Descriptionary

cultured pearl a pearl naturally produced after a human artificially introduces an irritant, such as a sand grain or piece of shell into the opening of an oyster. The oyster secretes a lustrous substance called nacre to cover the irritant, and over time successive layers form into a pearl.

cut referring to the shaping and faceting of a fin­ished gem.

cut beads beads that have been cut with facets.

cut glass any glass that has been cut with facets, for a decorative effect.

daith piercing a piercing for an earring that is not in the earlobe but above it, in the middle of the ear, in a portion of cartilage.

demilune any gemstone shaped like a half moon.

demiparure earrings, necklace, and pin that come in a matching set.

diadem a jeweled tiara.

diamante a rhinestone.

diamond cut rope any chain made with diamond- shaped links.

dichoric glass specially made glass that reflects dual colors and is made into cabochons.

diffusion heating a stone along with iron oxide or chrome oxide to create additional surface color, sometimes used with sapphires and topaz.

dog collar a chokerlike necklace.

domed convex in shape, as with many earring and pendant styles.

doublet a thin or fragile piece of gemstone layered on top of a less expensive piece of stone, such as iron­stone. Also a thin gemstone topped with a protective layer of quartz.

drop earring any earring that dangles beneath the earlobe.

dull referring to a low level of luster and reflectivity.

ebony a dark, dense wood sometimes used in jew­elry.

electroplating the process of passing an electrical current through a base metal and coating it with a thin layer of gold.

electrum a natural, yellowish-white alloy of gold, silver, and platinum, originally used in ancient Greek coins and now used in jewelry.

emerald cut a square or rectangular cut, with addi­tional faceting along edges and corners.

engrave to gouge a design, pattern, words, or a name into metal.

estate jewelry previously owned or used jewelry.

facet the smooth plane made by a strategic cut in a gemstone. Most stones are multifaceted.

fancy cut any gemstone cut other than a brilliant cut, such as emerald, heart, pear, or baguette.

fantasy cut a freeform cut with multiple facets.

faux French word for fake or imitation, as a faux pearl.

feather in a gemstone, a flaw.

fede ring a ring characterized by two hands clasped together, as a Claddagh ring.

fetish a charm or amulet, sometimes believed to have magical properties.

fibula a brooch that works like a safety pin to attach clothing.

figaro chain a chain having alternating round and oval links.

filigree any delicate, open metalwork, usually of fine wire.

findings all fasteners, hooks, clasps, posts, and attaching components used in jewelry.

finish the texture or lack thereof on the surface of a piece of jewelry.

fire any streaks of color seen within a gemstone.

flaw any imperfection, such as a crack, in a gem- stone.

fob a short chain that attaches to a pocket watch.

freeform any cut or faceting other than a standard type.

French ivory imitation ivory made from plastic.

freshwater pearl an irregularly shaped pearl formed by a mussel taken from a lake or river.

full cut describing any gemstone having 58 facets.

gallery an open, decoratively pierced mounting, reminiscent of the woodwork on the sterns of old sailing ships.

gem any precious or semiprecious stone, usually cut and polished and used in jewelry.

gilding a thin layer of gold.

gilt gold plating.

girdle the middle portion of a faceted gem or dia­mond, between the crown and the pavilion.

glyptography the art of engraving and carving gem- stones.

gold a soft and pliable precious metal widely used in jewelry. It is usually alloyed with other metals to add strength and durability.

gold filled a misleading term, actually made of base metal covered by gold.

gold plate a surfacing or coating of electroplated gold.

gold tone not necessarily made of gold but colored gold.

gold washed having an extremely thin layer of gold.

grain in diamonds or pearls, a unit of weight, with four grains equaling one carat.

greasy descriptive term for a kind of luster found most commonly on jades and soapstones.

green gold gold that has been alloyed with silver, copper, and zinc, giving it a greenish hue.

grey gold gold alloyed with 15 to 20 percent iron.

gypsy setting any setting in which the gemstone has been sunk into the surrounding metal, so that it is level with the surface.