Knowledge

Jewellery Glossary A to Z

Terms about jewellery, gold, silver, precious metals and the goldsmith's craft – clearly explained.

A
Agate
A banded variety of quartz (chalcedony), popular as a gemstone.
Alloy
A mixture of several metals, e.g. gold with copper and silver.
Amber
Fossilised tree resin, an organic gem material.
Amethyst
A purple quartz and one of the best-known gemstones.
Aquamarine
A pale-blue gemstone from the beryl group.
B
Bangle
A rigid, closed wrist ornament; central to Turkish tradition.
Bar (Ingot)
A standardised block of precious metal for investment.
Belcher Chain
A chain made of evenly rounded links.
Beryl
A mineral group that includes emerald and aquamarine.
Bezel Setting
A setting that surrounds the stone with a metal rim.
Bilezik
A Turkish gold bangle, a classic wedding and celebration gift.
Bracelet
Flexible wrist jewellery made of movable links.
Brilliant
A round-cut diamond with 57 or 58 facets.
Brilliant Cut
A cut designed for maximum light refraction and sparkle.
Brooch
A piece of jewellery fastened with a pin.
C
Cabochon
A smooth, domed cut without facets.
Carat
A unit of weight for gemstones (1 carat = 0.2 g); for gold, carat denotes purity.
Carat (Gold)
A measure of gold content; 24 carat equals pure gold.
Casting
Making jewellery by pouring molten metal into a mould.
Chain
Neck jewellery made of connected links.
Chasing
Decorating metal surfaces by punching and embossing.
Citrine
A yellow to golden-brown quartz.
Coin
A minted gold or silver piece, also used as an investment.
Collier
An elaborately crafted necklace, often set with stones.
Copper
An alloy metal that gives gold a reddish tone.
Cubic Zirconia
A synthetic, diamond-like gemstone.
Cufflinks
Jewellery for fastening shirt cuffs.
Cultured Pearl
A pearl cultivated on pearl farms.
Cut
The shape and finishing of a gemstone.
D
Diamond
The hardest natural gemstone, made of pure carbon.
Ducat Gold
Very high-carat gold (986/1000), traditionally used for coins.
E
Emerald
A green gemstone from the beryl group.
Enamel
A coloured glass coating fused onto metal.
Engagement Ring
A ring for a marriage proposal, often with a solitaire.
Engraving
Text or decoration cut into metal.
F
Facet
A polished, flat surface of a gemstone.
Figaro Chain
A chain with alternating long and short links.
Filigree
Fine, openwork wire craftsmanship.
Fine Gold
Pure gold with 999/1000 fineness (24 carat).
Fine Silver
Pure silver with 999/1000 fineness.
Fineness
The proportion of pure precious metal, given in parts per thousand.
Full Gold Coin
A Turkish full-size gold coin.
G
Garnet
A usually deep-red gemstone.
Gemstone
A rare, hard and usually transparent gemstone.
Gold Plating
A thin layer of gold on another metal.
Goldsmith
A craftsman who makes jewellery from precious metals.
H
Hallmark
A stamped mark indicating fineness and origin.
Hallmarking
Stamping with fineness and maker's marks.
Hardness (Mohs)
A scale from 1 to 10 for a stone's scratch resistance.
Hasır
A densely woven Turkish gold chain with a mat-like pattern.
I
Imitation
An artificial substitute for a genuine gemstone.
Inclusion
A natural feature inside a stone.
Investment
Precious metal as a stable store of value.
Investment Gold
Gold held as an investment, usually as bars or coins.
J
Jewel
A precious piece of jewellery, usually set with gemstones.
Jeweller
A specialist shop and dealer for jewellery and watches.
K
King's Chain
An elaborate, dense chain with interlinked elements.
L
Lapis Lazuli
A deep-blue ornamental stone, often flecked with gold.
M
Mohs Hardness
A mineral hardness scale from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).
N
Neck Ring
A rigid, closed neck ornament.
Nickel
An alloy metal that can cause allergies.
Niello
A black metal alloy used as decorative inlay.
O
Onyx
A deep-black variety of chalcedony.
Opal
A gemstone with an iridescent play of colour.
Ounce (Troy)
An international unit of weight for precious metals (31.1 g).
P
Palladium
A platinum-group metal, used e.g. for nickel-free white gold.
Pavé
A surface densely set with many small stones.
Pearl
An organic gem formed inside molluscs.
Pendant
A piece of jewellery worn on a chain or necklace.
Platinum
A very precious, heavy and durable white metal.
Precious Metal
A corrosion-resistant metal such as gold, silver or platinum.
Prong Setting
A setting that holds the stone with small prongs.
Q
Quarter Gold Coin
A Turkish quarter-size gold coin, a popular gift at celebrations.
Quartz
A common mineral; includes amethyst, citrine and rock crystal.
R
Red Gold
A copper-rich gold alloy with a strong red tone.
Rhodium Plating
Finishing white gold with a bright layer of rhodium.
Rolled Gold
A base metal with a bonded layer of gold.
Rolled Gold
Material with a firmly bonded layer of rolled gold.
Rose Gold
A gold alloy with a high copper content and a pink tone.
Ruby
A red gemstone from the corundum group.
S
Sapphire
A corundum gemstone, usually blue.
Setting
The mount that holds a stone in a piece of jewellery.
Silver
A precious metal; for jewellery usually 925 sterling silver.
Soldering
Joining metal parts using a melting solder.
Solid
Made entirely of metal, not hollow.
Solitaire
A single set stone, e.g. on an engagement ring.
Sterling Silver
A silver alloy with 925/1000 fineness.
Stud Earring
An earring with a straight post and back.
T
Tanzanite
A rare, blue-violet gemstone.
Tarnishing
Darkening of silver caused by reaction with the surrounding air.
Topaz
A gemstone in many colours, often blue or yellow.
Turquoise
A blue-green, opaque gemstone.
W
Wedding Ring
A wedding ring, traditionally made of gold.
White Gold
A gold alloy with a white tone, usually rhodium-plated.
Y
Yellow Gold
A gold alloy with a warm, yellow tone.