Glossary of Jewelry Related Terms (M- Z)
MMabe - A Japanese term for half-sphere pearls, which are cultured against the shell so that only half a pearl is formed.
Malachite - A mineral which is characterized in appearance by bands of light and dark green.
Marcasite - Crystallized iron pyrites (”fool’s gold”) mounted in groups, cut or uncut, in pins and other pieces of jewelry. Marcasite is a gray, lustrous mineral.
Marquise - An oval shape gemstone cut with pointed ends. It’s named for the Marquise de Pompadour, Mistress of King Louis XV.
Matte - A frosted, non-shiny surface or finish.
Millgrain edge - A look which is knurled, or has the look of small beads or ridges, such as the edge of a coin.
Morganite - A variety of beryl that is pink. Named after J.P. Morgan. Found in California, Brazil, and Madagascar.
Mother-of -pearl - Hard, iridescent substance that forms on the inside layer of a pearl-bearing mollusk.N
Nacre - A shiny, iridescent substance made from the lining of mollusk shells or fish scales.
Nephrite - A hard type of jade with colors ranging from white to dark green and shades of grey or brown to black.
Nugget - A lump or irregularly shaped mass.O
Onyx - A semi-precious stone composed of chalcedony (a variety of quartz) found naturally in white or gray. The white variety is generally dyed black for onyx.
Opal - A non-crystalline, iridescent silica.
Opaque - Something which is not transparent and does not reflect light; dull
Oxidation - Metal blackened by a reaction with oxygen. The appearance is accomplished by chemical means.P
Pave setting - A setting in which small stones are set as close as possible, so that the piece literally looks “paved” with stones.
Pendant - An ornament suspended from a single chain.
Peridot - A transparent gem which is olive green in color.
Pierced earrings - Designed for wear in ears which are pierced. A wire or post is inserted through the ear lobe.
Point - Unit of weight for gemstones equal to one-hundredth of a carat.
Polish - Process used to make metal smooth and glossy. Increases shine and eliminates flaws.
Post - A pin-like finding attached to an earring. It passes through the pierced earlobe, and may be held in place by a back.
Precious stones - Rare and costly gems such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires.
Princess cut - A modification of a brilliant square-cut gemstone.
Prong - One of several claw-like wires used to hold a gem or stone in place.Q
Quartz - A crystalline mineral used for gems, usually colorless and transparent.R
Radiant cut - A type of faceting.
Rhinestone - Real rhinestones are cut from rock crystal. Today, most rhinestones that are used in jewelry are made of glass which has the look of natural stone.
Rhodium - A white, metallic element.
Rhodolite - A variety of pyrope garnet ranging in color from rose-red to pale violet.
Rhodonite - Named after the Greek word for pink. A reddish-pink color with thin veins or patches of gray to black. Found in the former Soviet Union, the U.S., India, and Australia.
Ribbed - A textured effect consisting of ridges.
Ring - A piece of jewelry which is worn on the fingers and slides on and off.
Ring guard - A ring worn above another ring to keep it from slipping off the finger.
Rock crystal - A mineral; see also QUARTZ
Rope chain - Chain with a spiral appearance, giving the effect of two thick strands woven together.
Rose gold - An alloy of gold and copper.
Rose quartz - Delicate pink quartz with a somewhat milky appearance. Popular for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and other gift occasions.
Ruby - A highly precious and valued red corundum whose color is obtained from chromium oxide. Rubies symbolize beauty, charity, love, passion, power, and royalty.
Rutilated quartz - A variety of quartz with inclusions of rutile crystals, which are minerals that sometimes appear in a needle-like fashion in a reddish-brown to red and sometimes yellowish appearance.S
Safety catch - Added to a closure to prevent the opening of a clasp.
Sapphire - A highly valued precious stone and a member of the corundum group. Most commonly seen in blue.
Satin finish - A matte finish achieved by sandblasting, brushing with a stiff wire brush, or chemically altering a high shine surface. Satin finish has a soft, pearl-like luster instead of a bright polish.
Scalloped - An ornamental edge that consists of a series of curves.
Scarab - A gemstone cut in the shape of a beetle and copied from the ancient Egyptian fertility symbol.
Semi-precious stones - Natural stones including amethyst, aventurine, carnelian, garnet, opal, rose quartz,etc. Some semi-precious stones are quite costly (up to thousands of dollars). They are used in fine jewelry as well as fashion jewelry.
Shank - Part of the ring that circles the finger and to which the setting is attached.
Shoulder - The part of the ring that extends from the shank to the center of the setting.
Silver plate - A fine silver film deposited on a base metal through electroplating. Base metal may be nickel, silver, copper, or brass.
Simulated pearl - Glass beads coated in the ground-up iridescent nacre from fish scales.
Smoky quartz - Brownish colored quartz with a smoky appearance.
Sodalite - A mineral which is a component of lapis and generally translucent, usually blue in color.
Spinel - A gemstone found in a wide range of colors, the most valuable resembling ruby red.
Spring ring clasp - A rounded, hollow, circular wire which fits into a hollow, circular tube and is kept shut by a coiled spring on the inside.
Square cut - A style in which the stone is square and bordered by four long narrow facets that are step cut. Similar to emerald cut.
Square setting - The setting is square shaped with four prongs forming the corners.
Stack ring - Rings which are designed to wear two or more on the same finger.
Step cut - A gem cut with a varying number of sloping parallel rows of four-sided facets which give the impression of steps.
Sterling silver - Silver that is at least 92.5 percent pure with 7.5 parts of another metal, usually copper, to make the piece harder.
Stickpin - A straight pin worn vertically on a scarf, tie, or a lapel. Has some kind of ornamentation on the top.
Stippled finish - A technique in which the design is formed by a series of pricks made with a steel punch.
Stud - A single stone or metal ball on a straight post worn on pierced ears.T
Tennis bracelet - A flexible bracelet made up of evenly matched stones, commonly diamonds. There are variations on the style, such as alternating stones.
Tie Tac - A short pin with an ornamental top or face that goes through the tie, pinning it to the shirt.
Tiger’s eye - The name given to a gem which when cabochon cut shows a single light streak across its face. A semi-precious variety of quartz found in South Africa, it may be yellowish-brown , bluish, or red in color.
Toggle clasp - A fastener consisting of a ring on one end of a necklace or bracelet and a short bar on the other end. The bar is slid through the ring and sits across it so it does not slide or pull.
Topaz - A transparent gem, the most precious type is wine-yellow in color. It also may be found in other colors, such as white, blue, brown, orange, and pink.
Tourmaline - A crystalline mineral which is used as a gemstone. It typically comes in a variety of colors, the most common of which is black.
Translucent - Allowing light to pass through, but not transparent.
Transparent - Easily seen through; light rays are transmitted.
Triangle cut - A modified brilliant cut stone.
Trillion cut - A modified brilliant cut triangular stone with 44 facets.
Tsavorite - A transparent, emerald green variety of garnet.
Turquoise - Semi-precious stone which is greenish-blue in color.W
White gold - An alloy of gold, nickel, copper, and zinc.Y
Y necklace - This style gets its name from its shape which features its own delicate dangle forming a Y-shape around the neck. Usually 16 to 18 inches in length.
Yellow gold - The most popular gold alloy. An alloy of gold, silver, copper, and often zinc.PART 1 - Words From A to L