Glossary of Terms

14 Karat (14k or kt) This gold is 14 parts of gold to 10 parts other metals, most commonly copper, and nickel. This level of purity in gold is quite common in the U.S. A lot of the jewelry produced there is of this karatage. This purity is stamped in Europe and other parts of the world as '585'.

18 Karat (18k or kt) gold is 18 parts of gold to 6 parts other metals, such as copper, and nickel. 18 Karat gold is the most widely used gold to produce studded jewelry. This is so because 22 karat is too soft to set any stones. This purity is stamped in Europe and other parts of the world as '750'.

22 Karat (22k or kt) gold is 22 parts of gold to 2 parts of other metals, such as copper, or nickel. 22 karat is most widely used in India to make gold jewelry.

24 Karat (24k or kt) gold is pure gold containing no other metals. The gold content of a piece of jewelry is measured in 'karats', which can range from 1 to 24. 24 karat is the purest karatage of Gold. Coins and other Bullion is usually of this karatage

A

B

Baguette - A rectangular-shaped stone with rows of step-like facets. If the baguettes two long sides taper inward, it is called a tapered baguette. Baguettes in long, thin cut rectangles are often used as enhancements to a lager center stone, or on a watch bezel.

Band is simply a ring that is the same width all the way around.

Bangle is a stiff bracelet that slips over the hand or is clasped on.

Bar setting - Similar to the channel setting, it is a circular band of diamonds or gemstones that holds each stone in by a long thin bar, shared between two stones.

Bead is a stone cut into a small sphere shape.

Bearding - The outermost portion of the stone, called the girdle, can develop small cracks that resemble whiskers during the polishing process. The bearding can sometimes be removed, if not too dramatic, with slight re-polishing, and if the weight allows.

Beveled is the name given to an angled part or surface. This is usually an angle other than a right angle.

Bezel is any part that incorporates a continuous groove to fit something, generally a stone. The metal at the top of the groove is then burnished over the edge of the mounted item to hold it, forming a setting.

Birthstones-Each month has a particular gemstone associated with it, called a birthstone.

Blemishes - The term blemish is used when the diamond has scratches or marks on the external area of the stone.

Brilliance - the reflection of light directly back to the eye from the surface and from the internal facets of a diamond.

Brilliant cut - reflects the most light, and are considered to have the most brilliance of all cuts. A round brilliant-cut diamond typically has 57 or 58 facets. Other brilliant cuts include the heart, oval, marquise and pear.

C

Cable Chain is a style of chain whose links are round and uniform in size.

Cabochon is a domed gemstone with a highly polished, curved surface and no faceting. Seen often in rings. Most commonly seen as round or oval in shape.

Carat is a unit of weight for gemstones. 100 points equal one Carat. One Carat equals one-fifth of a gram. This term is often confused with karat, which is a measure of the purity of gold.

Certification (or Diamond Grading Reports) - There are many recognized gemological laboratories that grade color, clarity and cut of diamonds for a fee. The most well known are the GIA, AGS, EGL, HRD, and IGI.

Chain is a series of connected loops, links, rings, or beads used to create bracelets or necklaces.

Channel Setting - two strips of metal (gold, platinum or silver) hold the gemstone(s) in place at the sides, with no metal between the stones. This type of setting protects the girdle area of the gemstone, as well as securing small stones more effectively than a prong setting. Channel-set gemstones also sit flush with the mounting, making them less likely to get snagged on other objects, such as hair or clothing.

Charm is a decorative pendant or trinket worn on a bracelet, necklace or earring.
Clarity - All diamonds have natural imperfections if inspected under high enough magnification, commonly referred to as inclusions, which contribute to its identifying characteristics. Inclusions are found within the diamond, and can be white, black, colorless, or even red or green. Most are undetectable by the human eye, and can only be seen with 10X magnification (the standard). Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection called clarity.

Clasp - Any type of attachment that connects two ends of a piece of jewelry.
Cleavage - A natural area of the diamond where a weaker bond holds the atoms together. The gem will be split along these planes by the cutter.

Clip-Back or Clip-On Earrings designed for non-pierced ears. Works like a hinge to secure the earring to the earlobe.

Cluster setting -A setting style where, typically, a larger center stone is surrounded by several smaller stones. It is designed to create the appearance of a larger stone from many smaller stones.

Color - Diamonds are graded on a color scale from D (Rarest White) to Z (noticeably Yellow) established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Fancy colors are not included in this color scale and are considered extremely rare. Fancy colors refer to diamonds with hues like pink, blue, green, yellow, and very rarely red.

Comfort Back- A rubber or plastic pad that goes over the clip of a clip earring to cushion the earlobe.

Comfort Fit- A style of ring shank that is typically convex on the inside to prevent build-up of excess moisture against the skin. Most commonly found in better quality wedding bands, anniversary rings, and men's rings.

Crown - This is the upper portion or the top of a diamond.

Culet - The bottom point of the diamond. It may be polished in some stones. Sometimes, a cutter may choose to make the culet a surface instead of a point.

Cultured Pearl -Created through a painstaking process of mimicking the natural pearl process in live mollusks. A pearl is formed as a result of implanting a piece of mantle from a mollusk into another host mollusk.

Cushion cut - A mixed-cut diamond shaped like a square pillow.
Cut refers to the angles and proportions a skilled craftsman creates in transforming a rough diamond into a polished diamond. Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and, disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance, fire, and scintillation. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance, and ultimately value.

D

Dangle (or Drop) Earrings -Any earring that hangs below the earlobe.

Deep cut - When a diamond is cut too deep, it will lose or leak light through the side or, bottom. This results in less brilliance, and will affect its value.

Diamond is the hardest known natural substance. It is crystallized carbon. Diamonds are mined in their rough form and then, cut and polished to reveal their brilliance.

Diamond-Cut - A process where angled cuts are made into gold, giving it a unique appearance.

Diamond-Cut Rope- A style of chain in which a portion of the chain is cut away at an angle, then polished to a high shine.

Diamond Grading Reports - There are many recognized gemological laboratories that can grade your diamond for a fee. The most well known are the GIA, AGS, EGL, HRD, and IGI.
Dispersion is when light enters a diamond it reflects off the facets of the stone. This distribution of light is known as dispersion, or the display of the spectral colors.

E

Earring Back is a disk or bead that fits over an earring post to hold the earring securely in place.

Earring Jacket is an accessory to be worn with a stud as a decorative backdrop.

Electroplating is the process of covering a base metal with a thin film of gold. The base metal is set in a chemical solution that, as an electric current flows through it, coats it with precious metal.

Embossed -A mechanical process done under considerable heat and pressure that permanently imprints a variety of unique grain effects into a surface.

Emerald Cut -A type of cutting style that is usually rectangular, but sometimes square, with rows of step cuts along the edges and at the corners. Step cuts are often found in diamonds.

Enamel Coloring - is opaque, glassy material that is fused onto metal, pottery or glass.

F

Facet is the flat, polished plane that is cut into the surface of a stone, helping to enhance its reflection of light.

Fancy Cut - A diamond cut other than round, such as baguette, emerald, pear, marquise, square, oval, or heart.

Feather is a type of inclusion or flaw within a diamond. It is described often as a small crack or fissure.

Filigree is the name given to the lace-like ornamental work made from intricately arranged, intertwined wires.

Findings are the parts that jewelers use in making jewelry. They can include clasps, hooks, pin backs and earring backs.

Fineness -proportion of pure metal (typically gold) expressed in parts per thousand. For example, 24 karat gold is usually .99 Fine, or .999 Fine

Finish - Describes the exterior of a diamond or colored stone. If a stone is well polished, it has a very good finish.

Fire is a term used that means the same as "dispersion". It is the variety and intensity of rainbow colors seen when light is refracted within a diamond.

Fluorescence - When exposed to ultraviolet light, some diamonds may exhibit a more whitish, yellowish or bluish tint, which may imply that the diamond has a property called "fluorescence". The untrained eye can rarely see the effects of fluorescence. Diamond grading reports often state whether a diamond has fluorescent properties. Fluorescence is not considered a grading factor, only a characteristic of that particular diamond

Fracture Filling is a process that injects a substance into a diamond to hide inclusions.

Freshwater Pearl -An irregularly shaped pearl that has been formed by a mussel living in a lake or river.

G

Gemological Institute of America (GIA) - A nonprofit teaching institute in the grading of diamonds and colored gemstones.

Genuine Pearl -Pearls are the result of an incredible natural process that occurs within an oyster's shell. The process begins with some kind of irritant (perhaps a grain of sand or small parasite) being introduced into the oyster's shell. In response to the invasion, the oyster coats the object with nacre, a smooth, crystalline substance that surrounds the object and forms layers to protect the oyster's inner tissue (called the mantle) from further irritation. The result of this process is the beautifully luminescent gem we know as a pearl.

Girdle - The outer edge of a cut stone, the dividing line between the crown and the pavilion. Sometimes the girdle is polished and sometimes it is unpolished. Ideally the width of the girdle should be even and proportional to the cut of the stone.

Gold-Filled - Jewelry made by joining or bonding (under heat and pressure) layers of a karat gold to a base metal. This "sandwich" is then rolled or drawn to the desired thickness.

Gold Finish - A type of finish that gives jewelry the appearance of gold.

Gold-Plated - Jewelry made by bonding 10-karat or better gold to a base metal. The karat gold content may be less than 1/20, but must be properly identified as a percentage of the total content.

Green Gold is an alloy of gold, silver, zinc and often cadmium.

Growth or grain lines - These can be considered internal flaws, and can often be seen only by rotating the diamond very slowly. They can appear and disappear almost instantaneously. They appear as small lines or planes within the diamond.

H

Hoop Earring is a circular earring made from metal wire or tubing. Variations include the traditional shape as well as hoops with charms and other ornaments hung from the hoop.

I

Inclusion - Internal characteristics apparent to a trained or professional eye at 10x magnification. Inclusions can be bubbles, crystals, carbon spots, feathers, clouds, pinpoints, or other impurities, or even cracks and abrasions. They are sometimes referred to as the "fingerprints" of a diamond.
Ingot is a metal bar or other shape that is used in jewelry making.

Illusion setting - A type of setting with the idea of making the stone appear larger than it really is.

K

Karat or Karatage is an expression of the measurement of gold purity (since gold is in fact a mixture of gold and other metals). Pure gold is 24-Karat (24K), 18-Karat gold is 75% pure, etc.

L

Links - Series of loops that make up a chain.

Loupe - Any small magnifying glass mounted for hand use, to hold up to the eye or attach to a pair of glasses.

Luster is the hue and depth of reflection from pearls, opals, or other opaque stones.

M

Marquise is a shape into which diamonds and other gemstones are cut. It is an oval with tapered, pointed ends.

Mesh or Mesh Style - A chain that is fabric-like and woven of fine wire.

N

O

Pavé Setting is where gemstones are fit into small holes and set almost level with the surface of the ring. They are set in rows, with no metal between them, giving the appearance of the gemstones having been paved (Pavé is French for paved), like a cobblestone road.

Pavilion - The bottom portion of the stone, below the girdle consisting of 22 to 23 facets in a round brilliant cut diamond.

Pear shape is a term used to describe any stone whose girdle outline resembles a pear shape. Typically, pear shaped diamonds have 58 facets.

Pendant is an ornament suspended from a single chain.

Pinpoint is an inclusion within a diamond. A gathering of pinpoints is called a "cluster" or "cloud." A cloud or cluster can appear as a hazy area in the diamond, a pinpoint appears as a dot.

Pierced Earrings are designed for wear in ears that are pierced. A wire or post is inserted through the ear lobe. Clip-Back Earrings are designed for use in ears that are not pierced.
Pink Gold is the name given to an alloy of gold and copper. More commonly referred to as "rose gold".

Point - Each carat in a diamond's weight is divided into 100 parts, called "points." A 1-Carat diamond has 100 points, a ¾ Carat has 75 points, etc. Points in a fraction of one carat are measured within ranges, so that a ¾ Carat diamond may have between .69 and .82 points and still be considered a ¾ carat.

Polish is a process used to make metal smooth and glossy. It also increases shine and eliminates flaws.

Post is a pin-like finding attached to an earring. It passes through the pierced earlobe, and may be held in place by a back.

Precious Stones are rare and costly gems such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

Princess Cut is a cutting style in which diamonds and other gems are cut that is square or rectangular in shape. Princess-cut stones typically have between 57 and 70 facets and varying proportions.

Q

Quartz is a crystalline mineral used for gems, that includes amethyst and rock crystal. It is available in a variety of colors.

R

Radiant Cut refers to a cutting style in which diamonds and other gems are into a square or rectangle that has clipped-off corners. A radiant cut is similar to an Emerald Cut.

Refraction - The bending of light rays as they pass through a diamond or gemstone that sometimes result in the rainbow effect in well-cut diamonds.

Rhodium is a white, metallic element. A Rhodium finish is sometimes applied to gold jewelry to give the effect of white gold.

Ring is a piece of jewelry that is usually worn on the fingers (sometimes toes) and slides on and off.

Ring Guard -A ring that's worn above or in conjunction with another ring to keep it from slipping off the finger.

Rope Chain is a style of chain with a spiral appearance that gives the effect of two thick strands that have been woven together.

Rose Gold is the name given to an alloy of gold and copper. Sometimes referred to as "pink gold".

Rough is uncut diamonds or gemstones.

S

Satin Finish is a type of matte finish made by sandblasting, brushing with a stiff wire brush or chemically altering a shiny metallic surface. A satin finish has a soft, pearl-like luster instead of a bright polish.

Scintillation is when light reflects from a diamond, the sparkling flashes that come from the facets of the gem are known as scintillation.

Screw-Back is a vise-like clamp that holds a non-pierced earring on the ear by a screw that can be tightened against the earlobe.

Semi-Precious Stones are naturally occurring stones that include amethyst, aventurine, carnelian, garnet, opal and rose quartzes.

Shallow cut is a diamond that is cut too shallow or thin. It will lose or leak light through the side or bottom. This results in less brilliance and value.

Shape is the form or appearance of a diamond. These are commonly round, triangular, square, marquise, pear, oval or heart-shaped.

Solitaire is single diamond or stone set by itself in mounting.

Step cut is a cutting technique with rows of facets that resemble the steps of a staircase. The emerald cut and the baguette are examples of the step cut.


Symmetry is the arrangement of the facets and finished angles created by the diamond cutter. Excellent symmetry of a well-cut and well-proportioned diamond can have a great effect on the diamond's brilliance and fire. Grading reports will often state the diamond's symmetry in terms Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, or Poor.

T

Table is the top surface of a cut diamond or gemstone.

Tension setting is a setting where a diamond is held in place by the pressure of the band's metal, which is designed to "squeeze" the stone.

Trillion shape is a triangular-shaped diamond most often with 50 facets. Trillions are commonly used as side-stones.

W

Well cut proportions ensure the maximum fire and brilliance. When light enters a properly cut diamond, it is reflected from facet to facet, and then back up through the top, exhibiting maximum brilliance (reflection), fire (dispersion) and sparkle (scintillation).