GLOSSARY OF TERMS:

Abrasion
Tiny nicks along the facet junctions of a diamond, resulting in white, fuzzy lines, in lieu of very crisp facet edges.

Alloy
A mix of two or more different metals. Gold which is less than 24 Karat (24k) is an alloy composed of pure gold mixed with other metals; silver, copper, chromium, palladium and zinc.

Anniversary Ring
Sometimes called an eternity ring; it is a ring comprised of numerous diamonds and celebrates a wedding anniversary.

Bagguette
Usually small with a rectangular step-cut diamond. At times the bagguette is cut in a tapered fashion. These are used as side stones in diamond and colored gem stone rings.

Bezel
This is a thin metal strip which surrounds the stone in its mounting, thus securing it.

Birth Stone
A gem stone which is associated with a particular month:

• January — Garnet
• February — Amethyst
• March — Aquamarine
• April — Diamond
• May — Emerald
• June — Alexandrite or Pearl
• July — Ruby
• August — Peridot
• September — Blue Sapphire
• October — Opal
• November — Golden Topaz or Citrine
• December — Blue Tourmaline

Blemish
This is a term which is used in the grading system for clarity by the Gemological Institute of America(GIA). It is a term for a nick on the surface of a polished diamond.
 
Brilliance
How bright and sparkling a diamond appears to the eye.
 
Carat
This is the standard unit of weight, in metric terms, used for denoting the weight of diamonds and gem stones. It equals 200 milligrams, or a fifth of a gram. The abbreviation to denote a carat is "ct."
 
Certificate
This is the Diamond Grading Report, issued by a recognized gemological laboratory and provides a gemological description of a diamond to include weight, cut, clarity and color. It provides a sort of DNA
of a diamond.  

Graduate Gemologist
The designation: "Graduate Gemologist" is awarded by the Gemological Institute of America to persons who have completed extensive gemological training and awarded the graduate gemologist diploma.
 
Channel Set
The setting of diamonds in grooves without benefit of prongs to retain the stones.
 
Clarity
The extent to which a diamond is free of imperfections, inclusions and blemishes.
 
Clarity Grading System
A system developed by the GIA by which the clarity of a gem stone is measured and described. Various elements in a gem stone determine its placement on the clarity scale, such as color, size and nature of the inclusions or any imperfections.
 
Cloud
A hazy area inside a diamond composed of tightly bound inclusions.
 
Color
The color of a diamond when observed from the top. Colorless or white diamonds are considered the most valuable, normally.
 
Color Grading System
A standard by which the color of a stone is measured and described.
 
Cut
The shape or style in which a gem stone is cut.
 
Diamond
The diamond, the hardest natural mineral known to exist, was formed under extreme pressure and high temperatures millions of years ago. Diamonds come in numerous colors, but, colorless and near colorless are the most desired and valuable.
 
Facet
The angled flat surface on a polished gem stone. A round diamond has 58 facets.
 
Flawless
a grade of clarity in a polished diamond which reveals no blemishes or inclusions when using a jeweler's loupe.
 
Four Cs
Four terms used when determining the value of a diamond: Clarity, Cut, Carat and Color.
 
Gem Stone
This is a term used to describe any precious or semi-precious stone.
 
Gold
Gold is the preferred element in the design and creation of fine jewelry items. It will not tarnish, rust or corrode. An alloy of pure gold and combination of copper and silver makes the metal stronger and extremely durable. Other metals such as zinc and nickel are used. The percentages of gold and the various metals vary with the karat desired and produce yellow, white and red gold.  Gold's purity is measured in Karats (k) and scaled in 24ths. The weight is expressed in troy ounces. One troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams. The purity of the gold depends on the percentage of metals forming the alloy:

24k= Pure gold; too soft for jewelry
22k= 91.7% gold; still, normally too soft for jewelry
18k= 75% gold; commonly used for fine jewelry
14k= 58.3% gold; commonly used for fine jewelry
10k=41.7% gold; used in less expensive jewelry

Hardness
Moh's Scale is used to determine the hardness of minerals (gem stones in particular). A diamond rates a 10 on a scale of one to 10 as it is the hardest mineral in existence. The scale is not equal, however. A diamond rates 30 times harder than a ruby and sapphire. But, they rate 9 on the scale of one to 10.
 
Inclusion
A flaw within a diamond which reduces its clarity grading.
 
Karat
The measurement of purity of gold (please see discussion of Gold above).
 
Marquise (mar-keez)
A boat-shaped brilliant cut with curved sides and pointed ends.


Mounting
The portion of the ring wherein the stone or diamond is set.
 
Platinum
This is a strong, hard metal that is more expensive than gold, due to its rarity. It is the only metal that can be used in fine jewelry which can be 95% pure.
 
Point
Carats are divided into points. For example, there are 100 points in one carat.
 
Prong
A prong is a metal arm attached to the base of the ring setting and is clamped to the stone to retain it in the setting.
 
Settings
Settings display the marvelous characteristics of a diamond or gem stone. Settings may display a single stone or diamond or a large number. The setting selected is the most important element in the design of a jewelry piece, as it will enhance the display. The following are the more popular settings:

 

Bar Setting	Bezel Setting	Channel Setting
Invisible Setting	Prong Setting	Tiffany Setting

Shape
The shape or style in which a gem stone is cut. Popular shapes:

Round	Princess	Emerald	Pear
Oval	Trilliant	Marquise	Heart

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