A Glossary of Jewelry Terms for Beginners
Shop with confidence — the essential jewelry vocabulary, explained simply.
Jewelry shopping comes with its own vocabulary. Here's a friendly glossary of the terms you'll encounter most, so nothing trips you up.
The 4 Cs
Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat — the four qualities used to describe a stone. Cut affects sparkle, color how white it is, clarity how clean, and carat its weight.
Stone & sparkle terms
Brilliance is white reflected light; fire is the rainbow flashes; facets are the cut surfaces that create sparkle. Learn more in Fire & Brilliance.
Ring parts
Shank is the band, prongs the claws holding the stone, setting how it's held, and gallery the detail beneath the stone. See The Anatomy of a Ring.
Metal terms
Karat measures gold purity; sterling silver (925) is 92.5% silver; rhodium plating is a bright protective finish. See Gold Karats.
Setting styles
Solitaire (single stone), halo (ring of accents), pavé (tiny stones along the band), and three-stone. Explore in Ring Styles Explained.
FAQs
What are the 4 Cs?
Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat — the four standard qualities used to describe a gemstone.
What's the difference between fire and brilliance?
Brilliance is white reflected light; fire is the colorful rainbow flashes a stone disperses.
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