Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search for special characters like fractions?
How do I search for decorations?
Are there sample searches to try?
Can I perform a search using multiple terms?
How can I perform a search using multiple terms when a Phrase doesn’t work?
How can I perform a search with partial words?
Is there additional product information in the system index that is not shown on the displayed page?
How do I search for special characters like fractions?
Special Search Terms
This indexing system limits the use to the following characters: alphabet A-Z and numbers 0-9. Cambridge used a lot of special characters in their catalogs, price lists and other documents that cannot be used in the index system. Common special characters used are fractions. Substitute terms have been created for use in indexing as shown in the follow chart. The space character is shown as (space).
The following characters have not been used in the index entries: apostrophe, comma, period, left & right parentheses.
| Special Character | Search Term |
|---|---|
| ¼ | -qtr |
| ½ | -half |
| ¾ | -3qtrs |
| ⅛ | -1eighth |
| ⅜ | -3eighths |
| ⅝ | -5eighths |
| ⅞ | -7eighths |
| ⅓ | -1third |
| ⅔ | -2thirds |
| " (inch) | (space)in(space) |
| # (number) | (space)No(space) |
| & (and) | and |
How do I search for decorations?
Certain indexing standards have been applied to decorations as shown in this table. Ignore words in parenthesis.
| Type of Decoration | Example with number | Example without number | Unknown name or number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Etchings | E752 (Diane) | E Rose Point | UE14 |
| Decorates | D1041 (Gold Encrusted Rose Point) | D Dartmouth Indians | UD17 |
| Engravings | Eng821 (King Edward) | Eng Laurel Wreath | UEng12 |
| Early Cuttings | Cut17 or Eng17 | (None) | (None) |
| Sand Blast Engraving | SB12 | (None) | (None) |
| Bands | Band7 | (None) | UB910 |
| Copper Wheel Engravings | CW5011 | (None) | (None) |
| Needle Etchings | NE272 | (None) | (None) |
Are there sample searches to try?
Yes. Try the following searches to help understand how the system works. Enter the word or phrase shown in quotation marks without the quotation marks.
| Search Purpose | Search Single Word or Phrase |
|---|---|
| Find all Caprice items | “Caprice” or “3550” |
| Find Caprice #1 Goblet | “Caprice 1” or “3550/1” |
| Find all 3500 Gadroon Line items | “3500” or “Gadroon” |
| Find 3500/25 - 9" Ram's Head Bowl | “3500/25” or “3500 25” |
| Find item numbered less than 1000 | “No 680” |
| Find item numbered greater than 1000 | “1338” |
| Find all items etched 762 Elaine | “E762” or “Elaine” |
| Find all items engraved 821 King Edward | “eng821” or “King Edward” |
| Find items with a fraction like 6½ | “6-half” or “6 half” |
Can I perform a search using multiple terms?
You can enter two or more words in a search box. These words are treated as a Phrase and search hits will result only if these words appear in the index in the exact sequence entered in the search box. See also the next FAQ.
How can I perform a search using multiple terms when a Phrase doesn’t work?
Click the (+) icon to the right of a search box to open one or more search boxes. Enter the separate search terms in each box. Expect matches on pages with both terms. The matches may not be related to a single item. For example: a search for “Caprice” and “Goblet” will result in hits on pages with both terms but it may or may not include the Caprice Goblet.
There is an option to choose how the search terms work together. “and” is the default option. You can change this conjunction in the dropdown box to "near". A search for “Caprice” near “Goblet” may reduce the number of extraneous hits.
How can I perform a search with partial words?
Search words must be a minimum of two characters. The use of multiple words in a phrase is usually no problem even if one or more of the words is a single character. If a problem is encountered, the error can usually be avoided by the use of a hyphen character that will be treated a space character during the search. Two wildcard characters are permitted while doing a search. A question mark (?) can be used to represent any single character in the search word(s). An Asterisk (*) can be used to represent any number of sequential characters in the search word(s). The asterisk and question mark may not be the first character in a search word. The following words are not permitted unless part of a phrase: "and", "has", "not", "the".
Is there additional product information in the system index that is not shown on the displayed page?
Yes, more product information is frequently included in the title's index. When browsing a title or Search Results, click on the scissors icon in the menu bar at the top and draw or drag a box in an image. A popup window will open showing the product information that was loaded into the index.