A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae,[Note 1] a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ÎºÎ¬ÎºÏÎ¿Ï, kaktos, a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought. Many live in extremely dry environments, even being ...
10 most extreme places on Earth. Costume jewelry is jewelry made from inexpensive metals and imitations of precious stones. It tends to be flashy and sometimes over the top with gaudiness, although subdued costume jewelery that is designed to imitate more upscale jewelry is also available.sually, the âstonesâ used are large and involve flashy cuts. Costume jewelry is made in all sorts of styles from Victorian inspired brooches to imitation pearl necklaces. Rings, bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry accessories all come in costume as well as regular form.
Base Metal. Base metal is a jewelry industry term for nonprecious metals used in costume jewelry, including copper, aluminum, brass, nickel silver, pewter and white metal, also called pot metal. Nickel silver is a silvery-white alloy resembling silver made from nickel, zinc, copper, iron, manganese and sometimes lead.nlike fine jewelry, costume jewelry is made from nonprecious metals called base metals. Most of these are both beautiful and relatively benign. However, nickel can cause an allergic reaction, while the lead found in some alloys has been linked to far more serious conditions and is highly regulated.