The Jewelry Alphabet

Are you a little inexperienced purchasing jewelry? Don't worry, there's still time to learn and we can help! Learn all about some of the most important terms that you should know with this easy Jewelry Alphabet!

• Amorphous - The lack of a definitive shape or form in a gemstone.
• Blemish - A type of flaw on a gemstone.
• Clarity - Describes the overall clearness in a diamond. The better a diamond's clarity, the more expensive it will likely be.
• Dull - A term used to describe stones that are lacking in luster.
• Extender - An extra piece included on some necklaces that allow its length to be increased.
• Facet - One of the polished surfaces on a gemstone that allow it to shine and reflect light.
• Gemstones - Typically, any type of precious stone, such as a diamond, ruby, sapphire, or emerald is considered a gemstone.
• Hardness - The ability of a stone to resist scratching.
• Iridescent - Used to describe stones that display rainbow like colors.
• Jade - An opaque stone, usually found in green.
• Karat - Usually abbreviated to K or Kt, karats measure the amount of pure gold found in a piece of jewelry. Pure gold is 24k.
• Luster - The shine or unique glow of a stone. One of the most important characteristics of a diamond.
• Moissanite - A man-made stone that can closely resemble the characteristics of a diamond.
• Nacre - The smooth substance formed in the shells of certain mollusks, which eventually becomes a pearl.
• Opaque - Used to describe a gemstone that does not allow light to pass through it, lacks transparency.
• Prong - On rings, a piece of metal used to help keep a stone in place. Some can be adjusted to hold larger stones if need be.
• Quartz - One of the most common minerals on Earth, it is very hard and found just about everywhere.
• Rough - A term used to describe a stone that has not been polished or faceted.
• Synthetic Gemstone - A man-made stone that has similar characteristics and properties of a natural stone.
• Tapered - A piece of jewelry that is large at one end, but gradually gets smaller towards the other.
• Untreated - Refers to a stone that has not undergone any chemical or physical treatments. It is completely natural.
• Vitreous - Glass like features of a diamond
• White Gold - An alloy of gold and nickel, which gives the gold a silver/platinum appearance.
• X-Ring - A type of ring that contains a design in the shape of an X.
• Yellow Gold - Gold that has been alloyed with a mix of half silver and half copper.
• Zinger - A popular piece of jewelry that is bound to sell out quickly.