Glossary of Fine Jewelry Terms

When shopping for fine jewelry, you may come across some terms you've never heard before. We'll define the most important jewelry terms for you in our glossary.

• Bezel - the rim that holds and surrounds the stone. The bezel is located above the girdle on a cut stone. Bezels can have a variety of different edges, including straight or scalloped. On a watch, the bezel is the upper portion of the case around the dial.
• Blemishes - scratches or other flaws on the exterior of a diamond.
• Brilliance - the sparkle or amount of light that a diamond reflects from its surface. With fine jewelry, more brilliant diamonds will cost more.
• Carat - a unit of weight measurement for diamonds and gems. One carat weighs 200 milligrams.
• Clarity - the grading of a diamond based on the number of inclusions, or imperfections.
• Color - one of the criteria by which diamonds are evaluated. Color is graded according to a scale created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Fine jewelry retailers will charge the most for diamonds with the least amount of color.
• Cut - the proportions and angles created by a craftsman in changing a rough diamond into a polished stone.
• Diamond grading reports - documents issued by gemological organizations that authenticate a diamond and evaluate it on cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.
• Fire - the intensity and variety of the colors created when a diamond reflects light. Fine jewelry will have more brilliant fire than pieces of lesser quality.
• Inclusion - internal characteristics or flaws of a diamond.
• Polish - how well the craftsman shaped and faceted the stone in transforming it from rough to polished.
• Prong setting - a metal tip that holds the stone in place.
• Shape - the form of a diamond.
• Solitaire - a type of fine jewelry with a single stone or diamond mounted by itself.
• Well-cut - well-cut fine jewelry will exhibit proportions that maximize the stone's brilliance and fire.