Glossary

American Gem Society (AGS)
A trade association of retail jewelers, independent appraisers, suppliers, and selective industry members in the United States and Canada. Members are held to a high code of ethics with emphasis on consumer protection and education. The Society trains and certifies jewelers, gemologists, and jewelry appraisers. 

Antwerp diamonds
Diamonds from the diamond capital of the world. Roughly 60-80% of all the diamonds in the world are cut and traded in Antwerp.

Bangle
A stiff bracelet or anklet

Bench jeweler
An artisan who uses jewelry-making skills to make and repair jewelry

Bespoke
An item made for a particular customer or user. Also known as custom or custom made.

Brilliance
The amount of light reflecting out of the crown of the stone to your eye

Baguette
Small, often rectangular, step-cut diamonds with straight or tapered edges

Beveled edge
An angled cut on a piece of jewelry for aesthetic purposes or for comfort

Blemish
Imperfections that occur on the surface of a diamond

Brightness
The appearance, or extent, of internal and external reflections of “white” light seen in a polished diamond

Bridal set
A set consisting of an engagement ring and matching band

CAD jewelry design
Computer-aided design; the use of computer software programs to create 2D or 3D models for jewelry design

Casting
The process by which a wax pattern is made into a jewelry mold and then filled with molten metal or silver to create a piece of jewelry

Comfort Fit
The inside edge of a ring is slightly rounded for comfort

Conflict-free diamond
A diamond that's mined and shipped without connection to rebel or terror groups

Crown
The top of a diamond. Its main function is to disperse the light that enters the diamond into white light, which gives the stone its brilliance.

Cubic zirconia
A colorless, synthetic gemstone made of the cubic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide

Cuff
A bracelet that does not close on the wrist but rests on the wrist with a gap or open area on the inside of the wrist

Culet
The small area at the bottom of a diamond's pavilion

Ethical sourcing
A process of ensuring products are obtained in a responsible and sustainable way, that the workers involved in making them are safe and treated fairly, and that environmental and social impacts are taken into consideration during the sourcing process

Eye-clean diamonds
Diamonds that don't have any inclusions and blemishes visible to the naked eye

Fair trade
Trade between companies in developed countries and producers in developing countries in which fair prices are paid to the producers

The 4 C’s
The color, cut, clarity, and carat (weight) attributes of diamonds used to determine the value

Gemstone
A precious or semiprecious stone, especially one cut, polished, and used in a piece of jewelry

Gemology
The study of precious stones

Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
An independent nonprofit that protects the gem and jewelry buying public through research, education, and laboratory services

GIA Graduate Gemologist
A jeweler who has completed one of the most prestigious programs in the industry. They are trained with the most comprehensive knowledge of diamonds and colored stones, as well as technical expertise and practical skills to evaluate gemstones by the four C’s.

Girdle
The part of the stone that creates the outline when looking at it from the top

Halo setting
A setting that encircles a center gemstone in a collection of round pavé or micro-pavé diamonds, or faceted color gemstones

Heirloom
A valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations

Imperfection
A fault, blemish, or undesirable feature

Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO)
An industry organization comprised of elite jewelry retailers. Members are provided with marketing and educational opportunities, as well as other industry benefits.

Independently certified diamonds
A fully certified, independent diamond grading laboratory evaluates quality by using the stone's unique attributes

Karat
A measure of the purity of gold, pure gold being 24 karats

The Kimberley Process
A process implemented to prevent "conflict diamonds" from entering the mainstream rough diamond market

Lavaliere
A necklace featuring an often-ornate and typically elongated pendant.

Loupe

A small magnifying glass used by jewelers and watchmakers

Luster
The appearance of a gem’s surface when it reflects light. Lusters can be resinous, pearly, or waxy—describing gemstone luster involves some subjectivity.

Metals
Materials used in the creation of fine jewelry, including gold, platinum, palladium, titanium, silver, tungsten, and stainless steel

Milgrain
A row of beaded engraving on a piece of jewelry

Moissanite
A rare gemstone that is often lab-grown and engineered to give the illusion of similarity to diamonds. While it is different in appearance than a diamond, it is durable for everyday wear, and often used as a substitute because of its lower price.

Natural stones
Valuable organic materials from the earth, such as ruby, sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, tourmaline, and quartz stones

Pavilion
The part of the diamond that reflects the light that passes through the crown and back into the eyes

Pearl luster
The appearance of a pearl’s surface when it reflects lights. A high luster pearl looks illuminated from within. Pearls with very high luster quality are the most valuable.

Platinum
A rare and precious bright white metal that is durable and hypoallergenic

Rivière
A necklace made a single type and shape of gemstone that graduates in size.

Sarine technology
A state-of-the-art verification system that determines the value of loose diamonds or set jewelry. Sarine Technologies Ltd makes these machines and sells them to manufacturers and retailers.

Table
The flat surface on the very top of a stone that resembles an actual tabletop