An artisan who uses jewelry-making skills to make and repair jewelry
Bespoke
An item made for a particular customer or user. Also known as custom or custom made.
Brilliance
The amount of light reflecting out of the crown of the stone to your eye
Baguette
Small, often rectangular, step-cut diamonds with straight or tapered edges
Beveled edge
An angled cut on a piece of jewelry for aesthetic purposes or for comfort
Blemish
Imperfections that occur on the surface of a diamond
Brightness
The appearance, or extent, of internal and external reflections of “white” light seen in a polished diamond
Bridal set
A set consisting of an engagement ring and matching band
CAD jewelry design
Computer-aided design; the use of computer software programs to create 2D or 3D models for jewelry design
Casting
The process by which a wax pattern is made into a jewelry mold and then filled with molten metal or silver to create a piece of jewelry
Comfort Fit
The inside edge of a ring is slightly rounded for comfort
Conflict-free diamond
A diamond that's mined and shipped without connection to rebel or terrorist groups
Crown
The top of a diamond. Its main function is to disperse the light that enters the diamond into white light, which gives the stone its brilliance.
Cubic Zirconia
A colorless, synthetic gemstone made of the cubic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide
Cuff
A bracelet that does not close on the wrist but rests on the wrist with a gap or open area on the inside of the wrist
Culet
The small area at the bottom of a diamond's pavilion
Ethical sourcing
A process of ensuring products are obtained in a responsible and sustainable way, that the workers involved in making them are safe and treated fairly, and that environmental and social impacts are taken into consideration during the sourcing process
Eye-clean diamonds
Diamonds that don't have any inclusions and blemishes visible to the naked eye
Fairtrade
Trade between companies in developed countries and producers in developing countries in which fair prices are paid to the producers
The 4 C’s
The color, cut, clarity, and carat (weight) attributes of diamonds used to determine the value
Gemstone
A precious or semiprecious stone, especially one cut, polished, and used in a piece of jewelry
An independent nonprofit that protects the gem and jewelry buying public through research, education, and laboratory services
GIA Graduate Gemologist
A jeweler who has completed one of the most prestigious programs in the industry. They are trained with the most comprehensive knowledge of diamonds and colored stones, as well as technical expertise and practical skills to evaluate gemstones by the four C’s.
Girdle
The part of the stone that creates the outline when looking at it from the top
Halo setting
A setting that encircles a center gemstone in a collection of round pavé or micro-pavé diamonds, or faceted color gemstones
Heirloom
A valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations
Imperfection
A fault, blemish, or undesirable feature
Karat
A measure of the purity of gold, pure gold being 24 karats
A process implemented to prevent "conflict diamonds" from entering the mainstream rough diamond market
Lavaliere
A necklace featuring an often-ornate and typically elongated pendant.
Loupe
A small magnifying glass used by jewelers and watchmakers
Luster
The appearance of a gem’s surface when it reflects light. Lusters can be resinous, pearly, or waxy—describing gemstone luster involves some subjectivity.
Metals
Materials used in the creation of fine jewelry, including gold, platinum, palladium, titanium, silver, tungsten, and stainless steel
Natural stones
Valuable organic materials from the earth, such as ruby, sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, tourmaline, and quartz stones
Pavilion
The part of the diamond that reflects the light that passes through the crown and back into the eyes
Pearl luster
The appearance of a pearl’s surface when it reflects lights. A high luster pearl looks illuminated from within. Pearls with very high luster quality are the most valuable.
Platinum
A rare and precious bright white metal that is durable and hypoallergenic
Rivière
A necklace made of a single type and shape of gemstone that graduates in size.
Table
The flat surface on the very top of a stone that resembles an actual tabletop
