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Pictorial
Glossary of Jewelry Terms
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SHARED PRONGS
A shared prong setting otherwise known as a common prong setting. Gemstones
are held by two prongs on each side. Sharing prongs the ring give the
appearance of having a continuous row of gemstones. |
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SIGNET A
ring with a flat surface used to engrave initials, insignias or family
crests. |
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SINGLE CUT A cutting style for a round gemstone with 17 facets: 8 crown,
8 pavilion, a table and a culet which is sometimes omitted. Single cut
Diamonds are common in sizes up to about 10 points. |
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SIMULANT A material used to mimic or resemble another. Plastics are
commonly used to simulate the look of genuine gemstones. |
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SOLITAIRE Typically
used to describe a ring or pendant set with a single gemstone. |
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SPRING RING
A ring shaped clasp with an internal spring which is drawn back to open and
released to close. |
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STAMPING A jewelry manufacturing process used to make ultra lightweight
jewelry. Gold sheets not much heavier than thick paper or as thin as foil
are stamped with dies to produce cookie like cut-outs that are assembled
into jewelry. Lightweight earrings and charms are often made in this manner. |
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STERLING SILVER An
alloy of 925 parts silver and other metal, usually copper used for strength. |
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STICK PIN An
ornamental item on a long rigid wire that is pinned through fabric. A
clutch is fastened at the bottom to prevent loss. |
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STUD EARRINGS
Also called studs, have a small post for pierced ears. Diamond studs are
probably the most popular type of earrings. |
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STUDS Worn on men's tuxedo shirts instead of buttons. Also, a term used
to describe stud earrings. |
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SUITE
A matched set of gemstones or jewelry. |
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SYNTHETIC A
man-made material. |
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TAPERED BAGUETTE A baguette in which the two short edges are unequal in
length causing the longer sides to taper in towards the short edge. Tapered
baguettes are very popular as accents in the settings of engagement rings. |
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TIE BAR
A clip worn on a tie as an accessory, secured by an alligator clip or spring
tension in the metal. Sometimes referred to as a tie clip. |
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TIE
TAC An ornament pinned through a tie and secured with a clutch. Some
styles of tie tacs have a small piece of chain attached to the clutch with a
tiny bar at the end to connect to a buttonhole in a shirt. |
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TIFFANY SETTING A solitaire style setting, usually a ring, with a four
or six prong head or setting. The original solitaire setting was designed by
Tiffany & Co., hence Tiffany. |
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TOTAL WEIGHT The sum of the carat weight of all of the gemstones in a
piece of jewelry. This ring has one 1ct center diamonds and two .50ct
diamonds for a total weight of 2.00cts. |
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TRILLION A
triangular shaped gemstone. The three sides of the triangle typically have a
slight bow in them as opposed to straight edges. |
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TUBE SET
Also known as a bezel setting. A gemstone that is set in a gold tube like
setting. |
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VERMEIL An article of Sterling Silver jewelry that has been plated in
14Kt Gold. |
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WEDDING SET A woman's wedding and engagement ring. Usually the wedding
ring is shaped so that it fits around the solitaire engagement ring, making
the set look like a single piece. |
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WEDDING TRIO
A three-piece wedding ring set consisting of his and her matching wedding
rings and a matching engagement ring. |
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WHITE GOLD
An alloy of gold made by mixing yellow gold with a combination of nickel,
zinc, or palladium. This bracelet is made in white gold. |
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ZIRCON
A genuine and natural gemstone not to be confused with Cubic Zirconium,
which is a synthetic. Zircon is common in colorless, blue and pink or rose
varieties. Colorless Zircon was used as a Diamond simulant until Cubic
Zirconia came along. |
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Member
American Gem Society