which the principal elements are metal and steel and are well known for the use of geometric shapes.
Baroque is the term used to describe art and architecture from Europe and mainly Italy during the late 16th and early 17th century. The style is usually typified by the ornate scrolling and curves that was the fashion between 1660 and 1730.
Brittania standard was the first silver mark indicating that a piece was made of sterling silver with the purity of 92.5%.