What does enchase mean?
To enchase is to set a gem, jewel, or other ornament securely into a surface — most often metal, wood, or stone — so that it becomes an integral part of the object's decoration. A sword hilt might be enchased with rubies; a book cover might be enchased with gilt medallions. The word belongs to the vocabulary of craftsmanship and connoisseurship: it appears mainly in discussions of jewelry, armor, ecclesiastical objects, and antique decorative arts, lending any description an air of formality and refinement. Unlike mere attachment, enchasing implies skillful embedding, where the ornament sits flush within its setting rather than being glued or hung upon the surface. The term shares ancestry with 'chase' and 'encase', all descending from a root meaning a box or container, which captures its essence perfectly: to enchase is to house something precious within another material.
verbTo set or fix (a gem, ornament, or decorative material) into a surface, typically so that it is flush with or embedded in it; to adorn something by inlaying it with such ornamentation.
- To set or fix a gem or ornament firmly into a surface, especially so as to be flush with it.
- To decorate an object with inlaid ornamentation.
"The craftsman enchased the dagger's hilt with lapis lazuli."
"The throne was enchased with ivory and mother-of-pearl."
"Medieval goldsmiths enchased precious stones into reliquaries with extraordinary precision."
Before 'chase' meant running after anything, its ancestor meant a box — and 'enchase' still carries that ancient idea of locking treasure inside.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enchase
Enchase entered English in the late Middle Ages via Old French enchâsser, formed from the prefix en- ('in') plus chasse, meaning a reliquary or ornamental case. Chasse itself descends from the Latin capsa, a box or container, making enchase a cousin of words such as 'capsule', 'encase', and the metalworking verb 'chase'. Its original sense of placing relics within a sacred case broadened over time to the general setting of gems and ornaments into surfaces, a sense it has retained ever since.
Related word forms
How enchase is actually used
Formal and literary; found chiefly in descriptions of antique metalwork, jewelry, and decorative arts rather than everyday speech.
Easily confused with enchase
As a metalworking verb, 'chase' means to decorate metal by engraving or hammering a design on the surface, whereas 'enchase' means to set ornaments into a surface.