Jewellery Glossary

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Alloy:	Metals that are added to gold to provide strength and color variety, e.g., copper added to gold produces a “rose-gold” used widely in Victorian era.
Anniversary Band:	Traditional gift from husband to wife marking an anniversary or a special expression of love. Stones set across the band in groups of three or more are standard.
Band Detailing:	Engraved – Decorating metal by cutting lines into the surface with a sharp graver. Milgrain – A band of metal that is decorated with tiny beads of metal.
Bracelet Types:	Bangle – A rigid or inflexible bracelet, either solid or hinged to open with a clasp. Cuff – A wide, solid bracelet usually with minimal decoration. Charm- links with small mementos attached by “jump” rings; American tradition of filling the bracelet with tiny memories has never gone out of style. “Charms” refers to the little molded, engraved or stone-set pieces making up the jingle of the bracelet. Line – A full length of single row diamonds forming a bracelet. Omega – A solid looking chain with close fitting rectangular links. ‘S’ Tennis – A tennis bracelet with “S” shaped links between each diamond creating a flexible bracelet. Tennis – A flexible in line diamond bracelet.
Bridal Set:	The traditional set of two rings that fit together- the engagement ring and the wedding band. A Trio Set is three rings in a matched set, an engagement and wedding band for the bride and coordinating wedding band for the groom.
CTR – Center:	The weight of the center or focal point stone in a piece of jewelry containing more than one stone.
Cabochon:	A cutting style that produces a convex surface with no reflecting facets, the stone has the shape of a dome. Used on opaque or semi-opaque stones.
Calibrated:	A gemstone whose dimensions are a standard (mm) size and are cut to fit ready made jewelry findings or pieces.
Cameo:	A raised or bas-relief carving on gem materials; most usually seen on shells.
Carat weight (ct) or carat total weight (ctw):	The weight used in the gem trade since antiquity. Since 1907, Europe and America has adopted the metric carat of 200mg or 0.2g. (Weights given to famous old diamonds often vary because metric measure was not used). Small diamonds are weighed in “points” =1/100cts (=0.01cts.) One full carat 100 points = 1/5 gram (or .2gr.) 3.0 carat total weight refers to the cumulative weight or carats of all stones in the piece of jewelry.
Cathedral Mounting:	High profile ring setting that arches when seen from the side.
Chain styles	Omega – Links in the shape of the Greek letter Rope – twisted strands woven to resemble rope. Snake – A metal chain made up of a series of small linked cups with curved joints to suggest snakeskin Box Chain - A chain with links resembling small overlapping boxes.
Center Gemstone Stone Shape:	Baguette – A simple, rectangular step-cut, primarily in diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. Bead - A drilled stone designed to be strung. Briolette – A tear-drop shaped stone with facets all around. This type of stone makes a nice pendant or earrings. Cushion – Indicates a rectangular shape. Emerald – Stone cut into a rectangular or square shape, with rectangular facets arranged in rows that look like flights of stairs. Heart – A stone cut into the shape of a heart. Marquise – A fancy gemstone cut; long, and pointed at both ends. Multi-Stone – A piece of jewelry with several stones grouped together creating the illusion of one large center stone. Oval – An elongated circle. Pear – A teardrop shaped stone. Princess – A square cut stone or rectangular with triangular and kite shaped facets. Radiant – A stone cut into a rectangular shape with the corners clipped unlike a princess cut which has pointed corners. Round - This shape gives maximum brilliance from most diamond crystals. Trillion – A stone cut into a triangle.
Center Setting Style:	Baguette – A simple, rectangular cut primarily in diamonds, sapphires and rubies. Bar – A setting style where each setting is held in by a bar, shared between each stone. Basket – A fancy setting of various shapes with numerous side piercing that provide a basket work or a lacy appearance. Bezel – A style setting in which the girdle of the stones is completely encircled by ad set flush with the metal. Channel – Low metal setting holding gemstones on 2 sides only. Half Bezel – A type of setting in which the girdle of the stones is partially encircled on two sides and set flush with the metal. Multi-Stone – A piece of jewelry with several stones grouped together creating the illusion of one large stone. Prong – A setting consisting of a series of prongs or claws to hold a stone. Such settings usually consist of 4 or 6 prongs. Tension – Opposite ends of a setting hold a stone by the force of tension, making it appear it is floating. Tiffany – This high prong setting is most common today.
Chevron Style:	A “V” shaped design seen primarily in rings and necklaces.
Chatoyancy:	An effect which resembles the slit eye of a cat caused by reflection of light by parallel fibers, needles or channels in the stone. Most effective in a cabochon cut. Most common is of chrysoberyl.
Choker:	A necklace designed to be worn up closely to the neck. Normally 16″ in length or shorter, depending on neck size.
Clasp styles:	Barrel Clasp : a round or oval solid body fastener which resembles a barrel. The two ends screw into each other. Box clasp : A type of bracelet or necklace clasp in which the female end is a box and the male end is designed to fix inside the box. Lobster clasp : fastener than resembles the claws of a lobster and opens and closes in a pincer movement. Safety clasp : a secondary closure (usually on a necklace or bracelet) that prevents the loss of the jewelry in case the primary clasp opens. Toggle : a jewelry fastener in which a bar can be inserted into a ring to fasten two sides of a piece of jewelry usually the two ends of a bracelet or necklace.
Cluster :	A group of closely set stones.
Cocktail Ring :	A ring of three-dimensional design, usually combining small diamonds with other gemstones on varying levels for maximum reflective possibility.
Color-Enhanced :	Any treatment process that enhances or changes the color of a gemstone. This may include heat-treating, irradiation, dying, bleaching, oiling, to name a few.
Comfort Fit:	The inside shank of a ring that is slightly rounded (convex) to provide a more comfortable fit.
Culet:	A small facet placed at the bottom of the pavilion of a gem.
Cultured Pearl:	A pearl resulting from man inserting a bead into a mollusk, which covers it with a coating called nacre. Almost all pearls are harvested in this manner today.
Diamond Rough:	A diamond still in its natural state, before faceting or polishing.
Diamond-Cut:	Besides referring to a diamond’s cut (see diamond above) this tern also refers to a process in which gold is “diamond-cut” or faceted to make it “sparkle.”
Dispersion:	The multi-colored flashes of light from a well cut diamond. It gives gems their internal fire.
Doublet:	Two gemstones cemented together for durability or enhanced visual appeal, such as opal and black onyx. Doublets are created in several ways and use many combinations. Upper and lower parts of natural gemstone have colored glue between them: or the upper part is gemstone and the lower part is colored glass. Where the doublet has a thin top layer of harder stone for the protection of the surface, it becomes a triplet.
Earring Back Design:	Hinged Hoops – Hoop earrings which are hinged usually at the bottom, to open for ease of putting on and taking off. Lever Back – A type of earring mounting that allows the gemstone to dangle from the earlobes. Omega Back – Hinged back for hoop earrings, in the shape of the Greek letter omega. Screw Back – A pierced earring post with grooves cut into in so that the back may be screwed on. Friction posts – Earring base requiring applied tension to release the back from the post
Earring Design:	Chandelier – “party” earring with many dangling layers. Made famous of late by celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez. Dangles – Earrings that “dangle” off the ear. Hoops – Earrings designed in a rounded loop from the front to back of the earlobe. J-Hoops – Half hoop earrings that resemble the letter “J”; does not completely encircle the ear lobe Jackets – A piece of jewelry that fits around another piece; earring jackets are used to “dress” a plain workday stud. They can be almost any   design and stone, i.e. pearls (and or diamonds) to encircle a plain gold stud; a dangling piece with movement– to go dancing after work, etc. Stud – A small, often round earring made for a pierced ear.
Eye Loupe:	A hand-held magnifying lens used to examine gems. Usually 10x magnification, but can be higher.
Facet:	A flat, polished surface cut into a stone.
Fancy Color Diamond:	See diamond Color. The “fancy diamonds” are more highly saturated colors of the natural stone–even browns and yellows. A diamond that falls outside the usual color range from whites to light yellow and brown are considered “Fancy”.
Findings:	Pre-manufactured small parts of jewelry such as settings, clasps, jump rings, etc…
Flaw:	In terms, an imperfection ( flaw) which is visible at 10x magnification.
Four Cs:	Phrase coined to describe the 4 quality and value considerations of a diamond: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Scroll down to diamond or…
Freshwater Cultured Pearl:	These pearls are formed in mussels living in freshwater lakes or rivers. Mantle tissue from a mussel is inserted into the mussel rather than a shell bead. Freshwaters are less expensive than their salt-water cousins; they are known for their out-of-round charming shapes, and range of colors at   a good price.
Gemstone Types:	Alexandrite – A very rare stone noted for its color changing abilities. Known since pre-history, it was named for Czar Alexander II . It is chrysoberyl and rates an 8 ? on the Mohs’ Hardness scale. Colors are greenish outdoors, and reddish to violet under artificial light. There are Alexandrite cat’s eyes in existence but of even greater rarity. Alexandrite is one of the birthstones for June. Amethyst – A silicon dioxide –quartz gemstone, rating 7 on the Mohs’ hardness scale. Ranging in color from clear purple to bluish violet. Birthstone for February. Legendary powers: brings luck, ensures constancy, protects against magic. Aquamarine - Belongs to the beryl group, as does emerald and beryl. Mohs’ hardness is 7 ? -8. The name translates to “water of the sea” because of the usual color. Semi-precious porous stone ranging in color from light blue to sea green. Increasingly rare, the “synthetic” aquamarine is synthetic spinel, and the color is richer than many natural stones. Birthstone for March. Black Star Sapphire – A cabochon cut black sapphire with a 6 ray star. These stones are always heat treated to improve their color. Blue Star Sapphire Mohs’ Hardness of 9. The mineral is corundum. A cabochon cut blue sapphire displaying a 3 ray, 6 point star. Blue Topaz – A topaz ranging in color from pale blue to bright blue. Most blue topaz is irradiated & heat treated to produce their blue color. Birthstone for December. Cats Eye – Chatoyancy is a phenomenon seen in various gems when they are cabochon cut, resulting in a bright single line down the center. Ceylon Sapphire – These deep royal blue sapphires from Sri Lanka, formally Ceylon, are the finest in the world. Citrine – A semi-precious quartz gemstone, ranging in color from a light yellow to a brilliant orange. Birthstone for Diamond – ( See above )A very valued gem composed of pure carbon, the hardest of all known natural substances. Birthstone for April. Emerald – Belongs to the beryl group. One of the most valuable gems, ranging in color from green to bluish-green. The green pigment is chrome, and is incomparable in the gem world. Known for it’s “inclusions” which are not necessarily known as faults, since they are evidence of the genuineness of the stone. Experts refer to these as the emerald’s “jardin” –garden. Birthstone for May. Garnet – A group of semi-precious stones ranging in all colors but blue. Most commonly a deep red. Name comes from Latin for grain, because of   the rounded shape of the crystals. Garnet is understood to mean pyrope and almandine, 7-71/2 on the Hardness scale. Birthstone for January. Iolite – A transparent, violet blue, light or yellow gray mineral. Also know as the water sapphire. 7-71/2 on the Mohs’ scale. But difficult to cut. Mother of Pearl – The material obtained from the inside of the shell of a certain large mollusk. Onyx – A quartz mineral (chalcedony) that is usually black. 61/2-7 on the Mohs’ hardness scale. Ancient talisman against depression. Opal – Some of the most stunning of the semi-precious stones; luminous and iridescent, frequently with inclusions of many colors. Opals always contain water, and over generations the stone can lose water. Store in moist absorbent cotton to prevent this. Care must be taken with setting. Too much heat evaporates the water. Birthstone for October. Peridot – Formerly called “chrysolite” , it is a yellow-green semi-precious stone. Also called olivine. 6-71/2 on the Hardness scale. In Middle Ages used for ecclesiastical purposes. It can burst under great stress and is usually metal foiled. Birthstone for August. Rhodolite: A member of the garnet pyrope group 4-5 on the Mohs’. Mistakenly called “cape ruby”. Color range from rose-red or pale violet. Ruby – a corundum with the Mohs’ rating of 9, making it the hardest mineral after diamond. Ruby has no cleavage but has preferred directions of parting. Inclusions are common and not an indication of lower quality. Some rubies when cut en cabochon give a cat’s eye or the very desirable asterism-a 6 rayed star which moves over the surface when stone is moved. Color ranges from deep red to pink and into brown hues. Corundum unsuitable for jewelry is used as a cutting and polishing medium. Rubies are one of the most expensive gemstones. Birthstone for the month of July. Sapphire – a corundum with the Mohs’ rating of 9, making it almost as hard as diamond. Today corundums in all colors except red (which are rubies) are called sapphires. There is really no definite demarcation between ruby and sapphire. Also found with the rutile needles making a cats’ eye or marvelous 6 rayed star when cut en cabochon. Most popular as a blue stone, and the most desired are Kashmir sapphires, although they now come from Burma. Birthstone for September. Spinels- magnesium aluminum oxide with a rating of 8 on the Mohs’ scale. They occur in all colors, the favorite being a ruby-like red. Star spinels are very rare. It was only recognized as an individual mineral 150 years ago, before that is was thought to be ruby, because it also occurs with it. Some well-known rubies are truly spinels. Tanzanite – First found in Tanzania East Africa and named for that country by Tiffany & Co.. Mineralogists refer to it as blue zoisite. 61/2 -7 on the Hardness scale. Gorgeous color enhanced by heating. A valuable transparent blue-purple stone, and cat’s eyes are also found. Topaz – in antiquity all yellow and brown gemstones were called topaz. The colored topaz stones are rarely vivid in hue. Hardness is 8, but it’s not without danger of cleavage. It has a wide color range, the most valuable of which is pink., sometimes referred to as Imperial Topaz.. Birthstone for November. Tourmaline – 7-71/2 on the Mohs’ scale. No gemstone has such richness in color variation. There are several varieties: Achroite–nearly colorless -rare; rubellite -pink to red, sometimes with a violet tint. Dravite-yellow brown to dark brown; verdelite-green in all shades; Indigolite-blue inall shades; Siberite-lolac to violet blue; schorl-black, very common. Rarely used for jewelry. One color tourmalines are rare. Most crystals have various shades. The pink to reddish color tourmaline is one of the birthstones for October.
Girdle:	The widest part of a cut gem, where the crown and pavilion facets meet. On better diamonds, such as our AGS-certified Ideal Cut diamonds, a laser ID is placed on the girdle.
Gold Plate:	A base metal that is electro-plated with gold or an alloy of gold. Also known as gold flash, gold finish, or gold tone.
Gold-Filled:	A layer of gold adhered or bonded to metal. The weight of gold must be 1/20 of the total weight or better and must be 10kt or better.
Guard Ring:	Ring or rings worn on each side of a solitaire, also sometimes fastened together at the bottom.
Hardness:	Refers to one mineral’s ability to scratch another. Hardness is measured on a scale called the Mohs’ scale of hardness. This scale ranges from 10 (diamond) to 1 (talc), with 10 being the hardest. A diamond is hard enough to scratch any other mineral and talc is so soft it can be scratched   with a fingernail. Although popular opinion says the non-professional’s method of testing for a diamond is ability to scratch glass, any mineral from a 7 through 10 can do the same.
Imitation:	Constructed to look like the genuine article whether it be gem or metal, but lacking the crystal structure and chemical composition.
Insert:	This is a trade reference to a double ring , sometimes ornamented with gems, with a space between to accommodate another ring in its center. Most often used as guard rings for a valuable center gemstone ring.
Ivory:	Originally referring only to elephants’ tusks, it is now recognized as the teeth of hippopotamus, narwhal, sea lion, wild boar and fossilized mammoth. Endangered species are hunted for their ivory, and the United States will not allow importation or sales. But sea lion teeth are used for good quality ivory carving now. Very soft, a 2-3 on the Mohs’ scale. Calcium phosphate in composition.
Loupe:	A small magnifying lens used to view diamond and jewelry, usually 10x magnification.
Mandrel:	Tapered, cylindrical metal device with measurement marks used at a jewelry store to measure a ring’s size.
Melee:	Small stones less than 1/4 ct in weight.
Metal Color:	The following are the resulting colors when mixing or alloying : Yellow Gold – Gold that has been alloyed with a mix of 50% copper and 50% silver. White Gold – Usually an alloy of yellow gold, copper, nickel, and zinc that results in a white colored metal. Since this is yellow gold alloyed to appear “white” it has a slightly yellowish tint until it is plated with rhodium, which gives it a bright white finish. Two-Tone – A piece of jewelry using both white and yellow metals. Rose Gold – Gold that has been alloyed with a mix of 90% copper and 10% silver producing a gold with a pink tinge.
Mixed Cut:	This style is a combination of the brilliant and step facets. Many mixed cuts have step faceting on the crown and brilliant faceting on the pavilion, however this is sometimes reversed. The two types of facets can be combined on the crown, pavilion or both. To learn more about the characteristics of a diamond, go to the diamond buying guide.
Moh’s Scale:	The usual scale of hardness used in the jewelry industry, introduced by F. Mohs.
Moonstone:	A feldspar named after the blue-white sheen inherent, which can also produce moonstone cats’ eye. 6-6 1/2 on the hardness scale. Cut in cabochon, always.
Mother’s Ring:	Ring set with the birthstone of each child or grandchild, usually a straight line, but increasingly in cluster settings. Worn by mothers and grandmothers.
Mounting Design:	Bypass shank – A ring design in which the two sides of the band do not meet in a straight line, but “bypass” one another. Straight – A style of mounting where the two sides of the shank are straight across from one another at the top.
Mounting Finish:	Florentine – An etched metal finish, similar to satin but with a noticeably deeper etching in the gold. Polished – Most popular finish on gold, giving it a smooth finish and a bright shine. Satin – A widely used finish on gold, achieved by dulling he surface to create a silk like luster instead of a shiny surface.
Natural Pearl:	A natural pearl results from nature inserting an irritant into a mollusk and the mollusk secreting a natural coating which covers it. These are very rare and nearly impossible to find today. Most are cultured pearls, invoked by man-made introduction into the mollusk and cultivated over time.
Necklace Lengths and terms :	Princess Length – An 18″ strand of pearls Matinee Length – A 20″ – 24″ strand of pearls Opera Length – 28″ – 30″ strand of pearls Graduated Multiples – Several chain lengths in one necklace
Pavilion:	The lower part of a cut gemstone, below the girdle.
Pearl Shape:	Baroque - An irregular-shaped pearl . Mobe – A large one-sided cultured pearl which has formed on the concave shell of the oyster and is flat on one side. Off Round – Any pearl that is not “round,” but has a slightly irregular shape. Round – A perfectly round pearl.
Pearl Size:	Seed Pearl – Very small, very round pearls often less than 2mm in diameter.
Point:	Unit of weight. 1 point is equivalent to 0.01 (1/100) carats.
Post:	The metal stem of a pierced earring, increasingly in stainless steel, for nickel metal allergy sufferers.
Precious Stones:	An obsolete term which generally is used to refer to diamond, emerald, sapphire, or ruby.
Prong:	A narrow piece of metal that is folded over the girdle of a stone to secure it in a setting.
Proportion:	The relationship between the diamond’s angles and parts. Refers to facet angles and the relationship between the crown (portion above the girdle) and pavilion (portion below the girdle).
Refractive Index:	A measure of how light is bent as it enters and exits a gemstone. Each mineral has a refractive index, and that serves as an identifier. The amount of refraction in crystals is constant in the various types of gems.
Rhodium:	A white metallic element of the platinum group that is harder, whiter, and more reflective than platinum. It is widely used for plating.
Semi-precious Stones:	An obsolete term used to describe gemstones which are not diamond, emerald, sapphire, or ruby. These terms are misleading as many “semi-precious” gemstones are extremely valuable, and rarer than precious stones. Some “precious” gemstones are of such poor quality that their value is very low.
Shank:	The part of a ring which encircles the finger and to which the setting for stones is attached.
Solder:	Pronounced /saw-der/, a metal alloy used when joining two metal surfaces.
Synthetic:	A manmade substitute stone which has the same chemical, physical and optical qualities as its naturally occurring counterpart. Synonymous with lab-created gemstones. Many are extremely valuable.
Table:	The largest facet at the top of the crown of a gemstone. It is generally parallel to the girdle.
Total Gem Weight:	The combined carat weight of all the diamonds or colored gems in a piece of jewelry; the main pricing point for a piece. Abbreviated as TW.

Alloy:	Metals that are added to gold to provide strength and color variety, e.g., copper added to gold produces a “rose-gold” used widely in Victorian era.
Anniversary Band:	Traditional gift from husband to wife marking an anniversary or a special expression of love. Stones set across the band in groups of three or more are standard.
Band Detailing:	Engraved – Decorating metal by cutting lines into the surface with a sharp graver. Milgrain – A band of metal that is decorated with tiny beads of metal.
Bracelet Types:	Bangle – A rigid or inflexible bracelet, either solid or hinged to open with a clasp. Cuff – A wide, solid bracelet usually with minimal decoration. Charm- links with small mementos attached by “jump” rings; American tradition of filling the bracelet with tiny memories has never gone out of style. “Charms” refers to the little molded, engraved or stone-set pieces making up the jingle of the bracelet. Line – A full length of single row diamonds forming a bracelet. Omega – A solid looking chain with close fitting rectangular links. ‘S’ Tennis – A tennis bracelet with “S” shaped links between each diamond creating a flexible bracelet. Tennis – A flexible in line diamond bracelet.
Bridal Set:	The traditional set of two rings that fit together- the engagement ring and the wedding band. A Trio Set is three rings in a matched set, an engagement and wedding band for the bride and coordinating wedding band for the groom.
CTR – Center:	The weight of the center or focal point stone in a piece of jewelry containing more than one stone.
Cabochon:	A cutting style that produces a convex surface with no reflecting facets, the stone has the shape of a dome. Used on opaque or semi-opaque stones.
Calibrated:	A gemstone whose dimensions are a standard (mm) size and are cut to fit ready made jewelry findings or pieces.
Cameo:	A raised or bas-relief carving on gem materials; most usually seen on shells.
Carat weight (ct) or carat total weight (ctw):	The weight used in the gem trade since antiquity. Since 1907, Europe and America has adopted the metric carat of 200mg or 0.2g. (Weights given to famous old diamonds often vary because metric measure was not used). Small diamonds are weighed in “points” =1/100cts (=0.01cts.) One full carat 100 points = 1/5 gram (or .2gr.) 3.0 carat total weight refers to the cumulative weight or carats of all stones in the piece of jewelry.
Cathedral Mounting:	High profile ring setting that arches when seen from the side.
Chain styles	Omega – Links in the shape of the Greek letter Rope – twisted strands woven to resemble rope. Snake – A metal chain made up of a series of small linked cups with curved joints to suggest snakeskin Box Chain - A chain with links resembling small overlapping boxes.
Center Gemstone Stone Shape:	Baguette – A simple, rectangular step-cut, primarily in diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. Bead - A drilled stone designed to be strung. Briolette – A tear-drop shaped stone with facets all around. This type of stone makes a nice pendant or earrings. Cushion – Indicates a rectangular shape. Emerald – Stone cut into a rectangular or square shape, with rectangular facets arranged in rows that look like flights of stairs. Heart – A stone cut into the shape of a heart. Marquise – A fancy gemstone cut; long, and pointed at both ends. Multi-Stone – A piece of jewelry with several stones grouped together creating the illusion of one large center stone. Oval – An elongated circle. Pear – A teardrop shaped stone. Princess – A square cut stone or rectangular with triangular and kite shaped facets. Radiant – A stone cut into a rectangular shape with the corners clipped unlike a princess cut which has pointed corners. Round - This shape gives maximum brilliance from most diamond crystals. Trillion – A stone cut into a triangle.
Center Setting Style:	Baguette – A simple, rectangular cut primarily in diamonds, sapphires and rubies. Bar – A setting style where each setting is held in by a bar, shared between each stone. Basket – A fancy setting of various shapes with numerous side piercing that provide a basket work or a lacy appearance. Bezel – A style setting in which the girdle of the stones is completely encircled by ad set flush with the metal. Channel – Low metal setting holding gemstones on 2 sides only. Half Bezel – A type of setting in which the girdle of the stones is partially encircled on two sides and set flush with the metal. Multi-Stone – A piece of jewelry with several stones grouped together creating the illusion of one large stone. Prong – A setting consisting of a series of prongs or claws to hold a stone. Such settings usually consist of 4 or 6 prongs. Tension – Opposite ends of a setting hold a stone by the force of tension, making it appear it is floating. Tiffany – This high prong setting is most common today.
Chevron Style:	A “V” shaped design seen primarily in rings and necklaces.
Chatoyancy:	An effect which resembles the slit eye of a cat caused by reflection of light by parallel fibers, needles or channels in the stone. Most effective in a cabochon cut. Most common is of chrysoberyl.
Choker:	A necklace designed to be worn up closely to the neck. Normally 16″ in length or shorter, depending on neck size.
Clasp styles:	Barrel Clasp : a round or oval solid body fastener which resembles a barrel. The two ends screw into each other. Box clasp : A type of bracelet or necklace clasp in which the female end is a box and the male end is designed to fix inside the box. Lobster clasp : fastener than resembles the claws of a lobster and opens and closes in a pincer movement. Safety clasp : a secondary closure (usually on a necklace or bracelet) that prevents the loss of the jewelry in case the primary clasp opens. Toggle : a jewelry fastener in which a bar can be inserted into a ring to fasten two sides of a piece of jewelry usually the two ends of a bracelet or necklace.
Cluster :	A group of closely set stones.
Cocktail Ring :	A ring of three-dimensional design, usually combining small diamonds with other gemstones on varying levels for maximum reflective possibility.
Color-Enhanced :	Any treatment process that enhances or changes the color of a gemstone. This may include heat-treating, irradiation, dying, bleaching, oiling, to name a few.
Comfort Fit:	The inside shank of a ring that is slightly rounded (convex) to provide a more comfortable fit.
Culet:	A small facet placed at the bottom of the pavilion of a gem.
Cultured Pearl:	A pearl resulting from man inserting a bead into a mollusk, which covers it with a coating called nacre. Almost all pearls are harvested in this manner today.
Diamond Rough:	A diamond still in its natural state, before faceting or polishing.
Diamond-Cut:	Besides referring to a diamond’s cut (see diamond above) this tern also refers to a process in which gold is “diamond-cut” or faceted to make it “sparkle.”
Dispersion:	The multi-colored flashes of light from a well cut diamond. It gives gems their internal fire.
Doublet:	Two gemstones cemented together for durability or enhanced visual appeal, such as opal and black onyx. Doublets are created in several ways and use many combinations. Upper and lower parts of natural gemstone have colored glue between them: or the upper part is gemstone and the lower part is colored glass. Where the doublet has a thin top layer of harder stone for the protection of the surface, it becomes a triplet.
Earring Back Design:	Hinged Hoops – Hoop earrings which are hinged usually at the bottom, to open for ease of putting on and taking off. Lever Back – A type of earring mounting that allows the gemstone to dangle from the earlobes. Omega Back – Hinged back for hoop earrings, in the shape of the Greek letter omega. Screw Back – A pierced earring post with grooves cut into in so that the back may be screwed on. Friction posts – Earring base requiring applied tension to release the back from the post
Earring Design:	Chandelier – “party” earring with many dangling layers. Made famous of late by celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez. Dangles – Earrings that “dangle” off the ear. Hoops – Earrings designed in a rounded loop from the front to back of the earlobe. J-Hoops – Half hoop earrings that resemble the letter “J”; does not completely encircle the ear lobe Jackets – A piece of jewelry that fits around another piece; earring jackets are used to “dress” a plain workday stud. They can be almost any   design and stone, i.e. pearls (and or diamonds) to encircle a plain gold stud; a dangling piece with movement– to go dancing after work, etc. Stud – A small, often round earring made for a pierced ear.
Eye Loupe:	A hand-held magnifying lens used to examine gems. Usually 10x magnification, but can be higher.
Facet:	A flat, polished surface cut into a stone.
Fancy Color Diamond:	See diamond Color. The “fancy diamonds” are more highly saturated colors of the natural stone–even browns and yellows. A diamond that falls outside the usual color range from whites to light yellow and brown are considered “Fancy”.
Findings:	Pre-manufactured small parts of jewelry such as settings, clasps, jump rings, etc…
Flaw:	In terms, an imperfection ( flaw) which is visible at 10x magnification.
Four Cs:	Phrase coined to describe the 4 quality and value considerations of a diamond: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Scroll down to diamond or…
Freshwater Cultured Pearl:	These pearls are formed in mussels living in freshwater lakes or rivers. Mantle tissue from a mussel is inserted into the mussel rather than a shell bead. Freshwaters are less expensive than their salt-water cousins; they are known for their out-of-round charming shapes, and range of colors at   a good price.
Gemstone Types:	Alexandrite – A very rare stone noted for its color changing abilities. Known since pre-history, it was named for Czar Alexander II . It is chrysoberyl and rates an 8 ? on the Mohs’ Hardness scale. Colors are greenish outdoors, and reddish to violet under artificial light. There are Alexandrite cat’s eyes in existence but of even greater rarity. Alexandrite is one of the birthstones for June. Amethyst – A silicon dioxide –quartz gemstone, rating 7 on the Mohs’ hardness scale. Ranging in color from clear purple to bluish violet. Birthstone for February. Legendary powers: brings luck, ensures constancy, protects against magic. Aquamarine - Belongs to the beryl group, as does emerald and beryl. Mohs’ hardness is 7 ? -8. The name translates to “water of the sea” because of the usual color. Semi-precious porous stone ranging in color from light blue to sea green. Increasingly rare, the “synthetic” aquamarine is synthetic spinel, and the color is richer than many natural stones. Birthstone for March. Black Star Sapphire – A cabochon cut black sapphire with a 6 ray star. These stones are always heat treated to improve their color. Blue Star Sapphire Mohs’ Hardness of 9. The mineral is corundum. A cabochon cut blue sapphire displaying a 3 ray, 6 point star. Blue Topaz – A topaz ranging in color from pale blue to bright blue. Most blue topaz is irradiated & heat treated to produce their blue color. Birthstone for December. Cats Eye – Chatoyancy is a phenomenon seen in various gems when they are cabochon cut, resulting in a bright single line down the center. Ceylon Sapphire – These deep royal blue sapphires from Sri Lanka, formally Ceylon, are the finest in the world. Citrine – A semi-precious quartz gemstone, ranging in color from a light yellow to a brilliant orange. Birthstone for Diamond – ( See above )A very valued gem composed of pure carbon, the hardest of all known natural substances. Birthstone for April. Emerald – Belongs to the beryl group. One of the most valuable gems, ranging in color from green to bluish-green. The green pigment is chrome, and is incomparable in the gem world. Known for it’s “inclusions” which are not necessarily known as faults, since they are evidence of the genuineness of the stone. Experts refer to these as the emerald’s “jardin” –garden. Birthstone for May. Garnet – A group of semi-precious stones ranging in all colors but blue. Most commonly a deep red. Name comes from Latin for grain, because of   the rounded shape of the crystals. Garnet is understood to mean pyrope and almandine, 7-71/2 on the Hardness scale. Birthstone for January. Iolite – A transparent, violet blue, light or yellow gray mineral. Also know as the water sapphire. 7-71/2 on the Mohs’ scale. But difficult to cut. Mother of Pearl – The material obtained from the inside of the shell of a certain large mollusk. Onyx – A quartz mineral (chalcedony) that is usually black. 61/2-7 on the Mohs’ hardness scale. Ancient talisman against depression. Opal – Some of the most stunning of the semi-precious stones; luminous and iridescent, frequently with inclusions of many colors. Opals always contain water, and over generations the stone can lose water. Store in moist absorbent cotton to prevent this. Care must be taken with setting. Too much heat evaporates the water. Birthstone for October. Peridot – Formerly called “chrysolite” , it is a yellow-green semi-precious stone. Also called olivine. 6-71/2 on the Hardness scale. In Middle Ages used for ecclesiastical purposes. It can burst under great stress and is usually metal foiled. Birthstone for August. Rhodolite: A member of the garnet pyrope group 4-5 on the Mohs’. Mistakenly called “cape ruby”. Color range from rose-red or pale violet. Ruby – a corundum with the Mohs’ rating of 9, making it the hardest mineral after diamond. Ruby has no cleavage but has preferred directions of parting. Inclusions are common and not an indication of lower quality. Some rubies when cut en cabochon give a cat’s eye or the very desirable asterism-a 6 rayed star which moves over the surface when stone is moved. Color ranges from deep red to pink and into brown hues. Corundum unsuitable for jewelry is used as a cutting and polishing medium. Rubies are one of the most expensive gemstones. Birthstone for the month of July. Sapphire – a corundum with the Mohs’ rating of 9, making it almost as hard as diamond. Today corundums in all colors except red (which are rubies) are called sapphires. There is really no definite demarcation between ruby and sapphire. Also found with the rutile needles making a cats’ eye or marvelous 6 rayed star when cut en cabochon. Most popular as a blue stone, and the most desired are Kashmir sapphires, although they now come from Burma. Birthstone for September. Spinels- magnesium aluminum oxide with a rating of 8 on the Mohs’ scale. They occur in all colors, the favorite being a ruby-like red. Star spinels are very rare. It was only recognized as an individual mineral 150 years ago, before that is was thought to be ruby, because it also occurs with it. Some well-known rubies are truly spinels. Tanzanite – First found in Tanzania East Africa and named for that country by Tiffany & Co.. Mineralogists refer to it as blue zoisite. 61/2 -7 on the Hardness scale. Gorgeous color enhanced by heating. A valuable transparent blue-purple stone, and cat’s eyes are also found. Topaz – in antiquity all yellow and brown gemstones were called topaz. The colored topaz stones are rarely vivid in hue. Hardness is 8, but it’s not without danger of cleavage. It has a wide color range, the most valuable of which is pink., sometimes referred to as Imperial Topaz.. Birthstone for November. Tourmaline – 7-71/2 on the Mohs’ scale. No gemstone has such richness in color variation. There are several varieties: Achroite–nearly colorless -rare; rubellite -pink to red, sometimes with a violet tint. Dravite-yellow brown to dark brown; verdelite-green in all shades; Indigolite-blue inall shades; Siberite-lolac to violet blue; schorl-black, very common. Rarely used for jewelry. One color tourmalines are rare. Most crystals have various shades. The pink to reddish color tourmaline is one of the birthstones for October.
Girdle:	The widest part of a cut gem, where the crown and pavilion facets meet. On better diamonds, such as our AGS-certified Ideal Cut diamonds, a laser ID is placed on the girdle.
Gold Plate:	A base metal that is electro-plated with gold or an alloy of gold. Also known as gold flash, gold finish, or gold tone.
Gold-Filled:	A layer of gold adhered or bonded to metal. The weight of gold must be 1/20 of the total weight or better and must be 10kt or better.
Guard Ring:	Ring or rings worn on each side of a solitaire, also sometimes fastened together at the bottom.
Hardness:	Refers to one mineral’s ability to scratch another. Hardness is measured on a scale called the Mohs’ scale of hardness. This scale ranges from 10 (diamond) to 1 (talc), with 10 being the hardest. A diamond is hard enough to scratch any other mineral and talc is so soft it can be scratched   with a fingernail. Although popular opinion says the non-professional’s method of testing for a diamond is ability to scratch glass, any mineral from a 7 through 10 can do the same.
Imitation:	Constructed to look like the genuine article whether it be gem or metal, but lacking the crystal structure and chemical composition.
Insert:	This is a trade reference to a double ring , sometimes ornamented with gems, with a space between to accommodate another ring in its center. Most often used as guard rings for a valuable center gemstone ring.
Ivory:	Originally referring only to elephants’ tusks, it is now recognized as the teeth of hippopotamus, narwhal, sea lion, wild boar and fossilized mammoth. Endangered species are hunted for their ivory, and the United States will not allow importation or sales. But sea lion teeth are used for good quality ivory carving now. Very soft, a 2-3 on the Mohs’ scale. Calcium phosphate in composition.
Loupe:	A small magnifying lens used to view diamond and jewelry, usually 10x magnification.
Mandrel:	Tapered, cylindrical metal device with measurement marks used at a jewelry store to measure a ring’s size.
Melee:	Small stones less than 1/4 ct in weight.
Metal Color:	The following are the resulting colors when mixing or alloying : Yellow Gold – Gold that has been alloyed with a mix of 50% copper and 50% silver. White Gold – Usually an alloy of yellow gold, copper, nickel, and zinc that results in a white colored metal. Since this is yellow gold alloyed to appear “white” it has a slightly yellowish tint until it is plated with rhodium, which gives it a bright white finish. Two-Tone – A piece of jewelry using both white and yellow metals. Rose Gold – Gold that has been alloyed with a mix of 90% copper and 10% silver producing a gold with a pink tinge.
Mixed Cut:	This style is a combination of the brilliant and step facets. Many mixed cuts have step faceting on the crown and brilliant faceting on the pavilion, however this is sometimes reversed. The two types of facets can be combined on the crown, pavilion or both. To learn more about the characteristics of a diamond, go to the diamond buying guide.
Moh’s Scale:	The usual scale of hardness used in the jewelry industry, introduced by F. Mohs.
Moonstone:	A feldspar named after the blue-white sheen inherent, which can also produce moonstone cats’ eye. 6-6 1/2 on the hardness scale. Cut in cabochon, always.
Mother’s Ring:	Ring set with the birthstone of each child or grandchild, usually a straight line, but increasingly in cluster settings. Worn by mothers and grandmothers.
Mounting Design:	Bypass shank – A ring design in which the two sides of the band do not meet in a straight line, but “bypass” one another. Straight – A style of mounting where the two sides of the shank are straight across from one another at the top.
Mounting Finish:	Florentine – An etched metal finish, similar to satin but with a noticeably deeper etching in the gold. Polished – Most popular finish on gold, giving it a smooth finish and a bright shine. Satin – A widely used finish on gold, achieved by dulling he surface to create a silk like luster instead of a shiny surface.
Natural Pearl:	A natural pearl results from nature inserting an irritant into a mollusk and the mollusk secreting a natural coating which covers it. These are very rare and nearly impossible to find today. Most are cultured pearls, invoked by man-made introduction into the mollusk and cultivated over time.
Necklace Lengths and terms :	Princess Length – An 18″ strand of pearls Matinee Length – A 20″ – 24″ strand of pearls Opera Length – 28″ – 30″ strand of pearls Graduated Multiples – Several chain lengths in one necklace
Pavilion:	The lower part of a cut gemstone, below the girdle.
Pearl Shape:	Baroque - An irregular-shaped pearl . Mobe – A large one-sided cultured pearl which has formed on the concave shell of the oyster and is flat on one side. Off Round – Any pearl that is not “round,” but has a slightly irregular shape. Round – A perfectly round pearl.
Pearl Size:	Seed Pearl – Very small, very round pearls often less than 2mm in diameter.
Point:	Unit of weight. 1 point is equivalent to 0.01 (1/100) carats.
Post:	The metal stem of a pierced earring, increasingly in stainless steel, for nickel metal allergy sufferers.
Precious Stones:	An obsolete term which generally is used to refer to diamond, emerald, sapphire, or ruby.
Prong:	A narrow piece of metal that is folded over the girdle of a stone to secure it in a setting.
Proportion:	The relationship between the diamond’s angles and parts. Refers to facet angles and the relationship between the crown (portion above the girdle) and pavilion (portion below the girdle).
Refractive Index:	A measure of how light is bent as it enters and exits a gemstone. Each mineral has a refractive index, and that serves as an identifier. The amount of refraction in crystals is constant in the various types of gems.
Rhodium:	A white metallic element of the platinum group that is harder, whiter, and more reflective than platinum. It is widely used for plating.
Semi-precious Stones:	An obsolete term used to describe gemstones which are not diamond, emerald, sapphire, or ruby. These terms are misleading as many “semi-precious” gemstones are extremely valuable, and rarer than precious stones. Some “precious” gemstones are of such poor quality that their value is very low.
Shank:	The part of a ring which encircles the finger and to which the setting for stones is attached.
Solder:	Pronounced /saw-der/, a metal alloy used when joining two metal surfaces.
Synthetic:	A manmade substitute stone which has the same chemical, physical and optical qualities as its naturally occurring counterpart. Synonymous with lab-created gemstones. Many are extremely valuable.
Table:	The largest facet at the top of the crown of a gemstone. It is generally parallel to the girdle.
Total Gem Weight:	The combined carat weight of all the diamonds or colored gems in a piece of jewelry; the main pricing point for a piece. Abbreviated as TW.