Key Terms & Eras Every Jewelry Aficionado Should Know

As a jewelry collector and aficionado, I am always on the lookout for quick reference guides and 'one-stop-shop' types of resources.  When I first started collecting, I was constantly trying to research words or jewelry-related topics and definitions that I didn't readily understand.  The upside - There's lots of information out there!  The downside - As a newbie, I felt like I was jumping between lots of different website s trying to gain a basic, working knowledge of what I was looking out.

So, that having been said, I acknowledge that this basic list is not the end-all, be-all.  In fact, I would consider this a 'Step One' for any new vintage or antique jewelry collector.  But, hopefully, it's a jumping off point as you explore this amazing, passionate community!

Key Jewelry Terms

Antique – Antique jewelry means jewelry that is older than 100 years.

Estate – Second-hand jewelry (regardless of age); to elaborate: Something antique will always refer to something that is also vintage, but something vintage is not necessarily antique.

Vintage – Jewelry which is older than 20 years.

Jewelry Eras

•Georgian Era (1714 – 1837)

•The Victorian Era (1837 – 1901)

•Edwardian Era (1901 – 1915)

•Art Nouveau (1890 – 1910)

•Art Deco Era (1920 – 1945)

•Retro Era (1939 – 1950)

•Modernist Era (1960-1970)

The Georgian Era (1714 – 1837) – The Georgian Era lasted for more than 120 years and spanned four English Kings: George I, George II, George III and George IV.  This era is impressive not only because of the number of years it lasted but also because advances in jewelry design and construction advanced much more slowly than in other eras.  High-quality Georgian Era jewelry can be very difficult to find.  The prime examples from the era which have survived are often times housed in museum collections.  Most jewelry pieces from the Georgian Era consisted of yellow gold and silver.  Some of the common stones found in Georgian jewelry consist of foil-backed diamonds, pearls, sapphires, rubies, glass, paste, topaz and garnet.  Due to the primitive stone cutting and handcrafted techniques that were used; it is often very easy to date Georgian Jewelry.  The diamond cuts are point cuts, table cuts, old mine cuts, antique cushion cuts, single cuts and rose cuts.

The Victorian Era (1837 – 1901) – The Victorian Era is a reference to Queen Victoria of England.  She reigned during the 1800s and was directly responsible for many of the important changes in jewelry styles.  The era itself is split into three periods which each correlating to the different periods of Queen Victoria’s life:  Romantic Victorian Era, Grand Victorian Era and Aesthetic Victorian Era.  Jewelry from the Victorian Era is far more prevalent than jewelry from the Georgian Era and can be easier to find.  Gold and silver remained the most popular metals in Victorian Era Jewelry. Stones popular during this time were garnets, amethyst, turquoise, sapphires, pearls, and diamonds. Motifs involving animals, especially snakes were very popular.

Edwardian Era (1901 – 1915) – The Edwardian Era follows the reign of England’s King Edward VII. King Edward VII reigned from 1901-1910 and was the last monarch to serve as a namesake in jewelry history.  This very important jewelry period, also known as the Belle Époque Era, is the first time platinum became commonly used in jewelry.  Although platinum was first crafted together with gold, it very quickly grew in popularity.  Compared to engagement rings from the Victorian Era, Edwardian engagement rings (and other pieces) are ornate, intricate and flowery.  Design techniques of the era included the prevalence of openwork filigree and fine milgrain detailing that was introduced during Edwardian times.  Diamonds and pearls retained their prestigious status during this period.

Art Nouveau (1890 – 1910) – The Art Nouveau period, derived from the French for “New Art,” was named after the 1895 opening of Siegfried Bing’s Parisian gallery “Maison de l’Art Nouveau.”  This era’s aesthetics also include design styles such as: Arts and Crafts, Jugendstil, Liberty Style and Secession – just to name a few.  Designs of this era are organic, flowery and draping.  While the timeframe of the period overlaps with the Edwardian Era, the styles were entirely different.  While Edwardian Era jewelry is full of detail, symmetrical and delicate; Art Nouveau jewelry follows an organic structure with no symmetry.  Genuine Art Nouveau jewelry from the early 1900s is very difficult to find.  

Art Deco Era (1920 – 1945) – The Art Deco period, emerging after the conclusion of World War I, took its name from the French architect Le Corbusier.  He headlined the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925.  More simply known as the “1925 Expo: Art Deco.”  A far cry from Georgian and Victorian Era jewelry, Art Deco Jewelry is known for being geometrical and angular with a clean look.  Platinum was the primary metal of the Art Deco Era with the preferred stones being diamonds, sapphire, rubies, onyx and emeralds.  These stones coupled with the bold geometric designs are indicative of the prominent aesthetics of the era.

Retro Era (1939 – 1950) – The Retro Era was heavily inspired by World War II and the victory that followed.  The symmetrical elements of the Art Deco Era were not disregarded with the shift into the Retro Era, but rather interpreted into an even bolder, stronger design.  Retro Era jewelry was large.  Gemstones were large and colorful, set in the popular metals of the period: platinum and yellow gold.  White gold began to gather traction due to shortages of platinum as a result of the war effort but still remained the secondary choice.  

Modernist / Brutalism Era (1960 – 1970) – An offshoot of the early-20th century Modernist movement, Brutalism originally began as an architectural style in the late 1950s.  Brutalist buildings are characterized by their massive, monolithic and almost 'blocky' appearances with a rigid geometric style and were often constructed of poured concrete.  For more information specifically about Brutalist jewelry.

Definitions

• 10k – A gold alloy that includes 41.7% pure gold and 58.3% alloy
• 14k – A gold alloy that includes 58.5% pure gold and 41.5% alloy
• 18k – A gold alloy that includes 75% pure gold and 25% alloy
• 24k – A gold or gold alloy that is over 99.95% pure gold
• American Gem Society (AGS) – a professional organization formed in 1934 by several independent jewelers and the founder of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
• Aigrette – A hair ornament consisting of a feather plume or spray of glitter, often accentuated by either a jewel or buckle
• Alloy – A combination of metals fused together
• American Gem Trade Association – An organization tasked with maintaining ethical standards within the gemstone industry
• Antiquing – The process of darkening the recessed areas of gold or silver jewelry, in order to enhance the visibility of the engraving, thus giving the piece an aged, or
• Appraisal – A monetary evaluation, usually performed for insurance purposes by a certified gemologist
• Arabesque – Flowing scroll work epitomized by curlicues in low relief
• Articulated – Jewelry constructed with hinges that allow for flexibility, or other moving parts
• Assay – The process of establishing the purity standards for gold, silver, and other alloys
• Bail – The connector at the top of a pendant, which allows the pendant to hang from a chain or jump ring
• Bandeau – A narrow band, worn low, which encircles the forehead as a head ornament
• Baroque – A general term for bold, ornate, heavy looking ornamentation
• Bearding – Small, feather-like cracks along the girdle of a diamond
• Bezel – A setting for a stone that has a collar instead of prongs, in order to secure the stone
• Bijouterie – The art of working in gold and enamel
• Bog Oak – Wood that was preserved over thousands of years in the bogs of Ireland, which was hard enough to be carved and worn as jewelry
• Bolt ring – A finding that is entirely or partially hollow, drawn back on an internal spring, which connects rings
• Book Chain – A Victorian style of chain that is made in solid gold or sterling silver, in which each link is a rectangular folded piece of metal resembling a book
• Box Setting – A stone, enclosed in a box-shaped setting with metal edges that are pressed down to hold the stone in place
• Brilliance – The intensity and amount of light reflecting from inside a diamond or gemstone
• Brilliant cut – Brilliant cut is the standard cut style for diamonds and consists of a total of 58 facets – 1 table, 8 bezel facets, 8 star facets, 16 upper-girdle facets on the crown, 8 pavilion facets, 16 lower-girdle facets and usually a culet on the pavilion or base
• Briolette – A pear-shaped, faceted stone
• Brushed Finish – A texturing technique used on metals, where a series of tiny parallel lines are scratched onto the surface with a wire brush of polishing tool
• Buff Top Cabochon – A style of stone cutting, where the top of the gemstone is a dome (end cabochon) and the pavilion is faceted
• C-Catch – The most common means of securing a brooch before safety catches were invented
• Cabochon – Dome-shaped stone, without facets
• CAD – An acronym for computer aided design
• Caliber Cut – Small stones that are faceted and cut into squares, rectangles, or oblongs, and set close together
• Cameo – A layered stone, frequently made from banded agate or sea shell, that has been carved with either a woman's profile (most common), a man's profile, a natural scene, or themes involving the Greek or Roman Gods and Goddesses
• Cameo Habille – Most often, a depiction of a female who is carved wearing a diamond pendant, earrings, or a crown
• Carat – A unit of weight for diamonds and other gemstones
• Cathedral Setting – An elegant setting whose intention is to display the center stone as a focal point
• Champleve – An enameling technique in which areas of metal are cut, etched, or routed, before being filled with enamel or molten glass
• Chatelaine – A decorative belt hook or clasp, which is pinned at a women's waist and has several chains suspended from it
• Clarity – A term used to measure the degree to which a gemstone is free from flaws
• Cloisonné technique of enameling, whereby the enamel colored glass powder is placed into pockets or cells of metal, before being baked and cooled to solidify
• Cloud – A group of tiny white inclusions in a diamond
• Collet – A round band of metal encircling a gemstone to hold it in place
• Collier – A wide necklace, which encircles the neck from throat to chin
• Contemporary – A jewelry design that is relevant, based on the current trends
• Creole Earrings – A hoop earring, broader at the bottom than at the top, popular in the 1850s
• Crest – An identifying emblem, often worn during the Medieval and Renaissance eras
• Cross Facet – Small triangular facets, above and below the girdle of a brilliant cut stone
• Crown – The facets or portions of a gemstone, located above the girdle
• Crystal – A body that is formed by the solidification of a chemical element, a compound, or a mixture, and has a regularly repeating internal arrangement of its atoms and often external plane faces
• Cubic Zirconium – A man made gemstone that appears very much like diamond, yet does not have the 
• Culet – The pointed bottom of the pavilion, which is sometimes polished with a tiny facet and sometimes pointed with no facet
• Custom Cut Gemstone – A gemstone that has been cut by a professional lapidary
• Cut – A term which refers to the geometric proportions that dictate the reflection and refraction of light within a stone
• Demi-Parure – A partial set of jewelry
• Depose – The rights or patent granted for an exclusive jewelry design in France
• Depth – The distance from a gemstone's table to its culet (top to bottom)
• Diadems – A semi-circular band worn around the head, which is usually jeweled and three dimensional
• Double Prong – A jewelry setting in which each prong contains another prong alongside it
• Drop – An earring style that includes a focal point which drops below the earlobe, often attached by a simple or adorned chain
• Duette – A combination of two clips on a pin back
• East-West – A stone that is set with its elongated sides parallel to the band
• Electro-Plating – The process of applying metal (most often gold) to adhere to the surface of another metal, using electrical current
• Elegant – Of a high grade or quality
• Empire Earrings – The distinctive hoop shape of Roman earrings from roughly 1st century BC, with freshwater pearls or amethysts, set in sterling silver or gold
• En Tremblant – A movable, trembling effect, generally achieved through the use of coiled springs of metal, mounted underneath the portion of the brooch that is intended to move
• Enamel – A glass powder or paste that is applied to metal, then fired in an annealing oven to bake the glass onto the metal
• Engraving – The process of decorating metal by etching a design into its surface
• Enhancer – A type of loop that attaches a pendant or charm to a chain, but has hinges that allow it to be opened and closed
• Etching – The removal of part of a metal surface, by acid, for a decorative effect
• Eternity Band – Wedding ring or band design, which includes a precious metal set with a continuous line of identically cut gemstones
• Etui – Small cylindrical case that hangs from a chatelaine
• Euro-Shank – A ring shank with a flat or squares bottom
• Extinction – Dark or black spots in colored stone
• Eye-Clean – A term used to describe gemstones containing flaws that cannot be seen without a 10x loupe
• Facet – A plain, polished surface on a stone
• Faience – Glazed porcelain or earthenware
• Feather – An internal flaw (inclusion) that has a feathery appearance
• Fede Ring – A ring with two hands clasped together, first
• Ferronniere – A narrow band, with a center jewel, which encircles the forehead
• Festoon – A design motif of a garland or string of flowers, leaves and ribbons
• Fibula – An archaeological term for brooch
• Filigree – Thin strands of wire that are intricately interlaced or bent into rosettes, spirals, scrolls, or vines
• Findings – A general term for all types of construction components used in jewelry making, such as clasps, pins, hooks, tabs, etc.
• Fire – Flashes of different spectrum colors seen in diamonds and other gemstones as the result of dispersion
• Flaw – A general term used to refer to internal or external characteristics of a gemstone (i.e. – inclusion, fracture, etc.)
• Flawless – A term used to describe a gemstone that lacks discernible internal or external blemishes when viewed by a gemologist using no less than 10x magnification
• Fleur-De-Lis – A stylized, three-petaled iris flower used as the armorial emblem of the Kings of France and then re-popularized by Napoleon
• Fluorescence – A luminescence that appears when certain diamonds are exposed to ultraviolet light
• Flush Setting – A jewelry setting in which a stone is set within a metal hole and metal is applied above the girdle
• Gemstone Certificate – An official document, which is universally accepted to verify a stone's specifications and value
• GIA – Acronym for the Gemological Institute of America
• Gilding – An object decorated with a thin layer of gold, gold leaf, or gold foil
• Gilt – Gold or something resembling gold and luxury
• Gimmel Ring – A ring formed of two or more linked hoops, which fit together in a manner that make them appear as one ring
• Girandole – A shape that consists of three pear-shaped stones (or pearls) hanging from a large stone or decorative motif, such as a bow
• Girdle – The outer edge or periphery of a fashioned stone, the portion that is usually grasped by the setting or mounting, the dividing line between the crown and pavilion, or the rim or edge of the diamond
• Gold Washed – A term for a piece that has an extremely thin layer of gold, applied by either dipping or burnishing the metal, but are not plated
• Gold-Filled – A term for a piece made up of a base metal, coated in a thick layer of gold (at least 10k and 1/20th of the total weight of the piece) bonded to its surface
• Gold-Plated – A term for a piece made up of a base metal, bonded with a thin layer of gold (less than 1/20th of the total weight of the piece)
• Grading – Evaluation and results assigned by independent gemologists that allow sellers to assign pricing to diamonds and gemstones, achieved from comparison with master stones
• Granulation – The process of decorating a metal surface with tiny grains of metal
• Grisaille – A form of enamel, painted in monochromatic colors
• Guilloche Enamel – A form of enamel work, achieved by working the metal on an engine-turned lathe to form a pattern, before enameling over the pattern
• Gypsy Setting – A setting in which the stone is sunk into the surrounding metal, leaving the top of the stone almost level with the top of the metal surface
• Hallmark – A mark stamped on jewelry throughout much of the world to attest to the purity of the metal after assay
• Halo – A setting that encircles a center gemstone with diamonds or gemstones
• Hand Engraving – A jewelry technique in which designs are artfully etched into a piece using hand-held tools (scraper, spit stick, scorper, graver) rather than a laser, casting machine, or chemicals
• Hardness – The resistance of a substance to being scratched
• Head – The portion of a jewelry item that holds the stone
• Heirloom – A jewelry piece that descends one or more generations to an heir or heirs
• IGI – Acronym for the International Gemological Institute
• Inclusion – A visible internal flaws in a gemstone, including – fractures, crystalline abnormalities, and foreign objects
• Ingot – A bar or brick, formed by pouring a molten precious metal into a mold
• Initials – The first letters of a group of names, often a person's first and last name
• Inlaid – Decorated with a material set into a surface
• Intaglio – A design carved down into a gemstone, often used for seals. Devices which made an impression in wax used to seal a letter or authenticate a document
• Invisible Setting – A style in which rows of square princess cut diamonds or other gemstones rest perfectly flush against one another, within a metal border or frame with no metal separating them
• Irradiation – Treatment performed on gemstones or pearls to enhance color
• Jabot Pin – A jeweled tie pin popular in the 1920s and 1930s
• Jade – An opaque, semiprecious gemstone which is usually found in shades of green, but can also be found in lavender and rose shades
• Jadeite – A hard, translucent variety of jade which is rarer than the other varieties of nephrite
• Jewelers of America – A trade association tasked with maintaining ethical standards within the jewelry industry
• Jump Ring – A small, oval or round wire ring used to link charms or pendants onto a chain
• Karat – A unit of fineness for gold, equal to 1 part of pure gold in an alloy
• Knife Edge – A ring whose shank forms a point at the middle point of the band, instead of being rounded or flat
• Lapidary – A general term which is used for the cutting, shaping, polishing and creation of jewelry from precious and semi-precious stones
• Laser Drilling – A technique used to enhance a stone's clarity by introducing bleaching or other enhancing agents
• Laser Engraving – A technique which uses a high-powered laser beam to etch a design into the surface of a jewelry piece
• Lavaliere – A chain from which an ornament or gemstone hangs in the center
• Leakage – The leaving or escaping of light through the facets of fashioned gemstones
• Lever Back – An earring back that uses a clasp
• Locket – A hinged case, usually in the shape of an oval or heart, which can be opened or closed and usually contains a photograph or memento
• Lost Wax Process or Casting – A casting process where a carved or cast wax original is encased in clay or other investment, before being melted at a high temperature, and replaced with molten metal
• Loupe – A small magnifying glass, often held in the eye socket, used for analyzing gemstones
• Low-Profile – A ring that has a low-set center stone
• Luster – The appearance of a material's surface, as determined by the quantity and quality of light reflected
• Maltese Cross – A shape that has four broad arms of equal length, sometimes having a V-shaped notch cut out of the ends
• Mélange - term for mixed diamond sizes, weighing more than 1 carat
• Melee – A classification used in the sorting of diamonds weighing less than 1 carat
• Memento Mori – A jewel that is a reminder of death
• Memorial Jewel – A jewel that is made in memory of a loved one, often containing hair from that person and frequently decorated with enamel
• Micro Mosaic – A mosaic of very small, colored glass pieces (tesserae) inlaid in glass or hardstone
• Micro-Pavé – A set of tiny gemstones set very close together, traditionally in three or more rows
• Milanese Chain – A chain consisting of interwoven rows of small links, forming a mesh
• Milgrain – Tiny beads of metal used to decorate jewelry, often adding a vintage aesthetic
• Millefiori – A method of creating glass or clay beads with intricate patterns using canes
• Mississippi River Pearls – Irregularly shaped pearls, usually elongated
• Mizpah Ring – A broad, gold ring engraved with the word MIZPAH. Mizpah is a Hebrew word that means 'watchtower' and is loosely interpreted as 'May God watch over you'.
• Mohs Hardness Scale – A qualitative scale characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material
• Mourning Jewelry – Jewelry worn to commemorate the death of a loved one, usually in the form of a ring, brooch, or necklace
• Nacre – The shiny, iridescent substance secreted by a mollusk as a response to an irritant (like a piece of sand), which over time builds up to become a pearl
• Navette – A ring shaped like a large marquise but set with many smaller stones
• Negligee – A long necklace that usually terminates in irregular length with tassels or drops
• Niello – An inlay technique in which the grooves made in silver or gold are made black in color by the use of a composition of metal sulfides
• Oiling – A temporary treatment used to enhance the color of a gemstone
• Old European Cut – A round antique diamond cut, known for their chunky faceting and small table; sometimes referred to as an “Old Euro Cut”
• Old Mine Cut – An antique diamond cut featuring a cushion or round shape and a chunkier look; sometimes referred to as an “Old Miner”
• Opalescent – A term used to describe a surface with a lustrous, cloudy, rainbow-like array of colors, similar to what one might see in an oil slick or mother of pearl
• Opaque – A term used to describe a stone that will not allow any light to pass through it
• Open Back Setting – A setting in which the back of the stone can be seen
• Oxidation – A chemical process in which metals such as silver are blackened or tarnished as a reaction to sulfur and oxygen
• Oxide – A compound containing one oxygen atom per molecule
• Oxidize – The act of combining with oxygen molecules to make an oxide
• Paillons – Small pieces of metallic foil which are placed underneath enamel work to provide a glow, popular with a number of arts and crafts movement jewelers
• Palladium – A charcoal-gray precious metal; cousin of platinum found in Russia, South Africa, and North America
• Pampilles – A cascade of pendant stones, popular in Georgian jewelry and meant to look like rain drops
• Parure – A suite of matching jewelry, usually four or more pieces and containing a – necklace, bracelet, pair of earrings and belt or brooch
• Paste – A glass-based substance used to simulate gemstones
• Patina – The discoloration that forms on metals such as silver and bronze, but is often planned for in the artist's design and can be introduced artificially through the use of chemicals
• Pavé – A large field of small stones set very close together to create wall-to-wall paved object
• Pavilion – The portion of a gemstone located below the girdle
• Peek-A-Boo Diamond – A secretive, hidden diamond that is only visible from a unique angle
• Pendaloque – A type of pear or tear drop gemstone, faceted as a brilliant cut and suspended from a smaller stone which is usually separated by a bow or other motif
• Pietra Dura – A mosaic of semi-precious stones set into a floral pattern of black marble or onyx, also known as a hardstone mosaic
• Pinchbeck – A gold simulant, invented circa 1720 by Christopher Pinchbeck, which is comprised of a mixture of Copper and Zinc
• Pit – An indentation on the surface of a diamond or gemstone
• Platinum – The most precious of white metals
• Plique-A-Jour – A form of cloisonné in which the enamel in the cells has no backing, producing a translucent effect
• Plot – A diagram of a gemstone's clarity characteristics
• Point – One-one hundredth (0.01) of a carat
• Polished – A smooth, glossy jewelry finish
• Posy Ring – A ring engraved with a verse
• Pot Metal – A general term for alloys which do not have gold, silver, or platinum as a components
• Proportion – A mathematical representation of a gemstone's overall symmetry
• Refraction – The act of changing the direction of a light wave so the light enters the object in one direction and leaves it in another
• Regard – A piece of jewelry with multiple stones types whose first letters can all be concatenated to spell out a word
• Relief – A kind of raised decoration that protrudes above the surface, similar to a cameo
• Repousse – A raised, high relief design on the front of a metal object made by hammering, embossing, or punching the reverse side of the metal to form the design from the back side out
• Restoration – A technique in which an aged piece of jewelry is restored to its former appearance and/or durability
• Rhodium – A metal that is a member of the platinum family of metals, but is liquid in its raw, natural state, not solid like platinum
• Riviere – A choker-style necklace that is a continuous line of gemstones usually of graduated or equal size stones
• Rolled Gold – An early 19th century type of gold plating
• Rose Cut – A style of stone cutting that produces a gemstone with a flat, multifaceted base and semi-dome-shaped top that is covered with a varied number of triangular facets and terminates in a point
• Rose Finish – A jewelry finish that makes the piece look as if it is made of rose gold, but contains no actual gold content
• Rose Gold – An alloy of gold mixed with copper, which gives it red tint
• Rutilated – A type of quartz with inclusions of rutile
• Safety Catch – A method of securing a brooch to a garment with a swiveling that locks the tip of the pin stem into the C catch
• Salt-and-Pepper Diamond – A diamond with many inclusions which create a black-and-white design
• Sand Casting – A casting method in which tempered sand is packed onto wood or metal pattern halves and then removed from the pattern, before metal is poured into the resultant cavities and the mold is broken to remove castings
• Sardonic – A variety of onyx consisting of alternating layers of charred and white chalcedony
• Sautoir – An extremely long neck chain, which falls below the waistline and terminates with a tassel or pendant.
• Scarab – A sacred beetle in ancient Egypt--commonly recognized as a symbol of rebirth and rejuvenation--popular as amulets
• Scatter Pin – A small pin usually featuring flowers, birds, and insects that is intended to be worn in a group with many other scatter pins
• Screw – An earring back type for non-pierced ears, in which the earring is tightened against the earlobe by means of a screw with a flat round end
• Seal – An engraving (intaglio) in stone or metal used to create an impression on a substance such as wax or clay
• Seed Pearl – A very small pearl popular during the Victorian period as accents set into gold jewelry or woven into long fringed necklaces
• Setting – A mechanism by which a stone is held by precious metal into a mounting
• Sevigne – A bodice ornament set with gemstones in a bowknot shape
• Shank – The part of a ring that encircles the finger, minus the setting
• Shared Prong – A prong setting in which each prong is responsible for holding two gemstones--one on either side
• Shoulder – The part of a ring between the shank and the center of the setting
• Signet – A private seal once impressed into wax to authenticate a document, which was often formed into a finger ring with the seal forming the bezel of the ring
• Single-Cut Diamonds – A genuine diamond, commonly used in watch cases that contain only 1 facet
• Slide – A jeweled fastener, which slides onto a chain or fabric ribbon
• Solitaire – A ring containing a single diamond or gemstone
• Sparkle – The act of giving off or reflecting bright, moving points of light
• Split Prong – A prong setting, in which each prong is split, with each side being responsible for holding its own gemstone
• Split Ring – A small base metal finding, resembling a key-ring
• Split Shank – A ring design element which features a band that parts into two as it nears the head
• Spring Ring – A very common kind of clasp used for joining two ends of a necklace
• Square Band – Band whose shank is not rounded at the edges
• Square Cut – A style of gemstone cut, resembling the emerald cut
• Stabilized Turquoise – Turquoise that has been treated by various methods to reduce the porosity, thus making it less changeable over time
• Stackable Rings – A set of rings--sometimes of contrasting styles--which are intended to be worn on top of 
• Sterling Silver – A silver alloy made up of at least 92.5% pure silver, which is the standard fineness for silver
• Stomacher – A very large bodice ornament, usually triangular, filling the area between the neckline and the waistline
• Stud – A minimalist earring style that includes a focal point attached to a post, which goes through the earlobe and connects to a removable back that keeps the earring in place
• Symmetry – A term for the uniformity of a gemstone's cut, including the shape and placement of facets
• Table – The large facet that caps the crown of a faceted gemstone
• Table Percentage – The diameter of a gemstone, divided by the size of the table
• Tension Setting – A jewelry setting that holds the gemstone in place by pressure rather than prongs, a bezel, or other mounting
• Terminal – The decorated ends of a necklace or bangle usually containing stylized heads of a ram, lion, dragon, etc.
• Tiara – A head ornament worn in the crown position
• Toggle Clasp – A means of fastening two ends of a chain together, consisting of a ring on one end and a short bar on the other
• Tracer Band – wedding or anniversary band that is contoured in such a way as to fit flush against the engagement ring
• Translucent – Partially transparent
• Trellis – A prong setting in which four prongs are interwoven together to hold the center diamond
• Tremblant – A general term for jewelry with a trembling effect when the wearer moves, which is produced by elements set upon stiff wires that move
• Tubogas – A flexible, tubular chain
• Tutti Frutti – A general term for jewelry set with multi-colored gems carved in shapes of leaves, flowers and berries and often in a basket design
• Two-Tone – A jewelry piece that includes two separate metals, which remain separate and are soldered together to form one piece
• Ultrasonic – A cleaning device for jewelry that removes dirt through the use of ultrasonic waves
• Vermeil – Silver with gold plating
• Zircon – A common mineral occurring in small crystals which is heated, cut, and polished to form a brilliant blue-white gemstone

Be sure and follow Inspired Antiquity on Instagram: InspiredAntiquity, Twitter: @NpiredAntiquity, Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/tkmb & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredAntiquity .