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

		Quartz - A crystalline mineral used for gems; usually colourless and transparent Quartz movement - An electronic movement in a watch, powered by a battery that causes vibrations in a tiny piece of quartz
		Radiant cut - A square or rectangular brilliant cut stone with 70 facets for maximum sparkle Rhodium - A white, metallic element Rhodolite - A variety of pyrope garnet ranging in colour from rose-red to pale violet Rhodonite - From the Greek word for pink. A reddish gem with thin veins or patches of grey-black. Found in the former Soviet Union, USA, India and Australia Ribbed - A ridged, textured effect Rock crystal - A mineral; see also quartz Rope chain - Chain with a spiral appearance; like two thick strands woven together Rose gold - An alloy of gold and copper, usually a pinkish shade Rose finish - A pink finish, made to look like rose gold Rose quartz - Delicate pink quartz with a milky appearance. Popular for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and other gift occasions Ruby - A highly precious and valued red corundum Rutilated quartz - A variety of quartz with streaks of rutile crystal; needle-like minerals with a reddish-brown appearance
		Sapphire - A highly valued and precious stone and a member of the corundum group. Most commonly in blue Satin finish - A matte finish achieved by sandblasting, brushing with a stiff wire brush, or chemically altering a surface. Satin finish has a soft, pearl-like lustre Scalloped - An ornamental edge that consists of a series of curves Scarab - A gemstone cut in the shape of a beetle; an ancient Egyptian fertility symbol Screw back - A vice-like clamp that holds a non-pierced earring in place with a screw that can be tightened against the earlobe Semi-precious stones - A traditional term for some natural stones including amethyst, aventurine, carnelian, garnet, opal, rose quartz, etc. Becoming out-dated, as some 'semi-precious' stones are now worth thousands of pounds Shank - The back of the ring that encircles the finger Shoulder - The sides of the ring that extend from the shank to the centrepiece Signet - A ring with a centrepiece of a flat surface, on which there is an inscription, a coat of arms, a family crest, etc. Silver tone - Coloured to look like silver Simulated diamond - Manufactured imitation of genuine diamond. See Diamonique Simulated pearl - Glass beads coated in the ground-up iridescent nacre from fish scales Simulated stones - Any manufactured substance which is meant to resemble or take the place of a gem Smoky quartz - Brownish quartz with a smoky appearance Smoky topaz - see smoky quartz Snake chain - Chain with links that fit together to form a bendable, often tubular chain Sodalite - A mineral which is a component of lapis and generally translucent, usually blue in colour Solitaire - A single stone in a simple setting Spinel - A gemstone found in a wide range of colours, the most valuable resembling ruby Square cut - Similar to emerald cut, the stone is square and bordered by long narrow facets Square setting - A square setting with a prong at each corner to hold the centrepiece in place Stack ring - Rings designed to be worn in sets of two or more on the same finger stainless steel - Steel containing chromium and resistant to rust and corrosion Stardust - A dusted, sparkly finish on metal surfaces Step cut - A gem cut with a varying number of sloping parallel rows, giving the impression of steps Sterling silver - Silver that is at least 92.5 percent pure with 7.5 parts of another metal, usually copper, to make the piece harder Stickpin - A straight pin worn vertically on a scarf, tie, or a lapel Stud - An earring featuring a single stone or metal ball, usually worn on pierced ears Synthetic - Man-made, but an exact replica of the natural materials
		Table - The flat, horizontal top facet of a ring Tanzanite - A deep blue-violet variety of zoisite, only mined in Tanzania Tarnish - A dulled finish Tassel - An ornamental bundle of threads bound at one end and loosely hung Tennis bracelet - A flexible bracelet made up of evenly matched stones, usually diamonds. There are variations on the style, such as alternating stones Tie tac - A short pin with an ornamental top or face that goes through the tie, pinning it to the shirt Tiffany setting - A generally round, six-prong setting with long, slender prongs that flare out from the base Tiger's eye - A semi-precious variety of quartz found in South Africa, in yellowish-brown, blue or red. When cabochon cut, shows a single light streak across its face Titanium - A metallic element used mainly in industry, but also used in some jewellery because of the range of colours it produces when heated Toggle clasp - A fastener consisting of a ring on one end of a necklace or bracelet and a short bar on the other end. The bar fits through the ring, then sits across it horizontally so it does not slide or pull Topaz - A transparent gem; the most precious type is wine-yellow. Also found in shades of white, blue, brown, orange and pink Tourmaline - A crystalline mineral. Comes in a variety of colours, the most common of which is black Translucent - Allowing light to pass through, but not transparent Transparent - Easily seen through; light rays are transmitted Triangle cut - A triangular brilliant cut stone Trilliant - see trillion cut Trillion cut - A brilliant cut triangular stone with 44 facets Tsavorite - A transparent, emerald green variety of garnet Turquoise - Greenish-blue semi-precious stone