Diamond Rings and Stud Earrings

Bezel - Diamonds and other gems are held in a bezel setting by a metal rim that encircles the sides of the stone and extends slightly above it. The rim, or collar, can stretch around the stone's entire circumferance.

Briolette - Pear shaped faceted gemstone

Brilliance - Intensity of the light reflecting from a gem, observed through the crown.

Brilliant Cut - Collective name for diamond cuts where lower facets radiate from the center of the gem.

Cabochon - A gemstone fashioned with a domed or convex smooth and polished surface.

Cape (Color) - A term used to describe yellow diamonds found in the M to Z range of the color grading scale.

Carat - Standard unit of weight for gemstones - 1 carat = .2 gm

Certificate - Document provided by accredited laboratory defining a gemstones type, weight, color, clarity, proportions, finish grade, treatments. etc.

Chaton - A generally spherical stone that is faceted.

Clarity - Relative freedom from inclusions and imperfections of a gemstone. Usually expressed in a fixed grading scale for diamonds.

Color Diamonds - Range from white to brown of a diamond and usually defined by standard nomenclature. Generally ranges from D - M.

Cushion - Square or rectangular cut with rounded corners. Numerous variations.

Cut - Proportions, make and finish of a polished gemstone.

Emerald Cut - Rectangular or square step cut with diagonal corners.

Facet - Flat polished surface on a finished stone.

Faceting - Process of creating facets on a gemstone.

Fancy color - Naturally colored diamonds with varying degrees of rarity.

Fancy Shape - Any shape other than a brilliant cut.

C's - Carat, Cut, color & Clarity; fourof the factors used in determining the value of a gemstone.

Girdle - Edge located between a gemstone's pavilion and crown.

Hardness - A gem material's resistance to wear/ scratching measured on Mohs hardness scale.

Heart Shape - Modified brilliant cut with heart-shaped girdle, usually 56 facets. Cut is often to remove inclusions in an otherwise cleaner gem.

Included - One clarity grade which refers to eye-visible inclusions. I1,I2,I3.

Inclusion - Internal characteristic.

Marquise - Symmetrical boat shaped brilliant cut gem with pointed ends.

Mohs - Scale used to determine the hardness of minerals.

Oval - Modified brilliant cut with an obround shaped girdle outline.

Pear Shape/Teardrop - Asymmetrical cut with one pointed and one rounded end.

Point - Weight unit, .01 (1/100) carat.

Princess - Modified brilliant cut with a square or rectangular girdle outline featuring 57 facets.

Radiant - Rectangular gemstone cut, often 70 facets, combining the shape of an emerald cut and sparkle of a brilliant.

Rose Cut - Cutting style that produces a flat unfaceted base and a dome-shaped top covered with a variable number of triangular facets and terminates at a point. 

Round Cut - Round brilliant cut.

SI - Clarity grademeaning slightly included: SI1 and SI2.

Simulants - Natural or synthetic substances meant to resemble a genuine gemstone.

Star Facet - Tiangular facet on the crown of a brilliant cut next to the table.

Symmetry - The accuracy with which a gem is fashioned to a mirror image.

Synthetic - Non-natural, laboratory produced.

Tapered - Gemstone cut in a trapezoid shape, one end narrower

Trillion - Cut triangular shaped often 44 facets.

VS - Gem clarity grade meaning Very Slight; VS1 & VS2.

VVS - Gem clarity grade meaning VeryVery Slight; VVS1 & VVS2.

Weight - Gem weight measure - carats, subdivided in grains and points.

White - A term to describe colorless gems and diamonds D- H colorgrade.