Term Definition
4 C’s A universal grading system developed by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) to evaluate the quality of a diamond. The 4Cs are Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut.
Alloy A mixture of two or more metals to create more desirable characteristics and/or added strength.
Baby / Youth Describes small items in scale to be worn by babies, toddlers, and teens. Earring posts are usually shorter and are often threaded or have some sort of safety clasp. Rings are usually sizes 0 – 3. Bracelets are usually 5 – 5 1/2 ” long. Necklaces are usually 15″ – 16″ long.
Bail An arched (often oval), teardrop, or d-shaped) metal component used to hang a pendant from a chain or cord. It is meant to slide onto the chain rather than being soldered to it so that the pendant moves independently from the chain and is not a permanent part of the chain or cord.
Band A ring, usually uniform in width, with no distinguishable “top”; may be set with gemstones.
Bangle Bracelet A closed, rigid bracelet – with or without hinge and clasp – that slides over the hand.
Base metal A term informally referring to non-precious metals (such as copper, zinc, tin, nickel, lead, or iron), which are commonly used in costume jewelry.
Bead A small, usually spherical component made from a variety of materials, which may be partially drilled or fully drilled. A full drilled bead will have one or more holes through it, allowing it to be strung singularly or with others in a sequence. Beads in shapes other than round are sometimes described as “fancy”.
Bead Set A method for securing a gemstone where a small bur of metal is raised with a graver and pushed over the edge of the gemstone.
Bezel Set A method for securing a gemstone in which a band of metal encircles the girdle of the gemstone and is folded over the gem to hold it in place.
Birthstone A precious or semi-precious gemstone popularly associated with the month of birth. January – Garnet, February – Amethyst, March – Aquamarine, April – Diamond, May – Emerald, June – Pearl, July – Ruby, August – Peridot, September – Sapphire, October – Opal, November – Citrine, December – Topaz.
Body Jewelry Jewelry that was manufactured specifically for use in body piercing.
Bright-cut A metal engraving technique created by chiseling the metal with a polished tool creating a highly reflective surface.
Brillance Pertaining to diamonds, this term has two components; brightness and contrast. Brightness refers to the amount of light returned from the diamond’s surroundings and back to the observer. To be brilliant, a diamond also needs contrast, intensity of the white light from the crown of a polished diamond or other gemstone.
Cabochon A polished convex-cut unfaceted gemstone.
Cameo A design cut in relief, usually into a hard gemstone or shell.
Carat A unit of weight for precious and semi-precious gemstones, equal to 200 milligrams.
Chain A series of connected metal links or loops with an attached clasp assembly.
Chain End The hoop located on one end of a chain, through which the other end can be looped.
Chain Tag A flat metal piece with a hole in each end where the quality mark or trademark can be stamped.
Chandelier Earring One of a pair of long ornate earrings that dangle from the earlobes, usually dropping more than one level.
Charm A miniature object that may depict symbols, figures, letter, etc. usually attached to a bracelet using a spring-type clasp or a jump ring. A Dangle Charm has a jump ring or bail-type clasp allowing it to swing to and fro. A Bead charm is a large, fancy bead with large holes allowing it to be strung onto a bracelet
Charm Bracelet A bracelet to which charms may be or have been attached.
Choker A non-rigid necklace that fits snugly around the throat, usually 14″ – 15″ in length.
Clarity A term used to describe the absence or presence of internal or external flaws in a gemstone.
Clasp A mechanism used to attach objects or parts together, such as both ends of a chain.
Clasp Assembly The mechanism used to secure a chain and typically consists of a chain end and clasp.
Claw (Prong) A wire used to fasten and hold a gemstone in a setting.
Collar A rigid choker-style necklace that fits snugly around the neck.
Color Grade As it pertains to diamonds, color is one of the characteristics used to define the quality of a diamond. The GIA color scale ranges from D to Z, D being considered colorless and higher in value.
Contemporary Designs that are up-to-date with current trends in the industry with a modern flair.
Costume Jewelry Jewelry made with inexpensive materials or imitation gems.
Cuff Bracelet A rigid bracelet designed with an opening for easily slipping the bracelet onto the wrist.
Cuff Link A decorative fastener – similar to a button – which is used to secure the ends of a shirt cuff. It may consist of two buttons or button-like parts connected with a chain or peg that passes through two slits in the cuff.
Cut As it refers to a round diamond, cut is the factor that determines the diamond’s brilliance. Cut qualifies the brilliance, fire , and scintillation of a round, brilliant cut diamond by analyzing the diamond’s symmetry, proportions, and polish.
CZ Short for Cubic Zirconia, a man-made gemstone created to simulate a diamond. Approximately 64% heavier than a diamond.
Dangle Earring An earring that extends below the earlobe and is designed to swing to and fro.
Diameter In reference to a gemstone, it is the overall width.
Diamond Cut Chain Sharp edges cut onto the surface of a chain so that the links flash and catch the light.
Disperson The power of a diamond when breaking up its light into its constituent colors.
Drop Earrings An earring that extends below the earlobe and is stationary.
DWT Abbreviation for pennyweight. There are 30 pennyweights in an ounce (troy). See Pennyweight.
Ear Trim An earring designed to follow the contour of the ear.
Ear Wire A wire used for pierced earrings. Popular styles include French hooks, lever back, and kidney.
Earring A piece of jewelry worn on the lobe or edge of the ear. Popular earring types are chandelier, cluster, dangle, drop, earring jacket, ear trim, huggie, hinged, hoop, lever back, and stud.
Earring Back A disc or bead with a hole, through which an earring post is threaded for the purpose of securing the earring to the earlobe. Examples include, nut, screw, tension, omega, and clutch.
Earring Post A pin-like or wire finding attached to the back of an earring that passes through a pierced earlobe. Examples include screw posts and friction posts.
Enamel An opaque-or semitransparent glass or substance applied to a metal surfface for protection or ornamental purposes.
Engraving The process or art of cutting or carving a design into a hard surface.
Facet The flat, polished surface of a gemstone that affects a gemstone’s brilliance & sparkle.
Fashion Ring A type of ring worn to express style or a current trend.
Filigree Lace-like ornamental work formed from thin wires of intricately-arranged intertwined precious metal. May be plain, twisted, or plaited.
Finish A decorative texture applied to the surface to enhance its appearance.
Fire Dispersed light that appears as flashes of spectral colors (rainbow) on a diamond.
Freeform An asymmetrical, flowing shape or design.
French Hook An earwire shaped like a hook used for pierced drop earrings.
Gemstone A mineral or organic material with sufficient beauty, rarity, and durability to be set into jewelry.
Gemstone Shape Referring to the potential options of shape and size that a gemstone can be cut. The outline form of a gemstone , not to be confused with the faceting pattern.
Genuine Stone A gemstone that is produced by nature without interference from man, other than cutting or fashioning. Do not confuse “natural” with untreated gemstones.
Gold A precious, yellow, metallic element, highly malleable and ductile and not subject to oxidation or corrosion.
Gram A gram is a metric system unit of mass/weight. One ounce (troy) is equivalent to 3.10 grams.
Hallmark A quality mark indicating precious metal content (10kt, 14kt, 18kt, platinum, etc.) Typically stamped on jewelry item in an inconspicuous location (back, inside ring shank, etc.) FTC requires the manufacturer or distributor of said product to disclose their identity by accompanying the quality mark with a trademark or company name.
Hinge A pin that fits through pieces of metal tubing that allow an item to articulate. Hinges are commonly found on lockets and boxes.
Hoop Earring A (usually) circular, ring-like earring that may be a complete circle or may only go part of the way around.
Huggie Earring A small hoop earring that fits closely around the ear lobe. It is thicker than a standard hoop so that it appears to be “hugging” the ear lobe. It is designed with a hinge at the base of the hoop, facing the shoulder, and a groove in the post enables it to snap into place to close securely.
Hypo-Allergenic A term used to describe items (in this case jewelry) that cause or are claimed to cause fewer allergic reactions. Depending on the allergen of the subject, these may include metals such as stainless steel, titanium, gold, etc.
Jump Ring A wire ring of any size, usually round or oval in shape, used for attaching jewelry parts.
Karat A unit of measure of the purity of gold. Pure gold equals 24 karats.
Leverback A spring-loaded closure on the back of some earrings. When in the closed position, it secures the earring to the earlobe.
Line Bracelet A flexible bracelet that can be unclasped and laid out to form a “line”. The links are usually joined by hinge pins. A tennis bracelet is a type of line bracelet.
Link Bracelet A bracelet made from connecting or linking various, sometimes similar, components together. The links are usually interlocking, eliminating the need for hinge pins.
Locket A small, decorative case with one or more spaces to hold a picture or momento, designed to be suspended from a chain. May also be incorporated into the design of a ring or bracelet.
Minimalist A term used to describe a movement in design and architecture around the 1960’s and 1970’s, where the subject is reduced as much as possible to only its necessary elements.
Money Clip A folded clip used to keep folded cash and / or credit cards in lieu of a wallet.
Omega Clip A wire attached and hinged on the back of an earring and used as a mechanism to hold the earring in place.
Pendant An endornment designed to be suspended from a necklace.
Pennyweight Pennyweight is a common weight unit of measure used in the valuation and measurement of precious metals. One pennyweight equals 1/20 of an ounce (troy). See DWT.
Pierced In jewelry it refers to perforated or openwork desings with regular patterns of openings and holes.
Precious Gemstone The group of gemstones consisting of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.
Precious Metals Metals that are rare and have high economic value. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
Prong Set A setting technique in which a gemstone is held in place by metal projections or tines, called prongs.
Rolling Ring A ring usually consisting of three or more bands. As the ring is slid on and off the finger, the bands roll over one another.
Safety Clasp A secondary closure added to some bracelets and necklaces for extra security.
Semi-Precious Gemstones A gemstone that is not a diamond, emerald, sapphire or ruby – historically thought to be less valuable than a precious gemstone ie, amethysist, peridot, aquamarine, etc…
Silver A precious metal that is commonly alloyed to create the more durable alloy known as sterling silver.
Sizing Area The area at the bottom of a ring shank where metal can be inserted or removed to reduce or increase the finger size of the ring.
Slide Pendant A bail-less pendant. May incorporate holes into the design to allow passage of a chain or cord.
Sterling Silver A precious metal alloy of 92.5% silver and copper, or another material.
Stud Earrings Jewelry attached to the ear with an earring post through a piercing and secured with an earring back.
Troy Ounce A unit of troy weight, used for weighing precious metals. The ounce contains 20 pennyweights (dwt) each of 25 grains. One troy ounce is equivalent to 31.10 grams.
Vermeil Gold-plated or gilded silver. The FTC allows a product to be described as “vermeil” if it consists of a base of sterling silver coated or plated on all significant surfaces with gold or gold alloy of not less than 10 karat fineness, that is of substantial thickness and a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to 2 1/2 microns of fine gold.
White gold A white-colored alloy of gold with nickel, platinum, or another metal.