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 which is the center of silversmithing in the country. Taxco silver made prior to 1970 is considered collectible. After 1979 silver made here is required to be stamped with a mark of two letters and several numbers
Tennis bracelet - Bracelet made up of individually set gemstones of uniform size and color linked together like a chain so it is flexible.
Tension setting - A gemstone that is held in place by the pressure of the band's metal, which is designed to "squeeze" the stone.
Thermoset Plastic – a hard substance that can’t be melted by reheating. Bakelite is a form of thermoset.
Tiger's Eye – a yellow-brown gemstone that has bands of color. Usually set as a cabochon in jewelry to highlight the light reflected in the bands.
Tiffany Setting – A round and elevated jewelry setting with six long slender prongs that flare from the base. Typically used for large solitaire stones.
Toggle clasp – A type of chain closure that consists of a bar and a large round ring.
Topaz – A hard gemstone that ranges in color from brown to yellow, blue and pink. Imperial topaz is the most valuable and is a golden-orange yellow color.
Tortoise Shell – A mottled brown shell material with a spotted, striped, or sometimes even speckled pattern.
Tourmaliine – A gemstone that has the largest color range of any gemstone. Lighter colors are more valuable.
Tremblant – Jewelry set on stiff wires that move in a trembling motion.
Trifari- A jewelry manufacturing company that produces high quality designer pieces. Trifari is famous for its costume jewelry designed by Alfred Philippe in the mid 20th century.
Trillion shape - A triangular-shaped diamond with 50 facets. Trillions are commonly used as side-stones.
Troy Weight – A unit of measure to weigh silver and gold.
Turquoise – A semi-precious gemstone found in desert areas. Its color varies from sky blue to almost green.
Tutti Frutti - Jewelry set with multi colored gems carved in shapes of leaves, flowers and berries and often in a basket design. Most often used in costume jewelry.
Filed Under: Jewelry Terms Glossary
About the Author: Wanda Fitzgerald is a Florida native and an vintage charm collector who loves to share her adventures in an e-commerce jewelry business with anyone who is interested.
