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Glossary
Jewelry terms, explained
Short, plain definitions of the words you'll see on product pages and spec sheets. Each one links to a guide when there's more to know.
4
- 4Cs
- The four standard ways diamonds are graded: cut, color, clarity and carat weight. Read the guide →
B
- Bezel setting
- A rim of metal that surrounds the stone completely. Very secure and good for active lifestyles.
- Birthstone
- A gemstone traditionally associated with a birth month, such as garnet for January and diamond for April. Read the guide →
C
- Carat
- The unit of weight for gemstones. One carat is 0.2 grams. Not to be confused with karat, which measures gold purity. Read the guide →
- Clarity
- How free a diamond is from internal inclusions and surface blemishes, graded from Flawless (FL) to Included (I3). Read the guide →
- Color grade
- How colorless a white diamond is, graded on a D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown) scale. Read the guide →
- Comfort fit
- A band that is rounded on the inside so it slides over the knuckle more easily and feels looser than a flat band of the same size. Read the guide →
E
- Eternity band
- A ring set with stones all the way around. Usually can't be resized. Read the guide →
- Eye-clean
- A diamond with no inclusions visible to the naked eye at a normal viewing distance, often VS2 or SI1 clarity.
G
- GIA
- The Gemological Institute of America, a nonprofit lab whose diamond grading reports are widely used as the industry reference.
- Gold vermeil
- Sterling silver plated with gold of at least 10k and at least 2.5 microns thick. Read the guide →
- Gold-filled
- A thick layer of gold, at least 5% of the total weight, bonded to a brass core. Much longer lasting than plating. Read the guide →
- Gold-plated
- A thin layer of gold over a base metal such as brass. It wears through faster than vermeil or gold-filled. Read the guide →
H
- Hypoallergenic
- A marketing term with no legal standard. Look for the specific metal, such as titanium, niobium, platinum or solid gold, instead. Read the guide →
I
- IGI
- The International Gemological Institute, a grading lab that issues reports for many lab-grown and natural diamonds.
- Implant-grade titanium
- Titanium meeting the ASTM F136 standard used for medical implants. Nickel-free and one of the safest metals for sensitive ears. Read the guide →
K
- Karat
- A measure of gold purity in 24ths. 24k is pure gold, 18k is 75% gold and 14k is 58.3% gold. Read the guide →
L
- Lab-grown diamond
- A real diamond grown in a laboratory by HPHT or CVD. It has the same chemistry and hardness as a mined diamond. Read the guide →
M
- Moissanite
- Silicon carbide, a gemstone that looks similar to diamond but has more colorful sparkle and is slightly softer (9.25 on the Mohs scale). Read the guide →
P
- Pavé
- Small stones set close together across a surface, held by tiny beads of metal, for an all-over sparkle.
- Platinum
- A dense, naturally white precious metal, usually 90 to 95% pure in jewelry. It doesn't need plating. Read the guide →
- Princess cut
- A square diamond shape with pointed corners and brilliant faceting. One of the most popular shapes after round. Read the guide →
- Prong setting
- Small metal claws that hold a stone in place, letting in the most light. The classic engagement ring setting.
R
- Rhodium plating
- A thin coating of rhodium that gives white gold its bright white finish. It wears over time and can be redone by a jeweler. Read the guide →
- Ring size
- A standard number based on the inside diameter or circumference of a ring. A US size 7 is 17.3 mm across. Read the guide →
S
- Sterling silver
- An alloy of 92.5% silver, usually with copper, stamped 925.