All Entries in the "Jewelry Terms Glossary" Category
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical A’s
I think it will be good idea to educate my readers on some jewelry terminology. Actually I’m educating myself as I go. So I’ve decided to do it alphabetically. Here goes….. Abalone – A type of sea snail (mollusk) with a shell that has an iridescent interior. Mother of pearl is made from abalone and [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical B’s
Baguette – Small rectangular shaped faceted stones. Bail – The small round finding attached to a piece of jewelry that allows it to hang from a chain. Band – Ring that is the same size on all sides. Beryl – Type of mineral stone that includes emeralds (when green) and aquamarine (when blue). Bezel Setting [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical C’s
Cabochon – A stone that is flat on one side & has a rounded dome on the other, with no carvings or facets. Cameo – A carved gemstone or shell in which the design is raised relief above the background of a different color. Cairngorm – A variety of quartz crystal found in the Cairngorm [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical D’s
A little music to relax by while you learn about jewelry terms starting with the letter D….. Damascene – A process of inlay whereby a soft metal is placed with a harder metal. Dead Stone – a foil backed rhinestone that has lost it’s shininess, usually when water has damaged the backing. Demi-Parure – Matching [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical E’s
Edwardian – The period during the reign of Edward VII of England (1901-1910). In jewelry the style refers to the years of Queen Victoria’s reign, from the late 1900′s until shortly before World War I when the more geometric style of Art Deco began to make headway. Electroplate – A process whereby metal is plated [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical F’s
Faceted – Flat polished surfaces cut on a gemstone or occurring naturally on a crystal. Faux – French word used to describe something made to resemble something else. The original French word means false, fake, imitation or artificial. Fetish – An amulet, pendant or charm often representing an animal or person. Figural – Three dimensional [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical G’s
Garnet – A semi precious stone that is generally red in color. Includes Bohemian Garnets, which were used extensively in Victorian turn of the century jewelry. Gemstones – Precious and semi-precious stones used in jewelry.
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical H’s
Hair Jewelry – Jewelry made from the hair of a loved one, popularized in the 19th century when a deceased person’s hair was preserved under glass brooches and worn in mourning. Hallmark – A mark made in metal that indicates the purity of the metal and / or the manufacturer. A hallmark may also include [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical I’s
I. G. I. – International Gemological Institute (IGI) – the largest independent gem grading and appraisal institute in the world. Inclusion – A solid, liquid, or gaseous particle of foreign matter within a mineral. These can decrease the value of a stone, however sometimes, as in the case of a star sapphire, the inclusion is [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical J’s
Jade – A form of Jadite that is usually green but appears in many other colors and is often carved into gemstone shapes or cabochon. Japanning - A jewelry finish that is finished with a black color. Jasper – An opaque variety of Chalcedony that is found in all colors including red, yellow, brown, or [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical K’s
Karat – A measure used to convey how much of a piece of metal jewelry is gold and how much is alloy. King Cut - A type of diamond cut with 86 facets that is used for large diamonds. Knife Wire – A thin wire that holds a gemstone making it appear to float. Knot - A flaw or mineral inclusion in a gemstone that [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical L’s
Lab Created – Synthetic gemstones created in a laboratory rather than in nature. Lapidary – A person that cuts and polishes gemstones. Lapis Lazuli – A rich blue opaque gemstone that contains the minerals calcite, pyrite, and sodalite. Lariat – A necklace that is worn looped around the neck and tied into a knot instead [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical M’s
Mabe – A dome shaped stone, often cabochon cut, popularized in the 40s or 50s with cocktail style jewelry. Sometimes called mobe. Mabe Pearl – An assembled pearl created by filling a hollow blister and then applying a mother-of-pearl back to complete the pearl. Marquise – An oval stone which is pointed at both ends, [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical N’s
Nacre – The usually whitish crystalline substance which the mollusk secretes around a foreign “intruder” and which forms what we know as the pearl. Layers build up over time. Navette – An oval stone which is pointed at both ends. Near-Colorless – Diamonds with little or no color visible to the naked eye. Near-colorless diamonds [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical O’s
Obsidian – Volcanic glass that is usually black. Obsidian is formed when cools rapidly. Most obsidian is 70 percent silica. Obsidian has a hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale. Onyx – A variety of chalcedony quartz. Black onyx may be opaque or translucenet and although it does occur naturally in black, it is usually [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical P’s
Parure – This is a matching set of jewelry, usually a brooch, necklace, earrings and a bracelet, but can be even larger. Part of a parure is called a demi or semi parure. Paste – A brilliant cut glass stone which has been made to resemble a genuine gemstone. Patina – this term refers to [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical Q’s and R’s
Quartz – A common mineral found all over the world. Varieties are agate, amethyst, adventurine, citrine, onyx, tiger’s eye, and rose quartz, among others. Quartz measures 7. 0 on the Moh’s scale of hardness. Radiant Cut – A rectangular gemstone cut that has the facets and sparkle of brilliant cut round stones. Repousse – The [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical S’s
Safety Catch – A type of clasp used for a brooch with a locking mechanism that is more secure than a standard C clasp. Sapphire – A member of the corundum family of stones, the Sapphire is any corundum stone that is not red. The birthstone for September. Sardonyx – An onyx stone that has [...]
Jewelry Term Definitions – Alphabetical T’s
Tahitian Pearl – A dark colored pearl, often black grown in large black oysters found in Indonesia. Tarnish – A dulled metal finish that is caused by a reaction of chemicals, usually sulfur. Tassel – A bundle of threads bound at one end and loosely hung as an ornament. Taxco – A town in Mexico [...]
