Jewelry Terms Glossary | Tom Tivol Jewels | Leawood, KS

A
Agate
A variety of chalcedony quartz with variegated color, ranging from opaque to semi-translucent. Commonly used in carvings and ornamental jewelry, and can be valuable in finely crafted cameos.

Aigrette
A jeweled hair ornament, often designed in a spray-like pattern to resemble feathers. Popular between the 17th and 20th centuries.

Alexandrite
A rare variety of chrysoberyl known for its color-changing properties, appearing green in daylight and red under incandescent light. Russian-origin stones are the most prized.

Almandine (Almandite)
A common garnet variety, typically displaying an orangey-brown to reddish tone and generally considered affordable.

Amber
Fossilized tree resin that is lightweight and warm to the touch. Colors range from pale yellow to deep reddish tones, sometimes containing preserved insects.

Amethyst
A purple variety of quartz, ranging from light lavender to deep violet. Widely available and used in jewelry across many eras.

Antique
A piece of jewelry that is at least 100 years old.

Appraisal
A written report prepared by an independent expert that describes and assigns value to an item for a specific purpose.

Aquamarine
A blue to greenish-blue variety of beryl, valued for its clarity and soft, ocean-like color.

Arabesque
An intricate decorative style featuring flowing, interlaced patterns, often inspired by Moorish design.

Art Nouveau
A jewelry design era (1890–1910) characterized by flowing lines, natural forms, and artistic, nature-inspired motifs.

Art Deco
A bold design period (1910–1930) known for geometric shapes, strong lines, and dramatic use of diamonds and color.

Assembled Stone
A gemstone made from layered materials, often used to imitate natural stones.

Asterism
A star-like optical effect seen in certain gemstones, such as star sapphires, caused by internal inclusions.
B
Baguette
A rectangular or tapered diamond cut often used as accent stones in jewelry.

Bangle
A rigid bracelet that may be solid, hinged, or open-ended.

Baroque
A term used to describe irregular or freeform shapes, often applied to pearls.

Belcher Link
A simple chain style made of uniform round links, common in antique jewelry.

Beryl
A gemstone family that includes emerald, aquamarine, morganite, and heliodor.

Black Opal
A highly valued opal variety with a dark body color that enhances its play of color.

Blister Pearl
A pearl formed attached to the shell of the mollusk and later cut away with the backing intact.

Brilliant Cut
A gemstone cutting style designed to maximize light reflection and sparkle.

Briolette
An elongated, faceted gemstone without a table, often used in pendants or earrings.

Buff Top
A gemstone cut with a smooth, domed top and faceted underside.

Burma Ruby
A ruby from Myanmar known for its vivid red color and strong fluorescence.
C
Cabochon
A gemstone cut with a smooth, rounded surface and no facets.

Cameo
A carved gemstone or shell featuring a raised design against a contrasting background.

Carat
A unit of weight for gemstones equal to 200 milligrams. Also refers to gold purity (24k = pure gold).

Carnelian
A reddish-orange variety of chalcedony quartz.

Cartouche
A decorative pendant or frame, often featuring inscriptions or symbolic designs.

Cat’s-Eye
A gemstone that displays a band of reflected light resembling an eye when viewed under a single light source.

Chalcedony
A microcrystalline form of quartz that appears in a wide range of colors and varieties.

Channel Setting
A method of setting stones in a row between two strips of metal without prongs.

Chatoyancy
An optical effect that creates a moving band of light across the surface of a gemstone.

Chrysoberyl
A durable gemstone that includes varieties such as alexandrite and cat’s-eye.

Citrine
A yellow variety of quartz, often associated with warm, golden tones.

Clarity
A measure of the presence of internal or external imperfections in a gemstone or diamond.

Cleavage
The tendency of a gemstone to split along specific internal planes.

Coral
An organic gemstone formed from marine organisms, typically seen in red, pink, or white.

Corundum
A mineral species that includes ruby (red) and sapphire (all other colors).

Culet
The small facet at the bottom of a gemstone, sometimes present in older diamond cuts.

Cultured Pearl
A pearl created by inserting a nucleus into a mollusk to stimulate pearl formation.

Curb Chain
A chain style with interlocking, flattened links that lie close together.

Cushion Cut
A square or rectangular gemstone shape with rounded corners.
D
Demantoid
A rare, vivid green garnet known for its brilliance and distinctive internal “horsetail” inclusions.

Die Struck (Die Stamping)
A jewelry manufacturing process where metal is pressed into a mold to create detailed, durable designs.

Doublet
A composite gemstone made of two bonded layers, often used to imitate natural stones.
E
Edwardian Era
A jewelry period (1905–1920) known for delicate, intricate designs, often featuring platinum and fine gemstones.

Egyptian Revival Jewelry
Jewelry inspired by ancient Egyptian designs, popular from the mid-1800s through the early 20th century.

Emerald
A highly prized green variety of beryl, valued for its color and rarity.

Enamel
A decorative coating fused onto metal, often colorful but delicate and difficult to repair.

Eternity Ring
A ring featuring gemstones set all the way around the band, symbolizing everlasting love.

Etruscan Revival Jewelry
Victorian-era jewelry inspired by ancient Etruscan designs, often featuring intricate goldwork.
F
Fabergé
A renowned Russian jeweler famous for elaborate, artistic creations, including the iconic jeweled eggs.

Fair Market Value
The price an item would sell for between a willing buyer and seller, with neither under pressure.

Fancy Color Diamond
A diamond with noticeable color beyond the typical white range, such as pink, blue, or yellow.

Filigree
A delicate metalwork design made from fine wires twisted into intricate patterns.

Fluorescence
A glow emitted by certain gemstones when exposed to ultraviolet light.
G
Gallery
The portion of a ring beneath the setting, often decorative or structural.

Garnet
A group of gemstones found in many colors, commonly red but also green, orange, and more.

Georgian Era
A jewelry period (1720–1820) known for ornate designs, high-carat gold, and antique craftsmanship.

Gold Filled
A base metal bonded with a thin layer of gold, offering durability and affordability.

Granulation
A decorative technique using tiny gold spheres fused to a surface to create intricate patterns.
H
Hallmark
A stamp on metal indicating its purity, origin, and sometimes the maker.

Heat Treatment
A process used to enhance the color or clarity of gemstones.

I
Imperial Jade
The highest quality jadeite, known for its rich green color and translucency.

Inclusion
A natural internal feature within a gemstone, which can affect value and appearance.

Intaglio
A carved gemstone design cut into the surface rather than raised.

Irradiation
A treatment used to alter or enhance the color of gemstones.
J
Jade
A gemstone name referring to two minerals: jadeite and nephrite, valued for durability and color.

Jasper
An opaque variety of chalcedony, often patterned and used in decorative jewelry.

Jet
A lightweight black organic gemstone formed from fossilized wood, often used in antique mourning jewelry.
K
Koh-I-Noor
One of the world’s most famous diamonds, now part of the British Crown Jewels.

Kunzite
A pink to violet variety of spodumene, known for its soft color and sensitivity to light.
L
Labradorite
A gemstone known for its iridescent flashes of color, often called labradorescence.

Lapis Lazuli
A deep blue opaque gemstone often flecked with gold-colored pyrite.

Lavalier
A delicate necklace style with a central pendant, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Lustre
The reflective quality of a gemstone or pearl’s surface.
M
Mabe Pearl
A cultured pearl formed against the shell of a mollusk, resulting in a dome shape.

Marquise Cut
An elongated gemstone shape with pointed ends, designed to maximize size appearance.

Melee
Small diamonds typically used as accent stones in jewelry.

Millegraining
A decorative setting style featuring tiny bead-like edges around gemstones.

Moonstone
A gemstone known for its soft glow or “floating light” effect.

Morganite
A pink variety of beryl, valued for its soft blush tones.
N
Nacre
The substance secreted by mollusks that forms pearls.

Natural Pearl
A pearl formed without human intervention, making it rare and highly valuable.

Niello
A black decorative inlay used in metalwork.
O
Octahedron
A natural crystal shape commonly seen in rough diamonds.

Old European Cut
An early diamond cut with a round shape and larger facets, used before modern cuts.

Old Mine Cut
An antique diamond cut with a squarish shape and deep proportions.

Onyx
A variety of chalcedony often dyed black for use in jewelry.

Opal
A gemstone known for its play of color, displaying flashes of multiple hues.
P
Padparadscha
A rare pink-orange variety of sapphire.

Palladium
A lightweight metal in the platinum family, used in jewelry alloys.

Parure
A complete set of matching jewelry pieces.

Patina
A natural surface finish that develops over time on metals.

Pavé
A setting style where small stones are set closely together, covering the surface.

Pavilion
The lower portion of a faceted gemstone.

Peridot
A green gemstone known for its bright, fresh color.

Princess Cut
A modern square-shaped diamond cut with sharp corners.

Provenance
The documented history or origin of a piece of jewelry, which can increase its value.

Q
Quartz
A common gemstone family that includes amethyst, citrine, and many other varieties.
R
Repoussé
A metalworking technique where designs are formed by hammering from the back.

Rhodolite
A purplish-red variety of garnet.

Rose Cut
An antique gemstone cut with a flat base and domed top.

Ruby
A red variety of corundum and one of the most valuable gemstones.
S
Sapphire
A variety of corundum found in many colors, most commonly blue.

Shank
The band portion of a ring.

Spinel
A gemstone often mistaken for ruby, found in a variety of colors.

Star Sapphire
A sapphire displaying a star-like effect across its surface.

Synthetic Gemstone
A man-made stone with the same properties as a natural gemstone.
T
Table Cut
An early gemstone cut with a flat top and simple facets.

Tanzanite
A blue to violet gemstone known for its rich color and relative softness.

Topaz
A gemstone found in a wide range of colors, including blue and pink.

Tourmaline
A gemstone family with a wide range of colors, often named by color.

Triplet
A composite gemstone made of three bonded layers.
U
Uvarovite
A rare, emerald-green variety of garnet.
V
Vermeil
Sterling silver coated with a layer of gold.

Victorian Jewelry
Jewelry from the Victorian era (1837–1901), often ornate and symbolic.
W
Weckström, Björn
A Finnish jewelry designer known for modern, sculptural designs.

Window (in gemstones)
A cutting flaw where light passes through the stone, reducing brilliance.