carbon spot a flaw in a diamond.
carbuncle any deep red garnet cut into a cabochon.
celluloid an imitation ivory made of cellulose plastic.
Celtic jewelry originating in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany, various pieces of jewelry made from bronze, silver, gold, cairngorm, and amethyst.
Celtic revival a style of jewelry fashioned after the original Celtic jewelry, popular in the 19th century.
center stone in a ring setting, the most valuable stone, often a diamond, situated in the center.
certification a certified grading of a gem's quality and characteristics, provided by a gem expert.
chain a metal strand with links in the shape of rings, squares, cable, etc., used for bracelets and necklaces.
chandelier earrings any showy, dangling earrings that resemble chandeliers.
channel inlay in a piece of jewelry, a recess or groove lined with mother of pearl, turquoise, or other gemstones.
chaplet a circlet, garland, or wreath, sometimes bejeweled, worn on the head.
charm any kind of small trinket or novelty hung from a bracelet, necklace, or earring. Charms may be simple ornaments or tiny figures of a book, bicycle, heart, animal, or virtually any object.
charm bracelet any chain bracelet decorated or hung with charms.
charm ring any ring decorated with a charm.
chasing decorative indentations made in metal.
chatelaine an ornamental clasp worn at the waist and hung with chains that held a purse or a case with various housekeeping items, from keys to pencils to scissors, popular in the 19 th century.
chaton a rhinestone or crystal shaped like a cone.
choker a necklace worn snugly around the neck, like a collar.
Christina a piercing through which a bead or ball is attached, in the outer labia of the female genitals, just below the pubic mound.
cigar band on a ring, a broad band.
Claddagh ring a traditional Irish ring, originating in the 17th century in the town of Claddagh, and given as a gesture of friendship or to symbolize a formal engagement or marriage. It typically has two hands clasping a heart topped with a crown. When worn on the right hand, with the heart pointed out, the wearer can be assumed to be unattached or single. With the heart pointing in, the wearer is typically involved with someone. On the left hand, an outward pointing heart symbolizes that the wearer is engaged and an inward-pointing one, married.
clarity the clearness of a gem, with the highest clarity having no imperfections.
clasp a connector or attaching device for a bracelet, necklace, or watch.
class ring an engraved ring commemorating graduation from school.
claw any of the metal prongs that holds a gem in place in a setting.
claw setting a ring setting in which a stone is held in place by prongs.
clip-on designating any piece of jewelry, such as an earring, that can be attached with a simple clip or pinching device.
cloud any milky spot in a diamond.
cluster a grouping of stones in a setting.
cluster earring an earring having multiple stones or beads.
cluster ring any ring having a large central stone surrounded by several smaller ones.
cocktail ring popular in the 1950s and 1960s, a very large, showy ring set with various stones.
coiffe a silver or gold-threaded netting worn on the head, often decorated with various gems or pearls.
collar see choker.
collarette see bib necklace.
color in a diamond, referring to the absolute absence of color.
composite suite any piece of jewelry having two or more components that can be disassembled and worn separately.
conch a white or pink shell with a pearl-like finish, used in making cameos, beads, or other jewelry.
conch piercing an earring piercing located in cartilage near the middle of the ear instead of in the lobe.
costume jewelry inexpensive and flashy jewelry, made with imitation gemstones and other cheap materials.
cowrie shell brightly colored tropical seashell used to make beads.
Crawford see Monroe.
crown in a setting, the topmost part of a diamond or any cut stone.
crystal any clear or partially clear natural stone, such as diamonds, emeralds, or quartz. Also, a manufactured glass containing at least 10 percent lead oxide, which produces exceptional clearness.
crystalline containing a crystal or crystals or resembling a crystal.
crystallize to form into a crystal or crystals.
Cuban link chain any metal chain with twisting, ropelike links.
cubic zirconia composed of zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide melted together, a clear, dense crystal that closely resembles and is often substituted for diamonds.
cuff bracelet a wide bangle or bracelet.
cuff link a fastener that serves as a fancy or decorative alternative to a button to close the cuff of a shirt.
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.