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Mounting
- : The metal frame or housing in which gemstones are set.
N
Nickel - Hard, malleable, and resistant to corrosion, this white
metal is malleable and often mixed with precious metals such as
gold and silver.
O
Oxidize - The process wherein a metal mixes with oxygen and
becomes rusted. Platinum and gold do not oxidize. Impurities in
any alloys containing gold or platinum may oxidize but the actual
metals do not.
P
Pavé - From the French, literally meaning "paved,"
occurs when gemstones are set very close together to resemble a
paved cobblestone road.
Pavé
set - A time-consuming style of setting produced by drilling
tapered holes in a metal base to seat the gemstones, then securing
them with tiny beads formed from the surrounding metal. In current
usage it has often come to mean any type of bead setting.
Pendant
- Any article or ornament suspended from a chain or necklace worn
around the neck.
Platinumsmith
- A metalworker who works in platinum when it is hot and malleable.
Precious
metal - This metal group is generally defined as referring to
platinum, gold, and silver, which are valued for their rarity, color,
and malleability.
R
Ring size - The measurement of how large a ring needs to be
to fit securely on a person's finger. Traditionally the average
ring size of a woman was 6 and a man's 10, but this has been slowly
increasing.
S
Sapphire - This extremely hard gemstone is from the Corundum
class of minerals. It is one of the four precious gemstones, the
other three being diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Available in a
multitude of eye-catching colors, sapphires of blue and pink hues
are the most popular kind used today.
Satin Finish
- A textured finish produced by brushing the metal surface to produce
tiny parallel lines. Today it is popularly used in platinum jewelry,
and is sometimes to as matte finish.
SI (clarity)
- SI grade diamonds are frequently found in jewelry, especially
in multi-stone diamond earring, rings, pendants, and bracelets.
The grade signifies that inclusions cannot be seen by the naked
eye but can be seen under 10x magnification.
U
Ultrasonic Cleaner - A machine that cleans jewelry by vibrating
a solution at an ultra-high frequency. Capable of cleaning tiny
cavaties of a jewelry piece without scratching the surface but can
damage soft or brittle gems. Never to be used on pearl jewelry.
V
Vintage - A classic, characterized by excellence, maturity,
and enduring appeal.
VS (clarity)
- VS clarity diamonds are of superior quality and frequently used
in fine jewelry. The grade signifies that minor inclusions are difficult
to see, even under 10x magnification.
W
White Gold - Created by alloying yellow gold with palladium,
nickel, zinc, and/or silver, white gold is often selected as a less
expensive alternative to platinum. It is often plated with rhodium
(a member of the platinum family of metals) to give a platinum like
sheen.
Y
Yellow Gold - In its natural state gold come in varying shades
of yellow. Relatively pure when initially mined, gold is usually
alloyed with copper, zince, and/or silver when used in jewelry making.
Z
Zinc - Brittle at room temperature but malleable when heated,
this bluish-white metal is used to from such such alloys as Brass,
Bronze, and Nickel Silver.
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