Jewelry Terminology 101

At South Shore Diamond, we aim to make your jewelry buying experience a fun and enjoyable process. We know that for many customers, jewelry terminology can be a bit overwhelming — that’s why we’ve provided this basic guide to help you understand important terms.

If your question isn’t answered here, please feel free to call us or come by our Pembroke, MA jewelry store. We look forward to answering your questions and helping you choose the perfect gift!

The Four Cs of Diamond Quality

Carat – The weight of a diamond. One carat is approximately 0.2 grams. Because diamonds differ in color, clarity, cut and shape, the price of a diamond depends on more than just the carat weight.
Color – The closer a diamond is to being completely colorless, the more valuable it is (with the exception of fancy colored diamonds). Color is rated on a scale from D to Z, D being the most colorless and Z being the most tinted.
Clarity – As they form, diamonds develop internal and external imperfections (called inclusions). Clarity is rated as internally flawless (IF), very very slightly included (VVS), very slightly included (VS), slightly included (SI) or included (I).
Cut – Cut affects a diamond’s brilliance (light reflected), fire (dispersion of light into the colors of the spectrum) and sparkle (flashes of light when a diamond moves). Cut is rated as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor.

Diamond shapes

While you may hear people interchange the terms shape and cut, the two aren’t the same. As mentioned above, diamond cut refers to symmetry, polish, proportions, sparkle and other measures of a diamond’s quality. Diamond shape, however, refers to the actual shape of the stone — whether it is round, square, oval or another shape. Below, we’ve listed a few popular diamond shapes.

Asscher – Nearly identical to the emerald shape, except more square than rectangular.
Cushion – Square or rectangular with rounded corners, this shape is also known as pillow-cut.
Emerald – Rectangular-shaped diamonds with trimmed corners. Highlights a diamond’s clarity.
Heart – Like a pear shape, but with two rounded edges instead of one.
Marquise – A diamond nearly twice as long as it is wide, with pointed ends.
Oval – Elongated diamond, similar in brilliance to round diamonds.
Pear – Resembling a teardrop, a pear shape is a combination of the round and marquise shapes.
Princess – A square-shaped diamond designed to display as much sparkle as a round brilliant.
Round brilliant – One of the most popular shapes for engagement ring diamonds, as it allows the diamond to show the maximum amount of brilliance.

Diamond settings

Bar – A thin bar of metal holding the diamond in place on two sides. A common setting for bands encircled by a series of small diamonds.
Bezel – A metal rim securing the diamond around its widest part. Protects the stone while allowing it to sparkle.
Channel – A setting in which stones are set directly next to each other with no metal separating them. Two strips of metal hold the stone securely on either side, with no metal in between the stones.
Cluster – Diamonds set together in a group (for example, in the shape of a flower).
Pavé – Multiple small diamonds set closely together with prongs or small metal beads.
Prong (sometimes called claw) – This popular setting usually consists of four or six prongs that cradle the stone. Allows maximum amount of light to enter the stone from all angles.
Tension – Holds the diamond by the pressure of the ring’s metal.

Facet - Any flat polished surface on a diamond or gemstone. Emerald cut diamonds, for instance, may have anywhere from 50 to 58 facets. The largest, central facet on the top of a diamond is called the table.

Gold purity – Expressed in carats (K). The finest gold used in jewelry is 18k (75% pure) or 14k (58.5% pure). Pure gold (24k) is too soft to be used in jewelry. Gold is alloyed with other metals such as silver, copper or platinum to add strength and to produce different colors such as white gold and rose gold.

Inclusion – Internal characteristics, flaws or imperfections of a diamond or gemstone. Inclusions can be bubbles, crystals, carbon spots, feathers, clouds, pinpoints, cracks or other impurities. Diamond clarity is a measure of the number and visibility of inclusions.

Solitaire – A ring featuring a single diamond.