Jewelry
(Also see ROCKS AND GEMS)
aigrette a bejeweled, featherlike ornament worn in the hair.
alloy a mix of two or more metals, for example, gold and copper.
alpaca a silver substitute, an alloy made of copper, nickel, zinc, and tin.
amber a yellowish, semi-clear stone, made of fossilized tree resin. It is not officially considered amber unless it is at least 1 million years old.
amulet a good luck charm or fetish worn around the neck.
ankh a cross with a loop at the top, often used as an Egyptian amulet.
anneal to heat metal so that it can be softened and worked for jewelry making.
arabesque ornamental metalwork, in the shape of scrolls, leaves, flowers, and lines.
Ascher cut an octagon-like cut consisting of 72 facets.
assaying the measuring of the precise percentage of pure gold or silver in a piece of gold or silver.
baguette resembling the French bread of the same name, a gemstone cut into a rectangular shape.
bail an attachment on a pendant that allows it to be hung on a chain or a necklace.
Bakelite a moldable plastic used in jewelry, popular during the Great Depression.
bananabell a curved or banana-shaped shaft worn as a piercing through the navel or brow.
band another name for a ring, especially a wedding band.
bangle any solid or nonflexible bracelet.
bar and ring clasp an attaching device, consisting of a toggle or bar and a ring clasp, used to fasten the two ends of a bracelet or necklace.
bar brooch a long, rectangular brooch.
baroque an irregular pearl or an irregular bead or stone.
baroque pearl any pearl with an irregular shape.
bar pin a long or rectangular pin.
barrel clasp a chain attachment that screws the ends of a chain together and resembles a barrel.
barrette a hair ornament.
basket a lacy setting.
baton a stone cut into a narrow, rectangular length, larger than a baguette.
bauble any showy but cheap or worthless piece of jewelry.
bayadere strands of pearls entwined to form a necklace.
bead made of plastic, glass, or wood, a small ball with a hole in its center and threaded together with other beads to make a necklace or bracelet.
belly ring any ring worn in the belly button.
beveled in a gem, cut off at the corners or sides at less than 90 degrees.
bezel setting a ring setting in which the stone is surrounded by a collar of gold or silver instead of prongs.
bib necklace any necklace with strands or components that hang down and cover the top of the chest, like a bib.
birthstone originating from astrology, a stone that represents the month in which one is born. The official Jewelers of America list is as follows:
January—garnet
February—amethyst
March—aquamarine
April—diamond
May—emerald
June—pearl or moonstone
July—ruby
August—peridot
September—sapphire
October—opal
November—citrine
December—turquoise or blue topaz
Biwa pearl a lustrous, irregularly shaped pearl from Lake Biwa in Japan.
black gold gold that has been electroplated with black rhodium or rutherium or which has been subjected to a lasering technique that turns the metal deep black.
blemish a chip, scratch, or any other imperfection in a stone.
bling modern slang for jewelry that tends to be oversized and often diamond-studded, for the purpose of showing off.
blister pearl see bouton pearl.
bloomed gold any gold jewelry that has been treated with acid in order to give it a textured appearance.
blue gold an alloy of gold and iron, which creates a bluish tinge.
bodkin a long, decorative, and sometimes bejew- eled hairpin.
body jewelry any jewelry, such as a ring or stud, attached to the belly button, nose, lip, eyebrow, toe, or nipple.
Bohemian diamond a fake diamond, actually rock crystal.
Bohemian ruby a fake ruby, actually pyrope garnet.
bolo a cord with an ornamental clasp worn like a necktie.
bombe a bulging setting.
bone any animal bone used to make jewelry.
book chain popular in Victorian times, a chain, usually gold or silver, with rectangular links resembling tiny books.
botanical gem any gem that originates with a plant, such as amber from tree resin or pearl opal from bamboo.
bouton pearl also known as a blister pearl, a naturally formed, hemispherical or half-pearl, most often used in earrings.
box chain a chain with square links.
box clasp on either end of a chain, a tiny, notched box and a knobbed spring, used to attach the ends together.
bracelet a loop of chain, beads, gems, or other decorative components worn around the wrist.
Brazilian chain a chain with cuplike links. Also known as a snake chain.
bridal set a matching engagement and wedding ring.
bridge piercing pierced studs, jewels or balls, worn on either side of the bridge of the nose.
brilliance another term for a stone's sparkle.
brilliant cut a round cut with 58 facets to produce the highest level of brilliance.
briolette a teardrop-shaped pendant cut with triangular facets.
brooch a decorative pin that attaches to clothing or may be used to clasp a garment together.
brushed finish tiny lines brushed or scratched onto a surface to add texture.
buttercup setting resembling a buttercup flower, a setting with six prongs.
button earring an earring that lies flush against the earlobe and does not dangle.
cable chain a chain with ringlike links.
cabochon a domed, nonfaceted gemstone, usually cut in an opal shape and having a flat bottom.
calibrated referring to a stone that has been cut to a standard size.
calibre cut oblong-shaped cuts made in small stones.
California ruby a fake ruby, actually pyrope garnet.
cameo originating in ancient Greece and popular again in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, an ornamental pin of a low-relief portrait of a woman, goddess, or a royal figure on a plain background and often carved from shell.
cameo habille a cameo in which a carved likeness of a woman or a goddess is herself wearing a tiny component of jewelry, such as a diamond necklace.
camphor glass a cloudy white glass from which jewelry was often made in the second half of the 19th century.
cannetille decorative scrolling made from gold
captive bead ring in body piercing, a ring with a tiny opening, into which a tiny bead or gem is inserted to secure attachment to a nostril, ear lobe, nipple, or other body part.
carat a measure of weight used for gemstones, with one carat equaling one-fifth of a gram, or 200 milligrams.