Glossary of Jewelry terms

Before you shop, learn the native lingo of the jewelry jungle. Here are some words you'll need to know to decipher what your jeweler is saying.

Blemish: A flaw on the exterior of a diamond, such as a scratch, abrasion, nick, or chip.

Blue-White: Refers to a diamond that glows (fluoresces) blue under ultraviolet light.

Brilliance: White light reflected back from a diamond.

Brilliant: A round diamond with 58 facets.

Carat: A unit of weight, equal to 200 milligrams. In ancient times, one carat was equal to one carob bean or four grains of rice.

Carbon: The raw material of which diamonds are made. Occasionally a diamond will contain tiny pockets of carbon that can be seen as black spots within the stone.

Cloud: A cluster of small inclusions, or internal flaws, within a diamond.

Crown: The top of a diamond; everything above the girdle.

Culet: The bottom facet of a diamond, usually very small.

Dispersion: Colored light reflected from within a diamond; also called "fire."

Eye-Clean: Refers to a diamond that has no inclusions or blemishes visible to the naked eye.

Facet: A polished surface on a diamond. A round, full-cut diamond usually has 58 facets.

Fluorescence: A diamond's reaction to ultraviolet (UV) light, causing the stone to glow in various colors.

Full-Cut: A diamond with 58 or more facets.

Gemologist: A person who has been trained and certified in diamonds and colored stones.

GIA: Gemological Institute of America, an independent, non-profit organization that sets and upholds standards for grading diamonds and other precious stones.

Girdle: The narrow, unpolished band around the widest part of the diamond; the girdle separates the crown and the pavilion of the stone.

Head: The prongs that hold a diamond in its setting.

Inclusion: A flaw within a diamond, such as a carbon spot or fracture.

Karat: The measure of the purity of gold, 24-karat being pure gold. Jewelry is also made from 18K and 14K gold, which contain added metals for strength.

Laser-Drilled: A diamond that has been treated with a laser to remove carbon spots.

Loupe: A small magnifying glass used to view gemstones.

Off-Make: A poorly proportioned diamond.

Pave: A method of setting diamonds very close together, giving the illusion of one or more larger diamonds.

Pavilion: The bottom of a diamond; everything below the diamond's girdle.

Point: One-hundredth of a carat. A diamond weighing one-and-a-half carats weighs 150 points.

Semi-Mount: A setting that is complete except for the main stone, which will be selected separately.

Single-Cut: A diamond with only 16 or 17 facets.

Sparkle: The liveliness of the light reflecting from a diamond; the sum of the brilliance and the fire (dispersion).

Tiffany: A simple, elegant 2-3mm ring setting with a head that holds a single diamond.