A

African Emerald
A term commonly used to describe green fluorite that is mined in South Africa. A gemstone referred to as an African emerald is usually not an emerald.

Agate
A type of chalcedony quartz that is found in a variety of colours and patterns, with varying colour layers.

Alexandrite
A rare member of the chrysoberyl family of minerals that changes color in different lighting. Alexandrite is red or purplish red when seen in incandescent light, but in fluorescent light and daylight it appears in shades of blue and green.

Alexandrite was first discovered in Russia and was named to honour Russian Czar Alexander II.

Not all gemstones marketed as alexandrite are true alexandrite. Some are other members of the chrysoberyl family that change colour less dramatically.

Alloy
A metal made up of a mixture of two or more different metals. Common examples of alloys include bronze (a mixture of copper and tin), brass (copper and zinc), and pewter (tin with antimony, copper and sometimes lead).

Amber
A fossilized resin of conifer trees. Colours range from honey to yellow to reddish brown.

Amethyst
A transparent variety of crystallized quartz that typically is purple or violet in colour.

Antiqued
Process by which something takes on the look associated with age, usually a darkened or tarnished appearance.

Aquamarine
A blue semiprecious coloured stone in the beryl family.

Austrian crystal
An imitation of natural or rock crystal (quartz).

B

Baguette
Small stones that are rectangular-shaped and faceted.

Bail
A metal finding that is folded closed, from which a pendant, watch, stone, etc., may be hung from a chain or cord.

Bakelite
Bakelite is a castable, fire resistant plastic that was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1909. It was originally used for industrial purposes, until jewelry makers found that its light weight made Bakelite perfect for manufacturing inexpensive bracelets, rings, pins, and other items. It can be carved into different shapes and colours can be mixed to create interesting color combinations.

Band
A ring that is the same width all around the circumference.

Bangle
A stiff bracelet that slips over the hand or is clasped onto the wrist.

Baroque Pearls
Baroque pearls are irregularly shaped pearls and can be freshwater, saltwater, cultured or natural pearls.

Base Metal
Non-precious metals used as a core for plating and gold-filled items. Brass and nickel are common base metals in jewellery.

Bevelled
An angled part or surface, usually an angle other than a right angle.

Bezel Setting
A method of setting gemstones in which the stone is held in the mounting by a narrow band of metal, which surrounds the girdle (outside perimeter) of the stone. The metal at the top of the groove is then burnished over the edge of the mounted item to hold it, forming a setting.

Birthstones
A set of twelve gemstones that are associated with births during a specific zodiac sign or month of the year. Stones chosen for each month vary by culture.

Black Hills Gold
Made of 10k to 12k tricolour gold (yellow, green, and pink); characteristics of this unique jewellery are the grape leaf theme.

Box and Tongue Clasp
A clasp in which a V-shaped wire fits into a small tube and locks into place. On broader necklaces, the snap is square.

Brass
Unplated, unlacquered raw metal. Formulas with varying proportions of copper and zinc are alloyed together to achieve different brass colours and different ductility (workability) of metal.

Box Chain
A type of chain with links that are wide and square to form boxes.

Brilliant Cut
A round cut of 58 facets mathematically devised to produce the greatest brilliance.

C

Cable Chain
The links are round and uniform in size.

Cabochon
A round or oval stone cut and polished with one flat side (the back) and one smooth domed side (the front or face).

Cameo
A carved gem or shell in which the outer layers are cut away so that the design stands out in relief against a background of a different colour.

Carat
Unit of weight for gemstones with 100 points to a carat, with one carat equalling one-fifth of a gram.

Cast
Substance (glass, metal, plastic or other) injected into mould to reproduce form.

Chain
A series of connected loops, links, rings, or beads used to create bracelets or necklaces.

Channel Setting
Grooved metal built into a jewellery setting for holding stones. Also a number of uniformly sized small stones set in a row. Unlike most setting methods, the stones are not secured individually, so there is no metal visible between the stones.

Charm
A decorative pendant or trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace or earring.

Charm Bracelet
A link bracelet to which charms can be attached.

Choker
A short, close fitting necklace, like a collar.

Citrine
A variety of quartz, Citrine occurs in colour ranging from light yellow to a brilliant orange that may be confused with fine imperial topaz.

Clarity
Clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of a gemstone's internal and external flaws. A perfect stone with perfect clarity (clearness) is rare, although some flaws cannot be seen without using a loupe for magnification.

Clasp
Any type of attachment that connects the two ends of a piece of jewellery.

Clip-Back
Earrings designed for non-pierced ears. Works like a hinge to secure the earring to the earlobe.

Clip-On
Earrings designed for non-pierced ears. Works like a hinge to secure the earring to the earlobe.

Clutch
Finding used to fasten post earrings.

Cluster
A setting in which stones are grouped together.

Cluster Ring
A ring with a setting in which stones are grouped together.

Cocktail Ring
Large, oversized ring set with precious or semiprecious stones.

Crown
The portion of a cut stone that is above the girdle.

Crystal
A top-quality colourless, transparent glass resembling natural or rock crystal. Made through an ancient process that involves lead oxide. To be crystal, there must be a minimum of 10% lead. About 200 kinds of crystal are associated with jewellery.

Cubic Zirconia
Gemmologists agree that Cubic Zirconia is the finest diamond simulation because it comes closer than any other gem material to the characteristics of a diamond. Like diamonds, the best cubic zirconia are colourless (or white) and do not lose their brilliance. Given proper cleaning, the cubic zirconia will retain its beauty for years. Almost all the cubic zirconia in the market today is chemically comprised of zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide. Individually, both of these materials are opaque, white ores, but when they are melted together under appropriate conditions, they combine to form an amazingly brilliant clear crystal.

To fill the need for colours, manufacturers also produce a variety of coloured cubic zirconia. Cubic Zirconia’s are cut in the same way diamonds are cut. The sizing of the gemstone is usually indicated by its weight in carats, a carat being one-fifth of a gram. Because the cubic zirconia is so dense and solid, it outweighs a diamond of the same millimetre size, weighing 1.7 times more than a diamond of the same millimetre diameter.

Culet
A tiny facet at the bottom of a gemstone (you might view it as the pointed underside of the gem). Not all gemstones have culets. A culet can help reduce the risks of damage to the stone.

Cultured Pearl
Created through a painstaking process of mimicking the natural pearl process in live molluscs. A pearl is formed as a result of implanting a piece of mantle from a mollusc into another host mollusc.

Curb Link Chain
A type of chain where the links are oval and twisted so they lie flat.

D

Diamond
A precious gemstone composed of pure carbon. Hardest of all known substances, with a Mohs scale rating of 10.

Diffusion
The process of applying a temporary coating onto the surface of a gemstone in order to enhance its colour.

Dog Tag Jewellery
Flat, rectangular pendants strung on a ball chain are fashioned after the dogtags worn by soldiers. Dog tag jewellery is usually engraved with words or symbols.

Doublet
A "gemstone sandwich' made in layered sections. The lower, larger portion is made from glass or an inexpensive stone and has a smaller layer of a more valuable stone adhered to the top of it. Opal doublets are common.

Drop Earring
Any earring that hangs below the earlobe, also called a dangle earring.

E

Earring back
A disk or bead that fits over an earring post and holds the earring securely in place.

Electroplating
The process of covering a base metal with a thin film of gold. The base metal is set in a chemical solution, and an electric current flows through to coat it with precious metal.

Embossed
A mechanical process, done under considerable heat and pressure, which permanently imprints a variety of unique grain effects into the leather surface.

Emerald
A gemstone of the beryl family, emeralds are green in colour. Unlike most gemstones, flaws (called inclusions) are quite common in emeralds, so they lower the value much less than with other precious stones such as a diamond. Many emeralds seen in jewellery are of relatively low quality.

Emerald Cut
A cut, which is usually rectangular, but sometimes square, with rows of step cuts along the edges and at the corners.

Enamel
A hard, decorative surface created by placing powdered glass on metal and firing it in a kiln to melt the glass and fuse it to the metal.

Engrave
To decorate metal by gouging with graver’s tools; embellishing metal or other material with patterns using a stamp or drill.

European Wire
A curved wire that passes through the earlobe of a pierced ear and clasps shut.

F

Facet
A polished surface; a small plane that is cut into a surface and enhances its reflection of light.

Faceted
A gem of plane faces or facets.

Fancy Cut
Refers to gems which are cut other than in the round brilliant shape such as single cut marquise, emerald, pear, heart, oval, square, baguette, triangle, etc. Also called fancy shape.

Faux
Faux is a French work used to describe something made to resemble something else. The original French word means false, fake, imitation or artificial.

Figaro
Similar in style to a curb chain, but instead of uniform links, the links alternate between long ones and round ones.

Figaro Chain
Similar in style to a curb chain, but instead of uniform links, the links alternate between long and round.

Filigree
Delicate metal openwork.

Findings
Findings are the construction components that jewellery makers use to assemble their jewellery and include items such as clasps, earring backs and hooks.

Finish
The way the surface of a piece is polished or textured.

Fish Hook Clasp
Type of necklace clasp, used mostly on pearls.

Fractures
Interruptions on the surface of a gemstone that can show up as whitish areas because light does not pass through them as it does the remaining portion of the stone.

French Hook
Metal finding used in earrings.

French Wire
A curved wire which passes through the pierced earlobe and has a catch closure. Used mostly in dangling earrings.

Freshwater Pearl
An irregularly shaped pearl formed naturally by a mussel living in a lake or river.

G

Garnet
A family of crystals whose name is derived from their resemblance to red pomegranate seeds. A semi-precious stone, usually a reddish-brown colour; can range from true red to violet- or blackish red, often semi-opaque.

Girdle
The edge formed where the top (crown) and bottom (pavilion) of a stone meet. The girdle is the area normally grasped by prongs when a stone is mounted into a setting.

Gold
A heavy, yellow, metallic element used for coins and jewellery since prehistoric times.

Gold Filled
The jewellery is not actually filled, but is made of base metal (usually brass or copper) covered by sheets of gold in a mechanical bonding process.

Gold Plate
A thin coating of electroplated or mechanically plated gold on top of a base metal.

Gold Tone
Jewellery done in a gold colour. Gold coloured or electroplated, not gold as is measurable in karats.

H

Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is commonly used to change or intensify the color of a gemstone. The change alters a stone's structure and is usually permanent.

Herringbone Chain
Created by small, slanting links, which gives it a flat effect.

High Polish
A surface which is polished to a mirror-like finish.

Hoop Earring
A circular-shaped earring made from metal wire or tubing. Variations include the traditional shape as well as hoops with charms and other ornaments hung from the hoop.

I

ID. Bracelet
Identification bracelet. A curved plate is engraved with the name or initials of the wearer.

Ivory
The term ivory has traditionally been used to refer to the hard, white or creamy colored material of elephant or mammoth tusks, but it can also be used to describe the tusks of a walrus or other similar animals.

Because the bulk of animals used to acquire ivory are on the endangered species list, most ivory trade is prohibited in the UK and US. Antique ivory objects (items over 100 years old) can be legally imported if their age and origins can be proven.

Inclusion
An internal flaw in a gemstone.

J

Jade
An ornamental gemstone, typically greenish in colour.

Jet
Black fossil coal or wood that can be easily carved into jewelry. Some jet is polished and some has an opaque appearance. Jet became fashionable for mourning jewelry in the nineteenth-century when Queen Victoria went into mourning after the deaths of her husband and mother.

Jump Ring
A small wire ring, not soldered shut, used to link elements of jewellery.

K

Karat
A measure from 1 to 24, used to indicate how much of a piece of jewellery is gold content and how much is alloy.

• 24 karat (24K) gold is pure gold.

• 18 karat (18K) gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts another metal or metals, making it 75% gold.

• 14 karat (14K) gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts another metal or metals, making it 58.3% gold.

• 10 karat (10K) gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts another metal or metals, making it 41.7% gold.

Common Misspellings: The term carat, spelled with a "c," refers to the weight of a gemstone.

L

Lapis Lazuli
A semi-precious stone of an azure blue colour.

Laser Drilling
Laser drilling is a process used to remove inclusions (flaws) from diamonds, improving their clarity.

Lever Back
An earring with a unique back that delicately bends and latches behind the ear. This is an old-fashioned design that has come back into style

Lobster Claw Clasp
A clasp used for necklaces and bracelets that features an elongated hook (like a lobster claw). It contains a spring mechanism and can be opened to catch the ring from the other end of the chain.

Loupe
A loupe (pronounced "loop ") is a special magnifying glass that enables you to take a closer look at a gemstone or other object. The loupe makes internal flaws and surface blemishes more apparent and allows you to assess colour, cut, and other aspects of the stone.

Lustre
Colourless transparent coatings that give a very high gloss to the underlying surface.

M

Marquise
An oval shaped gemstone cut with pointed ends. It's named for the Marquise de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV.

Matte
A non-shiny, frosted surface.

Mesh
A chain that is fabric-like and woven of fine wire.

Mill Grain Edge
A hook which is knurled, or has the look of small beads or ridges, such as the edge of a coin.

Mohs Scale
The Mohs Scale of Hardness measures a substance's hardness, that is, how resistant it is to being scratched. In the Mohs scale, which ranges from 1 to 10, one substance is harder than another if it can scratch it. For example, a diamond (hardness = 10) will scratch garnet (hardness = 6.5-7.5), but not the other way around, so a diamond is harder than garnet. This scale was invented by Austrian mineralogist Friedrich Mohs (1773-1839).

Mother Of Pearl
Mother of pearl is the common name for iridescent nacre, a blend of minerals that are secreted by oysters and other molluscs and deposited inside their shells, coating and protecting their bodies from parasites and foreign objects.

A pearl grows when mother of pearl surrounds and builds layers around an object that's inserted in she shell by nature or humans.

N

Natural Gemstone
A gemstone formed in nature, with no assistance from humans.

Natural Pearl
A pearl that begins as a piece of grit or other foreign substance that makes its way into the shell of a marine or freshwater molluscs (oysters, clams). A defence mechanism kicks-in to coat the particle with layer after layer of a substance called nacre, eventually forming a pearl.

A natural pearl is a pearl that forms in nature with no human intervention.

O

Oiling
Oiling is used to seal a stone such as opal from water loss. It is used to fill fissures on the surface of emeralds, improving their clarity.

Onyx
A semi-precious stone composed of chalcedony (a variety of quartz) found naturally in white or grey. The white variety is generally dyed black for onyx.

Opal
Non-crystalline, iridescent silica.

Organic Jewellery
Jewellery made from items that were once living organisms or were produced by living organisms.

Oxidation
(Antiqued) Darkening or other colour changes of metal which is accelerated by humidity, especially salty air or the presence of acidic perspiration. This does not happen to very high-karat gold or stainless steel.

P

Pave' Setting
A setting in which small stones are set as close as possible, so that the piece literally looks "paved" with stones.

Pavilion
The pavilion is the bottom portion of a cut stone, beginning at the girdle and going to the point at its end.

Pearl
A smooth, round growth formed naturally within the shell of a mollusc due to an irritant and used as a gem.

Pendant
An ornament suspended from a single chain.

Peridot
A transparent gem that is olive green in colour.

Pierced Earrings
Earrings designed for wear in ears that are pierced. A wire or post is inserted through the ear lobe.

Platinum
A non-corrosive silver white metal, which is heavy and has a high tensile strength. Platinum can hold fine gemstones firmly in place for the life of the jewellery when used as prongs and other setting components.

Polish
Process used to make metal smooth and glossy. The process increases shine and eliminates flaws.

Post
A pin-like finding attached to an earring. It passes through the pierced earlobe and may be held in place by a back.

Precious Stones
Rare and costly gems such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires.

Princess Cut
A modification of a brilliant square-cut gemstone.

Prong
One of several claw-like wires used to hold a gem or stone in place.

Q

Quartz Movement
An electronic movement in a watch powered by a battery that causes vibrations in a tiny piece of quartz.

R

Rhinestone
Rhinestones are colourless or coloured artificial gemstones that simulate diamonds and other gems. They can be made of glass or paste, but the best rhinestones are cut from quartz crystal. Rhinestones have a fused, metallic backing that reflects the light and gives the stones fire.

Ring
A piece of jewellery that is worn on the fingers or toes and slides on and off.

Rope Chain
Chain with a spiral appearance, with the effect of two thick strands woven together.

Ruby
Highly precious and valued red corundum whose color is obtained from chromium oxide. Rubies symbolize beauty, charity, love, passion, power, and royalty.

S

Safety Catch
Added to a closure to prevent the opening of a clasp.

Sapphire
A highly valued and precious stone, a member of the corundum group. Most common colour is blue. Sapphires come in a range of colours.

Satin Finish
A matte finish achieved by sandblasting, brushing with a stiff wire brush, or chemically altering a high shine surface. Satin finish has a soft, pearl-like lustre instead of a bright polish.

Semi-Precious Stones
They are natural stones including amethyst, aventurine, carnelian, garnet, opal, rose quartz, and so on. . . used in fine jewellery as well as fashion jewellery.

Shank
Part of the ring that circles the finger and to which the setting is attached.

Signet
A ring with a flat table or face on which there is an inscription of a coat of arms, family crest, or some other type of insignia or monogram.

Silver Plated
A very thin layer of silver bonded through an electrical process to a base metal core.

Silver Tone
Jewellery with the look of silver.

Simulated Aquamarine
Manufactured imitation of a genuine aquamarine—a greenish-blue semiprecious stone.

Simulated Diamond
A manufactured imitation of a genuine diamond.

Simulated Emerald
Manufactured imitation of a genuine emerald--one of the most valuable of all gemstones--which is green. Emeralds are the symbol of spring, rebirth, hope, and faith.

Simulated Pearl
Glass beads coated in the ground-up iridescent nacre from fish scales.

Simulated Sapphire
Manufactured imitation of a genuine sapphire that is a blue stone.

Simulated Stones
Any substance that is meant to resemble or take the place of a gem. For example, Cubic Zirconium (CZ) is a simulated diamond.

Snake Chain
A type of chain with links that fit together to form a bendable-tubular chain.

Solitaire
A single stone that is in a very basic setting.

Split Ring
Finding used to join two or more pieces of chain or other findings. The wire goes around twice, like a mini key-ring, which makes it difficult for the piece to come apart.

Spratling Silver
Named for William Spratling, who established a thriving silver industry in Taxco, Mexico, with inspiration from the artistic accomplishments of early cultures of that country. Spratling Silver jewellery is a favourite of collectors.

Spring Ring Clasp
A rounded, hollow, circular wire that fits into a hollow, circular tube and is kept shut by a coiled spring on the inside.

Square Cut
A style in which the stone is square and bordered by four long narrow facets that are step cut. Similar to emerald cut.

Stainless Steel
Steel containing chromium and is resistant to rust and corrosion.

Sterling Silver
Silver that is at least 92.5 percent pure with 7.5 parts of another metal, usually copper, to make the piece harder.

Stud
A single stone or metal ball on a straight post worn on pierced ears.

Surgical Steel
Stainless steel—a non-allergenic material when not plated. It is darker and greyer than sterling silver.

Synthetic Gemstones
A gemstone created by humans in a lab, but having the same physical, chemical and optical characteristics as the natural stone. It's often difficult for even experienced gemmologists to tell a synthetic from a natural stone.

T

Table
The flat top of a cut stone, sometimes called its face.

Tennis Bracelet
A flexible bracelet made up of evenly matched stones, commonly diamonds or simulated diamonds. There are variations on the style, such as alternating stones.

Titanium
A metallic element that has been used mainly in industry, but also used in some jewellery because of the range of colours it produces when heated.

Toggle Clasp
A fastener consisting of a ring on one end of a necklace or bracelet and a short bar on the other end. The bar is slid through the ring and sits across it so it does not slide or pull.

Topaz
A transparent gem, the most precious type is wine-yellow in colour. It also may be found in other colours, such as white, blue, brown, orange, and pink.

Tourmaline
A crystalline mineral that is used as a gemstone. It typically comes in a variety of colours, the most common of which is black.

Trillion Cut
A modified brilliant cut triangular stone with 44 facets.

Turquoise
A semi-precious stone that is greenish-blue in colour.

U

Ultrasonic Cleaner
A machine that cleans jewellery by using a fluid that is vibrated at 20,000 cycles per second. When the vibration speed rises above the ultrasonic frequency level, bubbles explode and generate strong power, cleaning the surfaces and cavities of hard-to-clean objects. Ultrasonic cleaning does not scratch the surface or harm objects like many chemical or abrasive cleansers.

V

Vermeil
A product that is made from a base of sterling silver that is coated or plated on its surfaces with gold of at least 10K finess and at least 2.5 microns thick (100/1,000,000 inch).

The term vermeil (pronounced "vehr-may") cannot be used if the sterling is covered with a base metal before being coated with gold unless the presence of the base metal is disclosed.

W

Water Tourmalinee
Watermelon tourmaline is a tourmaline gemstone that is multicoloured, going from pink to green. The Schreiner pin above is made of paste (glass) watermelon tourmaline.

Water Sapphire
Water sapphire is not a true sapphire, but is iolite, a more common, softer, and much less expensive mineral. It is a transparent, violet-blue, light blue, or yellow-grey mineral. Iolite is pleochroic; a single stone will show many colours (in the case of Iolite, violet-blue, light blue, and yellow-grey). Iolite has a hardness of 7 - 7.5. Iolite is found in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar and Burma.

Wax Pearls
Wax pearls are hollow glass beads that are filled with wax and resemble pearls.

Weld
Welding is a process that joins two pieces of metal using very high heat. Rolled gold is formed in this fashion.

White Gold
White gold is gold that has been alloyed with a mix of nickel, zinc, copper, tin, and manganese (and sometimes pallladium). White gold was originally developed to imitate platinum during World War II (during this time in the US, platinum was considered a strategic material and its use was prohibited for most non-military applications, like jewellery making). White gold jewellery is sometimes plated with rhodium.

White Metal
Any combination of alloys of non-precious metals such as lead and tin. Also called "Pot Metal".

White Onyx
A form of agate from the chalcedony family which is semi-translucent with white to yellowish-white banding.

White Quartz
A translucent white mineral consisting of silicon dioxide in crystal form. White Quartz is basically clear quartz with a high degree of cloudiness. It is usually uniform in terms of the colour, but has areas of more or less opacity.

Wholesale
Of, relating to, or engaged in the sale of goods in large bulk or quantity for resale by a retailer or jobber rather than directly to consumers.

Width
The horizontal measurement across the widest area of an item of jewellery.

X

Xalostocitee
Xalostocite is a pink grossular garnet that is found in a matrix of white marble. Xalostocite is found in Xalostoc, Mexico.

Y

Yellow Gold
Yellow gold is gold that has been alloyed with a mix of 50% copper and 50% silver.

YGF
YGF is an abbreviation for yellow gold filledd. Y Necklace
Usually 16 to 18 inches in length, this style of necklace gets its name from its shape which features a dangle forming a Y-shape around the neck.

Z

Zircon
Zircon (zircon silicate) is a lustrous gemstone that comes in colours ranging from golden brown to red to violet to blue. Pure zircon is colourless, but most zircon stones are brown. Zircon stones can be heat-treated to become blue or colourless; sometimes, heat-treated stones revert to their original colour. Clear zircon is sometimes sold (intentionally or otherwise) as diamond. It has a hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale.