Knowledge
Gold and jewellery terms from A to Z
What does carat mean? What is a Bilezik? Find explanations of terms you may encounter when buying jewellery or selling gold.
A
- Agate
- A banded variety of quartz (chalcedony), popular as a gemstone.
- Alloy
- A mixture of several metals, e.g. gold with copper and silver.
- Amber
- Fossilised tree resin, an organic gem material.
- Amethyst
- A purple quartz and one of the best-known gemstones.
- Aquamarine
- A pale-blue gemstone from the beryl group.
B
- Bangle
- A rigid, closed wrist ornament; central to Turkish tradition.
- Bar (Ingot)
- A standardised block of precious metal for investment.
- Belcher Chain
- A chain made of evenly rounded links.
- Beryl
- A mineral group that includes emerald and aquamarine.
- Bezel Setting
- A setting that surrounds the stone with a metal rim.
- Bilezik
- A Turkish gold bangle, a classic wedding and celebration gift.
- Bracelet
- Flexible wrist jewellery made of movable links.
- Brilliant
- A round-cut diamond with 57 or 58 facets.
- Brilliant Cut
- A cut designed for maximum light refraction and sparkle.
- Brooch
- A piece of jewellery fastened with a pin.
C
- Cabochon
- A smooth, domed cut without facets.
- Carat
- A unit of weight for gemstones (1 carat = 0.2 g); for gold, carat denotes purity.
- Carat (Gold)
- A measure of gold content; 24 carat equals pure gold.
- Casting
- Making jewellery by pouring molten metal into a mould.
- Chain
- Neck jewellery made of connected links.
- Chasing
- Decorating metal surfaces by punching and embossing.
- Citrine
- A yellow to golden-brown quartz.
- Coin
- A minted gold or silver piece, also used as an investment.
- Collier
- An elaborately crafted necklace, often set with stones.
- Copper
- An alloy metal that gives gold a reddish tone.
- Cubic Zirconia
- A synthetic, diamond-like gemstone.
- Cufflinks
- Jewellery for fastening shirt cuffs.
- Cultured Pearl
- A pearl cultivated on pearl farms.
- Cut
- The shape and finishing of a gemstone.
D
- Diamond
- The hardest natural gemstone, made of pure carbon.
- Ducat Gold
- Very high-carat gold (986/1000), traditionally used for coins.
E
- Emerald
- A green gemstone from the beryl group.
- Enamel
- A coloured glass coating fused onto metal.
- Engagement Ring
- A ring for a marriage proposal, often with a solitaire.
- Engraving
- Text or decoration cut into metal.
F
- Facet
- A polished, flat surface of a gemstone.
- Figaro Chain
- A chain with alternating long and short links.
- Filigree
- Fine, openwork wire craftsmanship.
- Fine Gold
- Pure gold with 999/1000 fineness (24 carat).
- Fine Silver
- Pure silver with 999/1000 fineness.
- Fineness
- The proportion of pure precious metal, given in parts per thousand.
- Full Gold Coin
- A Turkish full-size gold coin.
G
- Garnet
- A usually deep-red gemstone.
- Gemstone
- A rare, hard and usually transparent gemstone.
- Gold Plating
- A thin layer of gold on another metal.
- Goldsmith
- A craftsman who makes jewellery from precious metals.
H
- Hallmark
- A stamped mark indicating fineness and origin.
- Hallmarking
- Stamping with fineness and maker's marks.
- Hardness (Mohs)
- A scale from 1 to 10 for a stone's scratch resistance.
- Hasır
- A densely woven Turkish gold chain with a mat-like pattern.
I
- Imitation
- An artificial substitute for a genuine gemstone.
- Inclusion
- A natural feature inside a stone.
- Investment
- Precious metal as a stable store of value.
- Investment Gold
- Gold held as an investment, usually as bars or coins.
J
- Jewel
- A precious piece of jewellery, usually set with gemstones.
- Jeweller
- A specialist shop and dealer for jewellery and watches.
K
- King's Chain
- An elaborate, dense chain with interlinked elements.
L
- Lapis Lazuli
- A deep-blue ornamental stone, often flecked with gold.
M
- Mohs Hardness
- A mineral hardness scale from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).
N
- Neck Ring
- A rigid, closed neck ornament.
- Nickel
- An alloy metal that can cause allergies.
- Niello
- A black metal alloy used as decorative inlay.
O
- Onyx
- A deep-black variety of chalcedony.
- Opal
- A gemstone with an iridescent play of colour.
- Ounce (Troy)
- An international unit of weight for precious metals (31.1 g).
P
- Palladium
- A platinum-group metal, used e.g. for nickel-free white gold.
- Pavé
- A surface densely set with many small stones.
- Pearl
- An organic gem formed inside molluscs.
- Pendant
- A piece of jewellery worn on a chain or necklace.
- Platinum
- A very precious, heavy and durable white metal.
- Precious Metal
- A corrosion-resistant metal such as gold, silver or platinum.
- Prong Setting
- A setting that holds the stone with small prongs.
Q
- Quarter Gold Coin
- A Turkish quarter-size gold coin, a popular gift at celebrations.
- Quartz
- A common mineral; includes amethyst, citrine and rock crystal.
R
- Red Gold
- A copper-rich gold alloy with a strong red tone.
- Rhodium Plating
- Finishing white gold with a bright layer of rhodium.
- Rolled Gold
- A base metal with a bonded layer of gold.
- Rolled Gold
- Material with a firmly bonded layer of rolled gold.
- Rose Gold
- A gold alloy with a high copper content and a pink tone.
- Ruby
- A red gemstone from the corundum group.
S
- Sapphire
- A corundum gemstone, usually blue.
- Setting
- The mount that holds a stone in a piece of jewellery.
- Silver
- A precious metal; for jewellery usually 925 sterling silver.
- Soldering
- Joining metal parts using a melting solder.
- Solid
- Made entirely of metal, not hollow.
- Solitaire
- A single set stone, e.g. on an engagement ring.
- Sterling Silver
- A silver alloy with 925/1000 fineness.
- Stud Earring
- An earring with a straight post and back.
T
- Tanzanite
- A rare, blue-violet gemstone.
- Tarnishing
- Darkening of silver caused by reaction with the surrounding air.
- Topaz
- A gemstone in many colours, often blue or yellow.
- Turquoise
- A blue-green, opaque gemstone.
W
- Wedding Ring
- A wedding ring, traditionally made of gold.
- White Gold
- A gold alloy with a white tone, usually rhodium-plated.
Y
- Yellow Gold
- A gold alloy with a warm, yellow tone.