A term used to indicate anything over 100 years old.
The artistic style and era that followed on almost immediately after Art Nouveau. It is generally accepted that the period was from 1910 to 1939, with its zenith in the 1920’s. It was characterised by the use of geometrical forms and extravagant colours in jewellery.
An artistic and architectural movement defined by among other things the use of wonderful, flowing and sinuous shapes. The jewellery was characterised by the use of precious and semi- precious gems, exotic enamelling, and the fanciful interpretations of naturalistic objects. In jewellery this movement only lasted from about 1895 to 1910.
A square step cut developed in 1902, known for its brilliance, fire and shape. This cut is normally associated with diamonds.
B
A step cut gem, usually small, often used as a side or shoulder stone in rings. The shape of the cut gem resembles that of a long rectangle with a flat top.
The width in millimetres at the minimum point on the ring shank.
White light reflections from the surface and inside the diamond.
This cut gives the best balance of brilliance and fire for a diamond. The standard brilliant cut has 58 facets, 33 on the crown (top) and 25 on the pavilion (bottom). The brilliant cut includes round brilliant cut, square modified brilliant cut (princess cut), marquise, pear and cushion cut.
C
Generally refers to a gem cut in the shape of a dome. Often used with semi-precious gemstones.
A term for measured gems. Normally applied to smaller sized gemstones.
A carved gem in which the design stands out from the background.
Unit of weight for gemstones. Equivalent to one-fifth of a gram.
A type of setting in which the stones are held in their place by pushing over a thin strip of metal on either side of the gem stone. This type of setting is often used in eternity rings or on the shoulders of more modern engagement rings.
The name for a hollow tube. In rings, this is used to strengthen the shoulders of split hoops next to the centre collet.
The purity of a gemstone.
The name given to the spike of metal that protrudes from the edge of the collet. These are bent over the edge of the gemstone to hold the stone in place. Solitaire rings often have either four, six or eight claws, while cluster rings may have more claws depending on the number of stones surrounding the centre gemstone.
A box or round setting surrounding the gemstone.
A claw setting in which the sides of the collet have been cut out to resemble a crown.
The upper part of a facetted gem.
The bottom facet of a brilliant cut stone.
These are collets which resemble light curtain swags when viewed from the side.
A modified brilliant cut, slightly square or oval in shape with rounded corners.
D
A garnet which is grass green in colour and often contains characteristic horse-tail inclusions.
This is the separation of the colours of the rainbow when light enters a diamond and other colourless gems. This play of colours is often referred to as fire or scintillation. The higher the optical dispersion of the stone, the greater will be the fire.
E
Although Edward VII reigned on the throne of Great Britain from 1901-1910, the period in jewellery lasted from 1901 until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The style was very much of an extravagant nature with an abundance of diamonds and platinum. Garlands and ribbons, light and finely made, characterized this style.
See Old European Cut.
See Step cut with bevelled corners.
The process in jewellery whereby metal is cut away, still leaving some of the original metal intact.
A circular ring set with diamonds and/or gemstones.
F
A flat surface ground and polished onto a gemstone.
The ability to convert invisible ultra-violet light into visible light. This is shown in diamonds that exhibit a bluish hue.
Flashes of colour visible in a polished diamond.
G
The back of the bezel in a ring which is often decorated and gives strength to the ring.
The edge of a polished diamond between the crown (top) and pavilion (bottom) sections. The girdle can be polished, unpolished or facetted.
A yellow precious metal used since antiquity to the present day in jewellery making.
A type of setting in which the gemstone is held in place by tiny grains.
H
A circular ring in which one half of the band is set with diamonds and or gemstones.
A ring in which half of the hoop is occupied by gems, covering the width of the finger.
An official mark stamped on gold, silver, platinum and palladium to signify its purity or fineness.
I
One of the platinum group of metals that is often combined in small amounts with platinum to be used in jewellery.
J
K
L
This is the quality and nature of the light reflected from the surface of a gemstone. Diamonds have an adamantine lustre.
M
A brilliant-cut which is boat shaped.
The term describing a metal edge that consists of tiny beads or grains. The technique is often used to set a gemstone or to form a decorative outer edge to a piece of jewellery. This technique came about in the nineteenth century and was a favoured method of the firm of Cartier.
A gem, usually a semi-precious coloured stone, in which the crown of the gem is brilliant cut and the pavilion (bottom of gemstone) is step cut.
N
A boat shaped, brilliant-cut gemstone.
O
Victorian and Edwardian cut stones can also be referred to as 'Old European Cuts'. These brilliant cut stones are typically round in shape with reasonable symmetry. They have deep pavilion facets, a high crown, and an open culet.
Brilliant cut diamond with a flat table and cushion-shape used extensively in the mid to late eighteenth century and the early to mid- nineteenth century.
p
A white precious metal, similar to platinum.
A setting method in which an area is covered with small stones like a paving effect with the smallest amount of metal between them.
The lower half of a gemstone below the girdle.
A pear shaped, brilliant cut gemstone.
A white precious metal used extensively in jewellery from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.
Square in shape, the princess cut, also known as the square modified brilliant cut, exhibits many of the characteristics of the modern brilliant cut diamond with an emphasis on brilliance and sparkle.
Q
R
A square diamond with brilliant cut facets and cut corners.
The bending of light when it enters an optically denser medium such as a gemstone.
Collets that look like a crown when viewed from the side.
One of the very earliest of diamond cuts. The gemstone has a domed and faceted front and a flat back.
Also known as red gold, rose gold is produced by mixing gold with copper.
a round diamond with 58 facets, cut for maximum sparkle and brilliance.
A setting where a small collar of metal is pressed over the top-edge or girdle of the gemstone, which holds it securely in the collet.
A precious metal used as a platinum alloy.
S
The sparkle you see when the diamond, the light or the observer moves.
The space where the gemstone is held.
The back of a ring hoop.
The width in millimetres at the maximum point on the shoulders of the ring.
Like scintillation, this requires movement and is the total effect of light coming from the crown facets of the gemstone.
See Step cut
This cut has a large top facet, generally either rectangular or square shaped, surrounded by a series of step like trapezoidal facets. The lower half of the gem has similarly arranged trapezoidal facets. This type of cutting is very suitable for emeralds, sapphires, rubies and aquamarines.
When used in diamond grading reports, the term symmetry refers to the level of precision in cutting, shaping, and polishing the diamond. Perfect symmetry would mean that if an imaginary line passed through the centre of the crystal, then one side would be an exact mirror image of the other.
T
The large flat facet situated at the top of a faceted gem.
U
V
The era from 1837 to 1901, referring to the reign of Queen Victoria.
Nineteenth century round brilliants with small tables and large culets and a deeper depth by modern standards.
A term applied to items such as a piece of jewellery or a fine wine with either style or age.
W
A metal formed by mixing yellow gold with a white metal, usually palladium, to be used in jewellery.
X
Y
Z
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