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Understanding Jewelry Terms A to Z

Here are some jewelry terms you may like to know more about. Do let us know if we missed any, and you would like us to add to this list.

Bangle
 

A stiff bracelet or anklet


Bench Jeweler

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


Gemology

The study of precious stones


Gemological Institute of America (GIA)

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


The Kimberley Process

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