Jewelry Glossary - Evriviadis Jewellery

Gypsy setting

The Gypsy setting is predominantly used for men's jewelry. The band is one continuous piece that gets thicker at the top. The top is dome shaped and the stone is inserted in the middle.

Hardness

Resistance a material offers to scratching or abrasion. Generally measured using the MOHS scale.

Herringbone chain

A chain with small, slanting links that appear flat.

Illusion setting

This setting is more intricate than others in that it surrounds the stone to make it appear larger.

Inclusion

"Internal characteristics" apparent to a trained or professional eye at 10x magnification. Inclusions can be bubbles, crystals, carbon spots, feathers, clouds, pinpoints, or other impurities, or even cracks and abrasions. They are what make a diamond so unique, as a fingerprint does for a person.

Inlay

The placing of material into the surface of another.

Karat

The fineness of gold (also see "carat," used for gemstones). 24K is pure gold. 18K is 18 parts gold, 6 parts other metals. 14K is 14 parts gold, 10 parts other metals. 12K is 12 parts gold, 12 parts other metals. 10K is 10 parts gold, 14 parts other metals.

Lariat

Long-strand, open-ended necklace usually looped in a knot or used with a slide so the two ends hang free.

Lead crystal

Colorless, transparent glass resembling rock crystal. Must be 10% lead to be considered crystal.

Lobster claw clasp

An interlocking catch with a spring mechanism and a safety lock.

Loupe

Any small magnifying glass mounted for hand use, to hold up to the eye socket or attach to a pair of glasses.

Luster

The hue and depth of reflection from pearls, opals or other opaque stones.

Marquise shape

A double-pointed, boat-shaped stone that is long and thin with gently curved sides coming to a point on either end. Marquise is part of the brilliant-cut family; ideally cut it has 58 facets.

Matinee length

Used to describe a chain or single strand of pearls or beads that is 20" to 24" long.

Mele

Small, usually round diamonds less than .10 carats in size.

Mesh chain

Fabric-like chain woven from very fine wire.

Mixed-cut

This cut has both step-cut and brilliant-cut facets. Mixed cuts combine the beauty of the emerald cut with the sparkle of the brilliant cut.

MOHS Scale

A scale of hardness with numbers from one to ten assigned to ten minerals of increasing hardness from talc to diamonds.

MOHS Rating	Gemstone	Mineral Group

10	Diamond
9	Ruby, Sapphire	Corundum
8	Topaz	Topaz
7.5	Emerald	Beryl
7.5	Aquamarine	Beryl
7	Amethyst	Quartz
6.5	Peridot
5.5-6.5	Opal
3	Onyx

Mohs Scale of Hardness

The gem trade standard for hardness. The higher the Mohs Scale number, the harder the stone. The highest Mohs Scale rating is 10 (diamonds). Any piece of jewelry with a Mohs Scale rating of less than 7 is easily scratched (coral, opal, pearl, turquoise).

Natural

A diamond characteristic that is part of the surface of a polished diamond that was not cut or polished during the cutting process.

Natural gemstones

Rubies, emeralds, amethysts and others that occur naturally in the earth.

Oiling

This technique is commonly used on emeralds. The purpose of this technique is for the oil to fill the fine cracks that weaken the green color. The oil fills the cracks making them "disappear" and thereby improving the color.

Omega chain

Flat chain with a solid surface formed by the links.

Opalite

A human-made opalized glass resin that is fused with metal to create an opalescent effect.

Opera length

Used to describe a chain or single strand of pearls or beads that is 28" to 30" long.

Overlay

Decorative layer.

Oxidizing

Darkening the surface of metal by chemical or heat application.

Pave

A type of setting where a number of small stones are set together. It literally means paved with diamonds.

Pavilion

Bottom portion of the stone, under the girdle, measuring to the culet. It is the area below the girdle consisting of 23 facets in the round-brilliant-cut diamond.

Pear shape

Term used to describe any diamond whose girdle outline resembles a pear shape. Ideally cut pear shapes have 58 facets.

Pinpoint

An inclusion within a diamond. A gathering of pinpoints is called a "cluster" or "cloud." A cloud or cluster can appear as a hazy area in the diamond, a pinpoint appears as a dot.

Point

Term meaning one-hundredth of a carat, approximately the size of one-half a grain of sand.

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