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Pictorial
Glossary of Jewelry Terms
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LASER a
noun: an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of
radiation. |
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LASER FINISH A frosty glittery finish applied with a laser. |
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LASER WELDING
The laser welder uses amplified light instead of heat and
fire to safely repair or manufacture jewelry. Common laser welding
applications include the assembly of complex, multi-colored jewelry pieces,
replacing prongs, sizing rings, assembling diamond tennis bracelets, repair
stone settings, and attaching settings to ring shanks. Gold, platinum,
silver, and titanium alloys all produce excellent welds. The resulting weld
is considerably stronger than a traditional solder joint. Laser-welded
connections are 260% stronger than solder and 95% as strong as the original
metal. |
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LASERING The use of a laser to remove inclusions from inside a gem by
"drilling" or burning a fine hole to the depth of the inclusion. In some
cases the inclusion is evaporated and in others it may be bleached out. |
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LEVER BACK
An earring finding with a snap back "lever" which can be affixed to an
earring or have a loop at the bottom from which the earring will dangle. |
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LOCKET A charm or pendant that opens to hold one or more pictures. |
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LOST WAX CASTING A
method of manufacturing jewelry that duplicates a design made of wax in a
metal such as gold or silver. A wax model is suspended in a canister that is
then filled with a plaster like substance called an investment. When the
investment hardens the wax is then burned out and lost, hence the name of
the process. The cavity remaining in the investment is an exact duplicate
of the original wax and is then filled with molten metal. When large
quantities or intricate designs are being cast, the use of centrifugal force
created by spinning the canisters in a drum will force the metal into the
thinnest cavities allowing fine detail reproduction. When the molten gold
cools and hardens the investment is broken and a duplicate of the wax
remains cast in metal. |
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LOUPE A hand held magnifying glass used by members of the jewelry
industry to examine diamonds and gemstones. Loupes are available in
different levels of magnification. A ten-power loupe, which magnifies
an image ten times, is used for diamond grading. A diamond graders loupe is
corrected for color and distortion. |
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MABÉ PEARL A
type of cultured pearl that forms on the shell of a mollusk. When cut away
from the shell it has an unfinished flat surface on the back that is
polished. Mabẻ pearls are most commonly dome shaped like a cabochon. |
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MARCASITE A
steel gray, metallic like gemstone, flat on the bottom and faceted on top,
commonly set in sterling silver jewelry. |
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MARQUISE
A gemstone shape pointed at both ends and oval shaped in the center, like a
football. |
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MATTE FINISH
A dull finished surface
created by sandblasting, stone finishing or brushing. |
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MELEE
Diamonds up to .20 carats in size. |
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MOSAIC
A design made from pieces of gemstones. |
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MOTHER OF PEARL
The lining of a seashell
that exhibits iridescence. |
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MOUNTING
A piece of jewelry, into which gemstones can be set. |
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NATURAL
Used to describe a gemstone, which is mined from the earth or a pearl that
is created without the assistance of man. Lab created gems may be
considered real or genuine because they are of the same chemical composition
as their natural counterparts; they are however created by the hands of man
rather than those of Mother Nature and cannot be called natural. |
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OLD EUROPEAN CUT
A round cutting style, the
forerunner of the modern Brilliant Cut. It has a large culet, small table
and high crown. |
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OLD MINE CUT
Commonly called Old Miners, the Old Mine Cut has a large culet, a high
crown, a small table and is somewhat square, with rounded corners, in
outline. |
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OMEGA CLIP A
type of earring back with a hinge that flips over a post to provide
additional security. |
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OVAL CUT
A gemstone in the shape of an oval, faceted similar to a round brilliant
cut. |
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OXIDATION A
film or coating that forms, like a skin on the exterior of metal resulting
from a reaction with oxygen. Antiquing is a chemical process used to create
an oxidized look. |
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PALLADIUM
A member of the platinum group. Palladium is lighter and less expensive than
platinum and can be mixed with yellow gold to create white gold. |
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Member
American Gem Society