Aad
Jewellery types and designs
A broad, collar-like necklace associated with Rajasthani jewellery.
139 terms · 6 topics
Jewellery Encyclopedia
A searchable A–Z reference of 139 jewellery terms, with plain-language definitions, illustrations and links to full guides.
No terms match. Try a shorter word, check the spelling, or search all guides. Popular terms: jhumka, gold-plated, cubic zirconia, kundan.
A
AD (American diamond)
Stones, beads and finishes
A common Indian market name for cubic zirconia.
Addigai
Jewellery types and designs
A wide, close-fitting South Indian choker, often in temple style.
Adjustable ring
Jewellery types and designs
A ring with an open or flexible band that fits a range of sizes.
Alloy
Materials, metals and plating
A mixture of metals, such as brass (copper and zinc).
Antique finish
Materials, metals and plating
A deliberately aged, matte or shaded finish.
Artificial jewellery
Jewellery types and designs
Jewellery made from non-precious materials.
Artificial pearl
Stones, beads and finishes
A manufactured bead (glass, plastic or shell) with a pearly coating; not formed in a mollusc.
Aurora borealis coating
Stones, beads and finishes
A thin coating on glass or crystal that adds a rainbow sheen.
B
Bail
Clasps, settings and components
The loop or fitting that attaches a pendant to a chain.
Bajuband
Jewellery types and designs
An armlet worn on the upper arm.
Bangle
Jewellery types and designs
A rigid, circular bracelet.
Bangle size
Measurements and terminology
Indian bangle sizes such as 2.4 or 2.6 describe inner diameter in inches and sixteenths: 2.6 = 2 6/16 in (about 60 mm).
Baroque pearl
Stones, beads and finishes
An irregularly shaped pearl.
Bezel setting
Clasps, settings and components
A metal rim that surrounds a stone.
Bib necklace
Jewellery types and designs
A wide necklace covering part of the chest.
Bichhiya
Jewellery types and designs
Toe rings, associated with marriage in many Indian communities.
Box chain
Clasps, settings and components
A chain made of square links.
Brass
Materials, metals and plating
An alloy of copper and zinc.
Butterfly back
Clasps, settings and components
A common push-on earring back.
C
Cable chain
Clasps, settings and components
A chain of uniform oval or round links.
Cabochon
Stones, beads and finishes
A smooth, domed stone without facets.
CAD
Manufacturing techniques
Computer-aided design: software used to model jewellery precisely, often for 3D printing masters.
Carat
Measurements and terminology
A unit of weight for gemstones: 1 carat = 0.2 grams. Not the same as karat, which measures gold purity.
Chandbali
Jewellery types and designs
A crescent-moon-shaped earring.
Chandelier earring
Jewellery types and designs
A multi-tiered, branching earring.
Channel setting
Clasps, settings and components
Stones set in a row between metal walls.
Choker
Jewellery types and designs
A necklace that sits close around the neck.
Clasp
Clasps, settings and components
The fastening that joins the ends of a necklace or bracelet.
Climber
Jewellery types and designs
An earring that runs up the ear from the lobe.
Cocktail ring
Jewellery types and designs
A large statement ring.
Copper
Materials, metals and plating
A soft, reddish metal used as a base for plating and in oxidised and handmade designs; it tarnishes readily.
Costume jewellery
Jewellery types and designs
Decorative jewellery made to complement an outfit; often non-precious.
Crimp bead
Clasps, settings and components
A small metal bead flattened to secure beading wire.
Crystal
Stones, beads and finishes
In jewellery, high-quality cut glass designed for brilliance; some crystal contains lead oxide.
Cubic zirconia (CZ)
Stones, beads and finishes
A lab-made crystal used as a diamond simulant.
Cuff
Jewellery types and designs
A rigid bracelet with an opening.
D
Dangle earring
Jewellery types and designs
An earring that hangs and moves freely below the lobe.
Dejhoor
Jewellery types and designs
Ear ornaments traditionally worn by married Kashmiri Pandit women, hanging from threads through the ears.
Die-casting
Manufacturing techniques
Injecting molten metal under pressure into steel moulds.
Dori
Clasps, settings and components
A tie-cord used to fasten traditional necklaces.
Drop earring
Jewellery types and designs
An earring that hangs a short distance below the lobe.
E
Ear cuff
Jewellery types and designs
An ornament that wraps around the outer ear, usually without a piercing.
Electroplating
Manufacturing techniques
Depositing a thin metal layer using electricity.
Enamel
Materials, metals and plating
Coloured glass fused to metal, or a coloured resin coating that resembles it.
Eternity band
Jewellery types and designs
A ring with stones set all around the band.
Extender chain
Clasps, settings and components
A short chain added to adjust necklace or bracelet length.
Eye pin
Clasps, settings and components
A wire with a loop at one end, used to link beads into chains or dangles.
F
Facet
Stones, beads and finishes
A flat, polished surface cut on a stone.
Fashion jewellery
Jewellery types and designs
Trend-led, affordable jewellery.
Figaro chain
Clasps, settings and components
A chain with a repeating pattern of short and long links.
Filigree
Stones, beads and finishes
Delicate decorative work made from fine twisted wire.
Findings
Clasps, settings and components
Functional components such as clasps, hooks and jump rings.
Flash plating
Materials, metals and plating
A very thin layer of plating.
Foil backing
Stones, beads and finishes
Reflective foil behind a stone to increase brilliance.
French hook
Clasps, settings and components
A simple wire earring hook.
G
Gauge
Measurements and terminology
A measure of wire thickness.
Gold electroplate
Materials, metals and plating
In US FTC guidance, gold of at least 10 karat electroplated to a minimum thickness equivalent to 0.175 microns of fine gold.
Gold-filled
Materials, metals and plating
A thicker gold layer mechanically bonded to a base metal; FTC guidance requires at least 1/20th of the metal weight.
Gold-plated
Materials, metals and plating
A thin gold layer over another metal.
Gold-tone
Materials, metals and plating
Gold-coloured, without implying gold content.
Golden sample
Manufacturing techniques
An approved reference piece used to check that production matches the agreed quality.
H
Haar
Jewellery types and designs
A necklace, often long. "Rani haar" is a long, grand necklace.
Haath phool
Jewellery types and designs
A hand ornament linking a ring to a bracelet.
Hallmark
Measurements and terminology
An official mark certifying precious-metal purity.
Head pin
Clasps, settings and components
A wire with a flat end, used to make bead dangles.
Herringbone chain
Clasps, settings and components
A flat chain of slanted links.
Hoop
Jewellery types and designs
A circular or semi-circular earring.
Huggie
Jewellery types and designs
A small hoop that hugs the earlobe.
I
Imitation jewellery
Jewellery types and designs
Jewellery recreating the look of precious jewellery with non-precious materials.
Inner diameter
Measurements and terminology
The distance across the inside of a ring or bangle, usually in millimetres; the basis of most size charts.
J
Jhumka
Jewellery types and designs
A bell-shaped earring.
Jump ring
Clasps, settings and components
A small metal ring used to connect components.
K
Kada
Jewellery types and designs
A thick, often openable bangle.
Kamarbandh
Jewellery types and designs
A waist belt worn over traditional outfits.
Karat
Measurements and terminology
A measure of gold purity (24 karat is pure gold).
Kasu mala
Jewellery types and designs
A South Indian coin necklace.
Kundan
Materials, metals and plating
A historic Indian stone-setting technique using refined gold; 'kundan-style' describes imitation versions using glass in gold-toned frames.
L
Lab-grown diamond
Stones, beads and finishes
A real diamond grown in a laboratory, with the same composition as a mined diamond. Not the same as cubic zirconia.
Lacquer
Materials, metals and plating
A clear protective coating.
Lariat
Jewellery types and designs
A long, open-ended necklace.
Lever back
Clasps, settings and components
A hinged earring closure.
Lobster clasp
Clasps, settings and components
A spring-loaded clasp shaped like a lobster claw.
Locket
Jewellery types and designs
A pendant that opens to hold a keepsake.
Lost-wax casting
Manufacturing techniques
Casting metal using a wax model that is melted away.
M
Maang tikka
Jewellery types and designs
A pendant worn on the hair parting.
Matha patti
Jewellery types and designs
A forehead ornament along the hairline.
Meenakari
Materials, metals and plating
Indian enamel work: coloured enamel fused to metal, often on the reverse of kundan pieces.
Micron
Measurements and terminology
One thousandth of a millimetre; used for plating thickness.
Mother-of-pearl
Stones, beads and finishes
The iridescent inner layer of some shells, used for beads, inlays and pendants.
N
Nath
Jewellery types and designs
A nose ring, often large with a chain.
Necklace length
Measurements and terminology
Usually measured end to end including the clasp; standard names include choker, princess, matinee and opera.
Nickel
Materials, metals and plating
A metal that is a common cause of skin allergy.
O
Oxidised
Materials, metals and plating
Deliberately darkened metal.
P
Passa (jhoomar)
Jewellery types and designs
A fan-shaped ornament worn on one side of the head.
Payal
Jewellery types and designs
Anklets.
Pendant
Jewellery types and designs
A hanging ornament on a chain.
Polki
Materials, metals and plating
Uncut or minimally cut diamonds with a soft glow; 'polki-inspired' describes imitation versions.
Porosity
Manufacturing techniques
Tiny holes in a casting caused by trapped gas or shrinkage; a quality defect.
PVD
Materials, metals and plating
Physical vapour deposition, a thin, hard vacuum-applied coating.
R
Rani haar
Jewellery types and designs
A long, grand necklace, often layered, worn at weddings and major celebrations in many Indian communities.
Rhinestone
Stones, beads and finishes
A glass or crystal stone with a reflective backing.
Rhodium plating
Materials, metals and plating
A bright white plating.
Ring size systems
Measurements and terminology
Different regions label the same ring differently: US numbers, UK letters, EU millimetre circumference, and local charts in India and Japan.
Rope chain
Clasps, settings and components
A twisted, rope-like chain.
Rose gold
Materials, metals and plating
A pink-toned gold alloy with extra copper; in fashion jewellery usually a rose-gold plating or coating.
Rubber mould
Manufacturing techniques
A vulcanised rubber or silicone mould made from a master model, used to produce wax copies for casting.
S
Sahara (ear chain)
Clasps, settings and components
A chain that supports heavy earrings by looping over the ear or into the hair.
Screw back
Clasps, settings and components
A threaded earring back.
Seed bead
Stones, beads and finishes
A very small, uniform glass bead used in woven and embroidered designs. Larger size numbers mean smaller beads.
Shank
Clasps, settings and components
The band of a ring that encircles the finger.
Simulant
Stones, beads and finishes
A material that imitates a gemstone's appearance but is a different material.
SKU
Measurements and terminology
Stock keeping unit: a unique code for each product variant, used to track inventory.
Snake chain
Clasps, settings and components
A smooth, flexible tube-like chain.
Soldering
Manufacturing techniques
Joining metal parts with a lower-melting metal alloy and heat. A workshop process needing training and ventilation.
Spacer bead
Clasps, settings and components
A small bead placed between larger beads to add rhythm and spacing.
Sprue
Manufacturing techniques
The channel through which molten metal enters a mould; its stub is cut off and finished after casting.
Stainless steel
Materials, metals and plating
An iron alloy containing chromium that resists rust; popular for everyday fashion pieces. Many grades contain some nickel.
Stamping
Manufacturing techniques
Cutting and shaping sheet metal with dies in a press; used for lightweight and hollow parts.
Sterling silver
Materials, metals and plating
An alloy of 92.5% silver, often marked "925".
Stud
Jewellery types and designs
An earring that sits on the lobe.
T
Tarnish
Materials, metals and plating
Discolouration caused by chemical reaction with the environment.
Temple jewellery
Jewellery types and designs
South Indian jewellery inspired by temple architecture and sacred imagery.
Tennis bracelet
Jewellery types and designs
A bracelet with a continuous line of matching stones.
Threader
Jewellery types and designs
A fine chain earring that threads through the piercing.
Thushi
Jewellery types and designs
A close-fitting Maharashtrian necklace of densely clustered small gold beads.
Toggle clasp
Clasps, settings and components
A bar-and-ring clasp.
Tumbling
Manufacturing techniques
Rotating parts with polishing media to smooth and burnish surfaces before plating.
U
Underlayer
Materials, metals and plating
A thin metal layer applied before the final plating to improve adhesion, smoothness and durability.
V
Vaddanam
Jewellery types and designs
A South Indian waist belt.
Vermeil
Materials, metals and plating
In US FTC guidance, gold of at least 10 karat and about 2.5 microns thick over sterling silver.
W
White metal
Materials, metals and plating
A broad term for light-coloured, low-melting alloys.
Wire wrapping
Manufacturing techniques
Shaping and wrapping wire to create jewellery.
Z
Zinc alloy
Materials, metals and plating
A zinc-based alloy commonly used in die-cast fashion jewellery.