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14K |
indicates 14 karat gold, or 14 parts gold to 10 parts other metals, or 58.33% pure gold. |
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18K | indicates 18 karat gold, or by weight 18 parts gold to 6 parts other metals, or 75% pure gold. |
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22K | indicates 22 karat gold, or by weight 22 parts gold to 2 parts other metals, or 91.66% pure gold. |
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24K | indicates 24 karat gold, or pure gold. |
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925 | a mark on sterling silver meaning 925 parts silver per 1000 parts |
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AB | abbreviation for Aurora Borealis |
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Abalone | a mollusk with iridescent shell, usually blue, green, and purple used in jewelry making. |
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Acrylic | type of plastic. Lucite and Plexiglas are examples of acrylics |
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Aventurine | a form of quartz with shimmering or glistening inclusions. Green aventurine originates mostly in India. |
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Agate | a type of chalcedony quartz found in many colors and patterns, often with layers of varying colors. Agate is believed to quench thirst and divert storms. |
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Albert Chain | watch chain with a bar at one end and on the other end a swivel to hold a watch |
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Amber | amber is a flammable, translucent fossilized conifer tree resin. Rubbing amber produces static electricity. |
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Amethyst | precious form of quartz, purple or violet in color, the yellow variety is known as citrine |
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Antiquing | a darkening of the recessed areas metal to enhance the visibility of the engraving and/or achieve an "older" appearance. |
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Aquamarine | a translucent, light blue gemstone that is in the beryl family. Aquamarine is the birthstone for March. |
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Art Deco | style popular from 1910 through the 1920's, featuring geometric lines and patterns with very few curves. |
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Art Nouveau | style popular from late 19th to early 20th century (approximately 1895-1920), characterized by stylized natural forms like leaves and flowers in flowing lines, especially females with long flowing hair and sensual features. |
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Articulated | having moving parts, joints or segments |
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Arts and Crafts | was an artistic movement at the end of the 1800's that produced pieces that purposely look hand-made. The Arts and Crafts movement also revived the art of enamel. |
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Asscher Cut | developed early in the 20th century, this is a diamond cut that resembles an emerald cut but it is square with wide step facets and deep clipped corners that make the stone look like an octagon |
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Aurora Borealis | term meaning "northern lights", indicative of a coating on rhinestones that have iridescent qualities where many colors are reflected. |
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Baguette | small, rectangular-shaped and faceted gemstone |
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Bail | a metal loop from which a pendant, watch, stone or other jewelry piece may be hung from a chain or cord. |
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Bakelite | also known as catalin, is a synthetic resin (plastic) patented by L. H. Baekeland in 1907. Bakelite is made from carbolic acid and formaldehyde |
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Bangle | a style of rigid bracelet that slips over the hand or closes with a clasp. |
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Bar pin | a long pin that is worn horizontally. |
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Baroque | term for irregularly-shaped stones or pearls |
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Bezel | the top forward facing rim or edge of a ring which holds the stone |
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Briolette | teardrop shaped faceted stone or gemstone |
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Brooch | a large pin used for ornament that can be pinned to a garment |
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Brooch watch | a watch with a pin back so it is worn like a brooch |
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Bugle bead | a long, tube-shaped bead made of glass |
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Cable chain | a chain made of oval intersecting links which lie at 90 degrees to each other as opposed to curb chain where the links are twisted to enable the chain to lie flat. |
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Cabochon | "stone" with a smooth, rounded top with no facets. |
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Cameo | carving to reveal a raised design often with layers of different colors of stone, reverse of intaglio |
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Cameo Habille | a type of cameo where the head is decorated with earrings, necklace, or other head ornament typically set with a small stone or rhinestone |
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Carat | measure of weight for precious stones equal to 200 milligrams. One of the 4 C's of diamond grading. One carat is equal to 100 points. |
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Casting | the process where metal is poured into a mold to form a shape |
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Celluloid | one of the first plastics invented. A flammable plastic made from cellulose (plants) invented in 1869 by J.W. Hyatt to be a substitute for the elephant ivory used for billiard balls. |
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Chain mail | a mesh of tiny rings (chains) woven together to form a fabric of metal |
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Chaton | a rhinestone with a reflective metal foil backing. |
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Chevron | a design motif consisting of short lines joining at angles to form an inverted V. |
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Choker | type of necklace that fits snugly around the neck, usually 14" to 16" in length. |
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Cinnabar | often carved mineral mercury sulfide ranging in color from cinnamon to brick red can be translucent to transparent. |
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Cipher | a monogram of intertwined letters |
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Citrine | the yellow semi-precious form of quartz. Named after the French for lemon, citron. The purple form is amethyst. |
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Claddagh | Irish symbol where two hands embrace a heart, topped by a crown. The hands symbolize faith, the heart, love, and the crown, loyalty and fidelity. Commonly seen in a Claddagh ring. |
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Clarity | one of the 4 C's of diamond grading. Gemstones with the highest clarity contain few or no inclusions (imperfections) in the stone's crystalline structure. Clarity is graded with a 10x magnifier. The clarity rating of a diamond ranges from FL (flawless) to |
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Cloisonné | method of enameling where metal wire is made into a frame, usually a design or pattern, which is then filled with enamel |
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Cluster setting | a setting of small beads or stones are set, usually around a larger bead or stone |
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Cocktail ring | usually a flashy, large ring set with precious or semiprecious stones. |
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Color | one of the 4 C's of diamond grading. The letters D through Z are used to designate a diamond's color with D being colorless and Z-graded stones having a lot of color. |
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Crystal | high quality glass that contains lead oxide to make it more reflective; resembles rock crystal |
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Cubic zirconia | lab-produced stone that resembles a diamond but much less expensive. |
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Cuff bracelet | bracelet in semi rigid form open on one side allowing the wrist to pass through instead of over the hand |
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Cultured pearl | a pearl created inside a mollusk around an irritation or nucleus that is placed inside the mollusk by a human. |
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Curb Chain | a chain made of oval flattened links that are twisted so as to lie flat |
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Damascene | inlaying metals with other metals to form intricate decorations in jewelry. |
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Dead Stone | foil-backed rhinestone that has lost it's original brilliance, typically from damage to the foil by water or age |
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Demi Parure | two or more pieces of a set of jewelry (for example earrings and bracelet or pin and necklace) |
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Diamante | rhinestone |
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Dichroic glass | Dichroic glass fuses metal to glassmaking a surface sheen that changes between two colors when viewed at different angles. Originally developed by NASA. |
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Dog collar | type of necklace fit snuggly around a neck. Usually broad with rows of beads, or wide leather, for example. Also called a broad choker.; |
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Dress Clip | type of brooch with hinged fastener; used instead of a pinned brooch so as not to pierce fabric |
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Duette | a brooch that can be taken apart and worn as two separate pins or can be clipped together to form a single brooch |
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Edwardian | 1901-1910 was the reign of King Edward VII of England. Delicate, elegant style with pearls and diamonds. |
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Electroplate | process of coating one metal with another using electricity. Generally inexpensive metals are plated with more expensive metals. |
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Emboss | surface decoration in which the design is raised slightly |
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En tremblant | in English called "trembler." A piece of jewelry that has a tiny spring so it wiggles or trembles when the wearer moves |
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Enamel | essentially vitrified pigments deposited in layers at temperature to leave colored glass in fields on rings or jewelry. Slow laborious process producing a lustrous intense color, but easily cracked or damaged. |
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Engraving | type of decoration where a design is etched into a surface |
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Eternity Ring | a ring set with a full circle of stones symbolizing the never ending circle that is eternity. |
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Faux | false or imitation |
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Figural | a piece of jewelry that was made into a likeness of animals or humans |
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Filigree | delicate and intricate metal decoration usually gold or silver or fine twisted wire into lacy patterns |
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Fob | a decorative ornament suspended by chain, like a watch fob which is used on one end of a chain to quickly pull the watch from the pocket. |
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Foil back | reflective coating of metal or foil on the underside of a rhinestone to make it reflect more light and heighten the stone's color |
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French jet | very black glass made to imitate real jet |
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Freshwater pearls | an irregular pearl of various colors produced by fresh water mollusks such as mussels and clams, popular in Roman jewelry for its irregular shape and relative availability. Less valuable than oyster pearls. |
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Fruit salad | costume jewelry that is set with colorful, molded stones of glass or plastic. Many times used when a variety of different types of stones are used in one piece (i.e., imitation pearls with rhinestones and molded thermoset) |
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Fur clip | a large brooch with spring type clasp used to hold a fur or mink stole in place when worn |
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Garnet | any of a group of semi-precious silicate stones that range in color from red to green (garnets occur in all colors but blue). Garnet has a hardness of 6-8 and specific gravity of 3.5 - 4.3. |
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Gem | a stone that has been cut and polished for use in jewelry and fulfills the requirements of beauty, durability and rarity. |
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GIA | Gemological Institute of America |
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Gold | the most malleable of all metals, yellow in its natural state though alloyed into various other colors. |
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Gold Filled | thin layer of real gold on top (and usually bottom) of base metal. |
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Gold Plated | thin later of gold on surface, usually done by electroplating. |
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Graduated | term to describe beads or pearls on a necklace that go from a small size in the back of the neck and gradually increase in size to a maximum in the front of the necklace. |
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Green gold | an alloy made of gold mixed with silver, zinc and copper. Used in Black Hills Gold jewelry. |
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Guilloche | a type of enameling in which translucent enamel (fused glass) is applied over a metal surface that has been engraved. |
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Gutta-Percha | a hard rubber used in jewelry making and for statues that was discovered in the 1840s and made from the Malayan tree sap. |
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Hair or Hairwork Jewelry | jewelry made of locks of hair; usually made from a deceased loved one's hair. Popular in the 1800's. |
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Hallmark | marks stamped on jewelry throughout much of the world to indicate purity of metal. |
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Hammered | a decorating effect describing jewelry that has been hammered making dents or decorations in metal |
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IGI | International Gemological Institute (IGI) is the largest independent gem certification and appraisal service in the United States. |
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Inclusion | particle of foreign matter contained within a stone or bead. Sometimes on purpose for decorative purposes. Also an imperfection or flaw in a diamond or gemstone. |
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Inlay | piece of material partially embedded in another material |
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Intaglio | decoration where design is cut into the surface. Many times a carved gem where the design is created by incising into the stone making a negative pattern. |
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Iridescent | displaying many changing colors, caused by light reflection off the jewel or bead |
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Jade | semi-precious stone. Often green and used in cabochons in jewelry. |
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Japanned | a hard, durable black finish on jewelry settings |
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Jasper | common type of quartz found in many colors, especially shades of brown and red. Often with marbling or speckled appearance. Hardness of 6.5 on Mohs scale |
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Jelly Belly | piece of jewelry (usually a pin) that has a clear Lucite or glass center. |
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Jet | fossilized coal. Often imitated. |
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Jewel (as in 17 jewel watch) | synthetic sapphires or rubies that act as durable bearings for gears of a mechanical watch. |
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Jewellery | U.K. spelling of the word "jewelry" |
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Jonquil | a very pale yellow colored rhinestone |
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Juliana | style of jewelry manufactured by DeLizza & Elster company in the 1950's and 1960's that were unsigned. Pieces have plentiful colored rhinestones of various shapes, with little metalwork showing. Highly prized by collectors. |
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Karat | unit for indicating the gold content on a 0 to 24 scale. For example, Pure gold is 24 karats, 18 karat gold is 750 parts out of 1,000 parts gold, and 14 karat gold is 585 parts out of 1,000 parts pure gold. |
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Lariat | a type of necklace consisting of a long strand that is sometimes looped into a knot or used with a slide so the two ends hang free. Also a term to indicate a necklace more than 45" in length. |
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Lavalier | pendant with dangling stone that hangs from a necklace. |
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Lead crystal | a glass made with lead oxide which gives the glass better sparkle or higher index of refraction. |
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Lobster claw clasp | a clasp for a necklace or bracelet that has an elongated hook resembling a lobster claw. The hook has a spring mechanism and opens to clasp a small ring on the other end of the chain or strand. |
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Locket | a small, hinged case often in the shape of a heart or an oval suspended from a necklace. The wearer often places a photograph or memento inside the case. |
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Lucite | an acrylic resin patented by DuPont in 1937. Often used as a generic term for plastic. |
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Maltese cross | a cross symbol with arms of equal lengths and triangular or arrow-shaped arms and points toward the center. |
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Marcasite | crystallized iron pyrites with a gray, metallic luster. Often used in sterling silver jewelry. |
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Marquise | an oval rhinestone or gem that tapers to a point at each end. |
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Matinee length | single strand necklace from 22 to 23" |
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Matte | a dull finish on beads or metals |
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Melee | small diamond, under .20 carat |
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Micromosaic | decorations made of small pieces of material like stone, much like a mosaic only smaller |
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Millefiori | technique in glassmaking where colored glass canes are fused together to form patterns (typically flowers) with a mosaic like appearance when sliced. Used in beads. |
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Mollusk | an invertebrate animal usually enclosed in a shell, such as an oyster, mussel or clam. |
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Moonglow | type of plastic bead or cabochon where the bead appears to radiate light or glow from within |
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MOP | abbreviation for Mother of Pearl |
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Mother of pearl | the iridescent material on the inside surface of mollusk shells. This material can be sliced thin and used on watch dials or as an inlay in other types of jewelry. Mother-of-pearl is most commonly milky white but also comes in other colors, such as silver |
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Mourning jewelry | type of jewelry, usually black, worn when mourning the loss of a loved one. |
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Murano glass | glass from factories near Venice, Italy |
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Nacre | whitish substance that mollusks secrete around a foreign object. Pearls are made nacre in layers. |
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Navette | a gemstone which is cut as a marquise |
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Nickel silver | also known as German silver. Alloy consisting of 60 percent copper, 20 percent nickel, 20 percent zinc |
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Niello | a method of metal decoration where an engraving is made and the lines are filled in with black color. |
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Opaque | Light cannot pass through the material (opposite of transparent) |
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Opera length | single strand necklace 30 to 35" long. |
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Oxidation | process of oxygen mixing with metal, leaving a deposit of oxide or rust. |
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Parure | matching set of jewelry usually a necklace, earrings, brooch, and bracelet |
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Paste | glass that is cut and faceted to imitate gemstones |
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Pate-de-verre | also "poured glass" where a paste of crushed glass is colored then molded into shapes before firing |
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Patina | coloration that occurs in certain metals exposed to air, usually an indicator of age. Green layer appears on copper and bronze. Artificial patinas can be created to make a newer piece appear old. |
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Pave | style of setting of small stones or rhinestones together very closely |
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Pearl | a smooth, iridescent growth formed within the shell of a mollusk to protect itself from an irritant and used as a gem. Pearl is the birthstone for June. |
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Pearl Essence | also essence d'orient. Where a crystalline substance is extracted from fish scales and combined with acrylic to apply to beads to make imitation pearls |
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Pendant | ornament suspended from a chain |
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Penney weight | a unit of 24 grains or about 1/20 of an ounce (1.555 grams). Abbreviated dwt or pwt, used in measuring precious metals like gold at the refinery stage |
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Peridot | a deep yellowish-green, transparent gem. Peridot is the birthstone for August. |
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Pewter | bluish-gray metal alloy composed of tin with small amounts of other materials like lead, copper or silver. |
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Pierce work | jewelry with areas cut or drilled out of metal to form patterns, for example like lace or geometric patterns |
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Pinchbeck | known as "false gold", made primarily of copper and a smaller amount of zinc. Invented in the 1720's by Christopher Pinchbeck. |
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Platinum | rare, silvery white metallic element of great strength, weight and resistance to corrosion. The standard of platinum in the US and most western countries is 95% pure. |
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Plique a jour | a back-less, translucent enamel resembling stained glass. Cells of enamel are surrounded by delicate wire with the backing of the enamel absent. |
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Point | a unit of measure used to express the weight of gemstones, equal to 1/100th of a carat. Twenty-five points (25) describes a 1/4 carat diamond. |
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Porcelain | thin, semi-transparent china or ceramic ware used to make beads and dinnerware. |
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Posy ring | a ring with an engraved motto on the inside |
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Pot metal | an inexpensive metal alloy, usually containing lead. Much inexpensive costume jewelry was made of pot metal. |
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Poured glass | a jewelry technique in which glass is suspended within a metal framework. The result is a stained-glass-like effect with translucent glass. |
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Precious metal | gold, silver and platinum are commonly referred to as precious metals |
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Princess length | 18" long necklace |
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Repousse | method of decorating metal by hammering designs onto the back of the metal. |
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Resin | natural from certain plants or synthetic substance used to produce plastics. |
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Retro | reminiscent of things in the past. Retro jewelry is from another era (i.e., the 50's) |
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Reverse-carved Lucite | transparent hard plastic that is carved on the back side forming a picture or design. Frequently painted highlighting the carving. |
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Rhinestones | highly reflective glass made to imitate gemstones. Originally quartz stones gathered from the Rhine River in Europe. |
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Rhodium | expensive white precious metal |
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Rocaille | design based on sea life, seashells or rocks |
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Rock crystal | clear, colorless quartz. Hardness of 7, easily cut and used for imitation diamonds. |
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Rondelle | disc-shaped bead used as a spacer in jewelry. May be encrusted with rhinestones. |
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Rope length | necklace (sometimes called a "flapper" or "lariat length"), over 45" long |
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Rose cut | a type of stone cut where 24 triangular facets meet at the top of the stone in a point. |
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Rose gold | or red gold is alloyed with copper to give its hue |
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Safety catch | a secondary fastening device used as a backup to the primary clasp on a necklace or bracelet. Usually in fine jewelry. |
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Satin Finish | finish on jewelry beads or metal that is between a matte finish and a shiny one. |
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Sautoir | a long necklace chain that has either a tassel or pendant that extends beyond the wearer's waist. Sometimes called a "Flapper length" |
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Scarab | dung beetle believed to be sacred by the Egyptians |
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Scatter pins | small pins, usually of a set, worn together in groups |
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Screw back | a clamp that holds a non-pierced earring on the ear by utilizing a screw that can be tightened against the earlobe. |
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Seed pearl | tiny, round pearls less than 2 mm in diameter |
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Semiprecious | a group of gemstones that are prized for their beauty but are not one of the four so-called precious stones (emerald, diamond, ruby or sapphire). |
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Shank | part of a ring that encircles the finger |
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Signed | term used for manufacturer or designer name or mark on jewelry |
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Signet Ring | ring used as means of identification for important people. Frequently an initial or personal symbols. Sometimes used for wax sealing of letters |
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Silver | a lustrous white, malleable metallic element. One of the precious metals used in jewelry making. |
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Spacer bead | smaller bead used between larger (primary) beads on a necklace. |
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Spinel | a hard gemstone appearing in a variety of colors from the valuable red, such as the so called Black Prince's ruby, through to blue and green. Popular in medieval jewelry. |
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Sterling silver | the most common British standard of silver purity, dating back to the currency in use in England in the 14th century. Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver with the remaining ingredients copper and other traces. Now an international standard. |
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Sugar beads | beads that appear to have been rolled in granulated sugar; the fine grains on the surface of the beads are actually tiny grains of glass or plastic. |
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Swarovski crystal | high quality precisely machine cut rhinestones and faceted leaded glass produced by the Swarovski company. |
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Table | the flat area at the top of a cut gemstone or diamond |
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Tarnish | a thin deposit of a dirt which discolors the surface of metal and is easily removed. Also a reaction between metals and other chemicals which discolors the surface, particularly silver which reacts with sulfur. |
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Thermoset | also called thermoplastic; it is a hard synthetic substance that cannot be melted by reheating. |
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Topaz | a transparent semi-precious gemstone with a range of colors and a hardness of 8. |
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Torsade | a necklace made of many strands twisted together |
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Tortoiseshell | mottled or marbled browns and yellow material originally from the rare hawksbill turtle. Today's tortoiseshell jewelry is made from plastics. |
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Tourmaline | one of the most complex family of gemstones due to its wide variation in color and translucence and unusual chemical complexity. Comes in many colors from blue through red to green and yellow. Can be transparent or translucent. |
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Translucent | descriptor of material that light passes through, although it is diffused (not transparent like glass) |
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Transparent | see-through; light can pass through a material. |
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Trembler | description for part of jewelry set on spring so it wiggles as the wearer moves |
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Troy | system of weights used for precious metal with pound of 12 ounces or 5760 grains |
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Ultrasonic cleaner | machine that uses high frequency vibrations (20,000 cycles per second) to clean jewelry. Can be used with detergents or other cleaning solutions. |
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Up Eye | a jewelry finding that can be bonded to a bead to add a loop to create a pendant. |
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Vermeil | a substantial layer of gold applied over sterling silver. |
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Victorian | name of a time period from 1837 to 1901 when Victoria became Queen of England until she died. |
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Vitreous | refers to a shiny, hard glass-like luster on a cabochon or stone |
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Vulcanite | also called ebonite, vulcanite is a hard, moldable, polished dark colored (brown to black) early rubber, produced by adding sulfur to vulcanized rubber. |
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White gold | gold alloyed with silver to produce a rich white color |
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White metal | alloys with heavy tin or lead content, such as pewter. Typically white metal is electroplated. |
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Yellow gold | a highly popular alloy made of gold mixed with silver and copper. |
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Y-necklace | usually 16-18" long, a necklace that forms a dangling Y-shape around the neck. |
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Zinc | lustrous, bluish-white element used to form a wide variety of alloys including brass, bronze, and nickel silver. |
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Zircon | a common mineral in small crystals. frequently transparent color-treated minerals are cut and polished to form gems |
