From Abalone to Zoisite, the jewellery glossary is packed with information on cuts, gems, settings, links and styles. Simply click on the letter group of the term you'd like explained... Convert bracelet and necklace lengths from inches to centimetres with our guide - click here

		Abalon - The colourful, pearly interior of a molusc shell Agate - type of chalcedony quartz found in a variety of colours and patterns, frequently with varying colour layers Alexandrite - A mineral which changes colour or appears to change colour as the source of light changes. Found in Russia, Sri Lanka and Brazil Alloy - A mixture of two or more metals Amber - Fossilised resin in shades from honey through to yellow and reddish brown Amethyst - Transparent and opaque varieties of crystallised quartz, typically purple or violet in colour Ametrine - A variety of quartz that contains both amethyst and citrine sectors in the same crystal Andalusite - An orangey brown, yellowish green or gold mineral, named after Andalusia, where it was first discovered. Sometimes called 'poor man's alexandrite' Antique style - Process by which something takes on an aged look. Usually a darkened or tarnished appearance Applique - An ornamental piece that's created separately and then applied to a piece of jewellery Aquamarine - A blue semi-precious stone in the beryl family Armoire - A moveable cabinet to store your jewellery with several doors and shelves Art Deco - see deco style Austrian crystal - Imitation of natural or rock crystal (quartz). see also crystal Aventurine - Translucent greenish quartz mineral, internally granular. Often mistaken for jade, another green stone Azurite malachite - A mineral which is characterised in appearance by bands of light and dark blue
		Baguette - Small stones which are rectangular and faceted Bail - A folded metal loop, from which a pendant, watch, stone, etc. may be hung on a chain or cord Band - A ring which is the same width on top of the ring Bangle - A stiff bracelet that slips over the hand or is clasped on Base metal - Any non-precious metal Basket - A fancy setting with numerous side piercings to provide a lacy or basket-look appearance Bead - A stone cut in the shape of a small sphere Belcher chain - Made up of links that are round or oval and uniform in size Bell cap - A vertical drop setting that resembles of bell Beveled - An angled part or surface, usually an angle other than a right angle Bezel - A setting where a collar of metal encircles and raises the centrepiece Blueberry Quartz - This stunning blue-violet quartz is actually an intense shade of amethyst and is an incredibly rare gem. Technically it's truly a blue amethyst, but blueberry quartz describes the colour perfectly. It's currently only found at the extremely deep Minas Gerais mine in Brazil, and makes up less than 0.01% of total quartz production. The seam is found at about 150m below ground, making it difficult and time-consuming to extract. Despite claims to the contrary, blueberry quartz is a real gem, not simulated, and is truly beautiful and rare. Box and tongue clasp - A clasp in which a V-shaped wire fits into a small tube and locks into place Box chain - A type of chain with links that are wide and square like boxes Brilliant cut - A round cut of 58 facets, mathematically devised to produce the greatest brilliance Brooch - An ornamental piece of jewellery with a pin and clasp to be attached to clothing, etc Button Earrings - A flat, usually round earring that sits on the earlobe and has no dangling parts Byzantine chain - A chain with close-fitting links that create an intricate design and form a tubular or flat chain
		Cabochon - A domed gemstone. Highly polished curved surface without faceting Cameo - A carved gem or shell, in which the outer layers are cut away so that the design stands out in relief against a background of a different colour Carat (gems) - Unit of weight for gemstones with 100 points to a carat, with one carat equalling one-fifth of a gram Carat (gold) - A measure, from 1 to 24, used to indicate how much of a piece of jewellery is gold and how much an alloy Carnelian - Pale red quartz. Most carnelian comes from Brazil, India, Siberia, and Germany Cat's eye - A stone with a distinctive, sweeping band of light across its centre, ranging in colour from green to brownish gold Case - The box-like piece that holds the watch mechanism Chalcedony - Refers to various types of coloured quartz, usually those with a milky appearance like carnelian, agate, cat's eye, and jasper Chandelier style - Drop earrings or pendants in a chandelier-like design Channel setting - A setting where stones are inlaid into grooves in the metal. Usually a number of uniformly sized small stones are set in a row Charm - A decorative pendant or trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace or earring Charm bracelet - A link bracelet to which charms can be attached Chevron style - A design consisting of short lines joined at angles to form rows of 'V's Chrysoprase - A variety of chalcedony which is apple green in colour Citrine - A brownish-orange quartz type Clasp - Any type of attachment that connects the two ends of a piece of jewellery Clip-back - Earrings designed for non-pierced ears. Works like a hinge to secure the earring to the earlobe Cloisonne - Decorative enamel work which is set in thin strips of wire Cluster - A setting in which stones are grouped together Cluster ring - A ring with a setting in which stones are grouped together Cocktail ring - Large ring set with precious or semiprecious stones Collar - A band worn close to the neck Concave - Curving inward, like the inner surface of a ball Convex - Curving outward, like the outer surface of a ball Coral - The skeletal remains of marine animals, in a range in colours including red, pink, and salmon Corundum - A gem mineral of crystallised aluminium and oxygen. Ruby and sapphire are the most valuable corundum Crown - Upper part of a gem Crystal - A top-quality colourless, transparent glass resembling natural or rock crystal. Made through an ancient process that involves lead oxide. To be crystal, there must be a minimum of 10% lead. See also Austrian Crystal Crystalline - Formed by crystallisation, or similar to crystal in texture Cuff link - A decorative fastener worn to close the French cuff (a cuff without buttons) of a shirt Cultured pearl - Created through a painstaking process of mimicking the natural pearl process in live molluscs. A pearl is formed as a result of implanting a piece of mantle from a mollusc into another host mollusc Curb link chain - A type of chain where the links are oval and twisted so they lie flat Cushion cut - A square cut with rounded corners
		Dangle - See drop Deco style - Derived from Art Deco, a style which originated in France in the 1920s and 1930s. Characterised by abstract designs and linear, geometric patterns Demi-hoop - see half-hoop design Denim lapis - A pale variety of lapis lazuli from Chile; the same colour as denim cloth Diamond - A precious gemstone composed of pure carbon. Hardest of all known substances. Rated 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness Diamond cut - cuts made into the surface of the metal to create a pattern and to make the surface reflect more light Diamonique (R) - Diamonique is a simulated gemstone that resembles the finest natural diamonds Diopside - A mineral which ranges in colour from white, to deep green to almost black Drop - A small ornament suspended from a piece of jewellery Drop earring - Any earring which hangs below the earlobe. Also called a dangle earring