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A Wide Range of Information Relating to
Sterling Silver, Gemstones and General Jewelry
and Jewelry Terms
C
Test your knowledge - click on the
question to find the answer
Q. What is Coin
Silver made of?
Q. What is a Sterling Cuban
link chain?
"C" catch:
The most common means of securing a
brooch before 1900 or so when "safety
catches" were invented. The
pin connected to one side of the
brooch is threaded through a
layer of the garment and rests in a
"C" shaped catch on the other side
of the
brooch. The "C" had no mechanism
to hold the
pin in place and so the
pins were usually designed to be
long enough to extend far enough
beyond the end of the
brooch to weave back into the
garment for security.
C-OX: A green
cubic zirconia
(CZ) stone.
Cable Chain:
A chain made
of round linked rings of uniform
size. This tends to be what most
people think of when they think of
the word "chain". It is
the same style of
chain as the cable used to anchor large ships
to a dock.
Cabochon:
 From the French "caboche", meaning
"knob/small dome", a cabochon is a
stone cut into the shape of a small
dome in a round, oval, rectangle,
triangle, or teardrop shape without
any
facets. This style is commonly
used with
opaque to
translucent stones such as
opal,
moonstone,
jade and
turquoise. Some
transparent stones such as
emeralds,
amethyst and
garnet, are also sometimes
fashioned as
Cabochons. An
almandine (garnet)
Cabochon is
called a "carbuncle".
Calcentine:
See
Ammolite.
Calcium: A
silvery-white, moderately hard
metallic
element which is the fifth most
abundant
element comprising approximately
3% of the earth's crust, and is a
basic component of most animals and
plants. It burns with a brilliant
light and occurs naturally in
limestone,
gypsum, and
fluorite.
Calibré Cut:
Small stones cut
in an oblong shape and set close
together.
Cameo: A type
of
jewelry in which the stone
around a design is cut away leaving
the design in relief, typically
against a contrasting background.
Cameos are often made of shell and
coral, although
hard stone cameos such as
agate,
onyx, and
sardonyx are more valuable.
Cameos have been carved from the
Hellenistic period, and ancient
motifs such as the goddess Athena or
a Baccante, (follower of Bacchus),
were popular cameo subjects in
Victorian times through the
1930's. The opposite of a cameo is
called "Intaglio".
Cameo habille:
A cameo in
which a miniature
diamond
pendant, or some other
adornment, is attached to the
carving.
Cannetille: A
wirework decoration of fine
gold or
silver wires twisted into the
form of scroll and rosette motifs
similar to
filigree, often incorporating
shells and burr-like motifs.
It is named after a type of
embroidery made with fine twisted
gold or silver threads.
Cape Amethyst:
A form of
Amethyst layered or striped with
milky
quartz.
Carat: One of
the 4 C's of
diamond grading. Abbreviated
"ct." and spelled with a "c" is a
measure of weight used for
gemstones, (as opposed to karat
with a "K", which is a measure of
the purity of a
gold
alloy). One carat is equal to
1/5 of a gram (200 milligrams).
Stones are measured to the nearest
hundredth of a carat. A hundredth of
a carat is also called a point. Thus
a .10 carat stone can be called
either 10 points, or 1/10 of a
carat. Small stones like .05, and
.10ct are most often referred to by
point designations. A one carat
round
diamond of average proportions
is approximately 6.5mm in diameter.
Note that this relationship of
weight and size is different for
each family of stones. For example
ruby and
sapphire are both heavier than
diamond (technically, they have
a higher specific gravity, so a 1
carat
ruby or
sapphire is smaller in size than
a one carat
diamond.)
Carbon: A
non-metallic
element that occurs in all
organic compounds and many inorganic
compounds. Carbon is combustible and
has the interesting ability to bond
with itself, as well as with many
other
elements.
Carbon Spots:
Diamonds are carbon that has
been compressed over time. Carbon
spots are a kind of flaw, or "inclusion",
found in
diamonds showing as black spots
inside the clear
diamond.
Carbonate: A
substance treated with carbon
dioxide, such as
limestone.
Carbuncle: An
almandine (garnet)
cabochon.
Carnelian: A
translucent red or orange
variety of
chalcedony, sometimes banded red
and orange like an
agate. Once believed to benefit
the wearer's health and love life.
Most carnelian comes from Brazil,
India, Siberia, and Germany.
Casting: A
means of reproducing an object by
making a mold of it and pouring
metal, plaster, or some other
material that sets over time into
the mold. See Centrifugal casting,
Electrotype,
Lost wax process, and
sand casting.
Catalin: See
Bakelite.
Cat's eye:
Any of a variety of
gems, such as
Chrysoberyl
and some forms of
chalcedony,
that are
chatoyant when cut in a rounded
shape.
 photo
of a cat's eye bead.
CE: Common
Era, or in the Christian
calendar, AD, anno domini,
meaning "in the year of our Lord".
Cell Enameling:
See Cloisonné.
Celluloid: A
plastic derived from cellulose, a
natural plant fiber, first
synthesized around 1870 as a
synthetic
ivory. It can be cut, rolled,
folded, perforated, ironed, turned,
or embossed when heated, but cannot
be injected. Celluloid is flammable
and deteriorates easily if exposed
to moisture. jewelry made of celluloid was
often set with
rhinestones. Hair combs and
other dresser articles are still
often made of celluloid today. Also
called
French ivory,
Ivoride,
Ivorine,
Ivorite, and
Pyralin
Celtic Revival:
Jewelry made during the
mid-nineteenth century reflective of
the styles of
jewelry used in early Ireland
based on archaeological artifacts. photo
of a celtic jewelry design.
Originally made by the Celts from
the 1st millennium BC with a long
and varied history until early in
the 11th century.
Center Stone:
Usually a
diamond, (or other
gemstone), that is the prominent center piece in a
ring
setting.
Centrifugal
Casting: A method of casting
jewelry in which molds are
attached to the outside edge of
hollow tube.
Metal is poured into the tube
and as the tube is spun at high
speed centrifugal force pulls the
molten
metal into the molds.
Ceramic
Jewelry: Jewelry made from
porcelain or pottery.
Certification:
A grading report given to a
precious stone by a reputable
and recognized laboratory that
defines the physical characteristics
and quality rating of a
gem. See
Assay and
IGI
Chain: A
strand of linked loops, rings, or
beads used for
bracelets or
necklaces. Popular types of
chain include:
Book chain,
Box,
Butterfly,
Byzantine,
Cable, Cuban,
Curb,
Figaro,
Figogucci,
Foxtail,
Herringbone,
Marina,
Mariner,
Mesh,
Omega,
Panther link, Rolo,
Rope,
San Marco,
Serpentine,
Singapore, and
Snake. (See individual
listings.)
Chalcedony: A
family of colored
quartz stones of the
cryptocrystalline variety, including
agate,
onyx,
carnelian,
cat's eye and
jasper that commonly have a
milky or waxlike luster. When
chalcedony
is variegated with with spots or
figures, or arranged in differently
colored layers, it is called
agate; and if by reason of the
thickness, color, and arrangement of
the layers it is suitable for being
carved into cameos,
it is called
onyx.
Champlevé: A
type of
enameling in which powdered
glass is placed in areas of a piece
of
jewelry that have been carved
away specifically for this purpose
before firing. The glass powder
melts filling the carved areas with
solid glass.
Chandelier
Earring: An
earring with a drop suspended
like a chandelier. Also called a
"Drop Earring" or "Dangle Earring".
Channel Inlay:
A design similar to
enameling in which stones,
rather than melted plastic or glass,
are cut to shape and set into the
recesses of a piece of
jewelry. Commonly seen with
jewelry using
mother of pearl and
turquoise.
Channel Set:
A style of
setting in which a number of
uniformly sized small stones,
usually of the
round cut,
princess cut or
baguette shapes, are set side by
side in a grooved channel. Unlike
most
setting methods the stones are
not secured individually with
prongs and there is no
metal visible between the
stones.
Chaplet: A
garland, wreath, or ornamented band
worn around the head. Chaplets are
made of
metal with
repoussé decoration or
embellished with
gemstones and
pearls.
Charm: A
pendant or trinket worn on a
bracelet
earring or
necklace.
Charm Bracelet:
A chain: link
bracelet with charms attached to
it. (It's not a charm
bracelet until it has charms
attached.)
Charm Ring: A
ring with a charm attached to
the
ring band.
Chasing: A
method of decorating the front, (or
outside), of
metal objects by making
indentations using shaped
punches and a chasing hammer.
The opposite of chasing is
repoussé.
Chatelaine:
French for "Lady of the House", a
chatelaine is an ornamental
chain: or
pin worn at a woman's waist from
which dangle keys, trinkets,
scissors, needle cases, pencils,
purse, etc. Chatelaines may be
utilitarian or beautifully decorated
and made from
precious materials like
silver.
Chaton: A
cone shaped
rhinestone or
crystal.
Chaton setting:
See
Arcade setting.
Chatoyant:
Chantoyancy is the effect in certain
translucent stones when viewed in a
suitable direction and light showing
a streak of light in the interior
that reflects across a curved
surface as the position of the stone
is changed. A
stone such as the
cat's-eye or
tiger's eye
gemstones. From the French
"chatoyer", meaning to shimmer like
cats' eyes, from the French "chat"
meaning "cat".
Chevron setting:
A chevron is a design found in
heraldry resembling a shallow
inverted "V". In
jewelry design, a "chevron
setting" is reflective of the
heraldic chevron in that it is made
up of lines in a shallow inverted
"V" pattern.
Chloride: Any
compound containing a
chlorine
atom.
Chlorine: An
abundant
element which, when isolated,
appears as a poisonous,
greenish-yellow gas with a
disagreeable odor. It occurs
naturally only as a salt, as in
sea-water. Chlorine is used widely
to purify water, as a disinfectant
and bleaching agent, and in the
manufacture of many important
compounds including chloroform and
carbon tetrachloride.
Choker: A
close fitting
necklace worn tight around the
neck like a collar.
Chrome: A
hard, brittle, grayish white
metal, fusible with difficulty
and resistant to corrosion. Its
chief commercial importance is for
its compounds, as potassium
chromate,
lead chromate, etc., which are
brilliantly colored and are used
dyeing and calico printing. The
common modern usage is for very
shiny
metal objects like
Chrome
bumpers, etc.
Chromium: A
lustrous, hard brittle,
steel-blue
metallic
element, resistant to corrosion
and
tarnishing. It is used in the
hardening of steel
alloys and the production of
stainless steels, in
corrosion-resistant decorative
platings, and as a pigment in glass.
Chrysoberyl:
(also called "cat's
eye") A rare, hard, yellow-green
mineral consisting of
alumina and
glucina, (beryllium aluminate),
in crystal form. It is popular as a
gemstone for its
chatoyant:
qualities.
Chrysolite:
(Also called "olivine"
and "peridot")
A
mineral composed of
silica,
magnesia, and
iron sometimes used as a
gem. Chrysolite ranges in color
from a light pea green to a deep
olive green and an oily shine. It is
common in certain volcanic rocks and
meteorites. Mystics have claimed
that this
lustrous green stone drives away
evil and has special healing
properties. The name chrysolite has
been used in the past for yellow
varieties of
tourmaline and
topaz.
Chrysoprase:
An apple-green colored variety of
chalcedony.
Cigar band: A
very wide band-style
ring.
Cinnamon stone:
A brown or yellowish-brown
variety of
garnet more properly called
"essonite".
Cire-perdue:
see
Lost wax.
Citrine:
 Named after the French word for
lemon, "citron". Citrine is often
incorrectly called
quartz
topaz or citrine
topaz. A variety of
quartz, citrine is found in
light yellow, amber-brown, and a
brilliant orange that may be
confused with fine imperial
topaz. Most citrine comes from
South America. In ancient times,
citrine was revered as a gift of the
sun and believed to be a powerful
antidote to a viper's venom. Citrine
is the
birthstone for November.
Claddagh Ring:
 First crafted by Master
Goldsmith Richard Joyce in 1689, it
is named after Claddagh, the fishing
village he lived in at the time,
which overlooks Galway Bay. The
ring belongs to a class of
rings called "Fede"
or "Faith rings", which date from
Roman times and were popular in the
Middle Ages throughout Europe.
Whereas "Fede"
rings have only two clasped
hands, symbolizing faith, trust, or
"plighted troth", Claddagh
rings have two hands clasping a
heart, symbolizing love, surmounted
by a crown, symbolizing loyalty. The
ring worn on the right hand with
the heart turned outward indicates
that your heart is yet unoccupied.
Worn on the right hand with the
heart turned inward indicates that
love is being considered. Worn on
the left hand the with the heart
turned inward shows everyone that
your heart is truly spoken for.
Clarity: One
of the 4 C's of
diamond grading.
Gemstones with the highest
clarity contain few or no
inclusions (imperfections) in
the stone's
crystalline structure. Clarity
is graded with a 10x magnifier. The
clarity rating of a
diamond ranges from FL
(flawless) to I (inclusions
visible to the naked eye).
Clasp: A
device used to connect two ends of a
necklace,
bracelet or watch strap. Popular
types of clasps include:
barrel,
box,
Lobster claw, and
Spring ring clasps. (See
individual listings).
Class Ring: A
ring that commemorates
graduating from high school. It is
usually engraved with the name of
the school, the year of graduation,
and a
gem
featuring one of the
school's colors.
Claw Setting:
A way of securing a stone in its
mount using small
prongs that surround it.
Cleaning Jewelry:
The safest and easiest way to clean
most
jewelry is with a detergent
bath. Swish together warm water and
any mild liquid detergent. Clean the
jewelry with a soft brush while
it's in the suds, then rinse it
under warm running water. Pat it dry
with a soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid
using brushes, which can scratch
gold. Never boil
gold, and avoid using ammonia,
toothpaste, a powder cleanser or
scouring pads. Keep
gold away from
chlorine,
lotions, cosmetics and perm
solutions, since these products may
discolor or dissolve
gold
alloys.
gemstones rarely need cleaning
unless they become dirty from hand
lotion, hairspray or other products.
They can be cleaned using a soft
cloth with mild soap and water, but
rinse well. If you are using a
silver or
gold
jewelry dip solution, most are
safe for
gemstones, but read the label to
make sure. Do not boil
gemstones. Do not wear
pearls while applying cosmetics,
hair sprays or perfume. It's best
not to wear
pearl strands while bathing,
because water can weaken the string.
Wipe
pearl strands with a damp cloth
after each use. Do not clean
cultured pearls
with chemicals, abrasives or jewelry cleaner.
Clear Quartz:
(More commonly called "Rock
Crystal"). A colorless
transparent
mineral consisting of
silicon
dioxide in crystal form. See
Quartz.
Cleavage:
Cleavage is the tendency which a
stone has to fracture along its
crystal structure.
Clip-on: A
piece of
jewelry designed to be attached
by means of a clip, such as a
clip-back
earring.
Clip-back
Earring: A hinged ring with a
pad, called a "comfort back", at one
end to secure the
earring to the earlobe without
requiring that the ear be pierced.
Cloisonné: Occasionally
called "cell
enameling",
 it is a type of
enameling in which thin strips of
metal
soldered onto a
metal plate to create little
compartments or cells (cloisons)
which are filled with
powdered glass prior to firing. The
glass powder melts filling the
compartments with solid glass.
Cloud: A form
of
inclusion, “clouds” are white
milky areas that can found in the
diamond.
Cluster:
Several stones grouped together in a
jewelry
setting.
Cluster Brooch:
A
brooch developed in the 14th
century in which a large central
gemstone is surrounded by a
cluster of smaller
gemstones and
pearls.
Cluster Earring:
A decorative
earring made up of a cluster of
glass and/or
metal
beads and stones
Cluster Ring:
A
ring featuring a central
gemstone surrounded by a number
of smaller stones.
Clutch: A
device that is slid along a post to
secure a piece of
jewelry, such as the
earring back of a stud for
pierced ears.
Cocktail Ring:
A large oversized
ring set with
precious or
semiprecious stones popular
during the 1940s and 1950s.
Coiffe: A net
made of
gold
or
silver threads, decorated with
gems or
pearls worn on the head.
Coin Silver:
A
silver
alloy that is 80%
silver and 20%
copper:. Many European
silver pieces are coin
silver and are marked "800",
indicating that 800 parts out of
1000 are
silver.
Coin-style edge:
see
Milgrain edge.
Collar: A
necklace worn close around the
neck. See also "choker".
Collet: The
ring of
metal that surrounds and secures
the stone in a
bezel
setting.
Collet-setting:
A style of setting a stone by which
the gem is fitted in a circular,
square, hexagonal or otherwise
shaped 'box' made from a thin metal
band or collet.
Color: One of
the 4 C s of
diamond grading, the term
"color" actually refers to the
absence of color in a
diamond. A
diamond acts like a prism
letting light pass through,
refracting back to the human eye,
into a rainbow of color. The color
scale breaks up the subtlety and
various grades of a
diamond’s color from purest
white to yellow and brown. The
letters D through Z are used to
designate a
diamonds color with D being
colorless and Z-graded stones having
a lot of color.
Colored Diamond:
Diamonds can be found in a full
spectrum of colors. Colored or
“Fancy”
diamonds are simply referring to
diamonds that are not white.
Colored Gold:
An
alloy of
gold and other
metals producing
rose,
yellow,
white, and
green shades.
Comfort back:
A rubber or plastic pad that goes
over the clip end of a
clip-on earring
to cushion the earlobe.
Comfort Fit:
A
ring that adds to the comfort of
the wearer by being curved on the
inside of the shank.
Compass Ring:
A rotating
ring that can be used to
determine compass direction by using
the position of the sun and the time
of day.
Commemorative
Wares: Items used to commemorate
an important or historical event,
such as a battle, coronation, or
wedding.
Concave:
 Concave simply means "curving
inward", like the inside of an egg
shell. The opposite of
Convex.
Concha: One
of the ovals of a segmented
silver belt or bridle. Also a
reference to the belt itself. Now
commonly called a "Concho Belt."
From the Spanish word "concha",
meaning "shell".
Concho: See
Concha.
Condition,
Excellent: A piece of
jewelry in Excellent Condition
will show reasonable evidence of
wear, and have a fine
patina.
Condition, Fine:
A piece of
jewelry in Fine Condition may
show slight wear, but not enough to
have developed a
patina.
Condition, Good:
A piece of
jewelry in Good Condition will
show substantial evidence of wear.
It will have a noticeable
patina which may include
numerous very fine pits or lines. It
will not have cracks, chips,
obviously discolored or poorly
replaced stones, evidence of glue or
other repairs, or other evidence of
hard wear considered to be damage.
Damage of any kind is separately
detailed in the item description,
and generally items with damage
appear at very reduced prices in the
Bargain section.
Condition, Mint:
A piece of
jewelry having no signs of wear
whatsoever, including no discolored
stones. A piece that is in Mint
Condition is in virtually the same
condition as it was when it left the
manufacturer. Considering that
vintage
jewelry is usually 50 or more
years old, and that it likely has
been worn, it is obviously quite
rare to find a piece that is truly
in Mint Condition.
Convex:
Simply means "curving outward", like
the surface of a ball. The opposite
of Concave.
Copper: A
common reddish-brown
metallic
element, copper: is the only
metal which occurs abundantly in
large masses as opposed to small
veins or
nuggets that must be mined out
of other rocks. It is also found in
various
ores such as chalcopyrite,
chalcocite, cuprite, and
malachite. When
alloyed with
tin it forms
bronze, and when
alloyed with
zinc it forms
brass.
copper:
is an excellent conductor of heat
and electricity and is widely used
for electrical wiring, as well as
water piping and corrosion-resistant
parts. When in moist conditions, a
greenish layer forms on the outside.
It has been extracted and used for
thousands of years. The name is
derived from the Greek "kupros" (the
island of Cyprus), called "Cyprian
brass", and known by the Romans
as 'cuprum.'
Coral: Coral
is a form of
calcium carbonate, (like
aragonite or
marble), secreted in long chains
by coral polyps, who live in
colonies under the ocean. Coral can
be found all over the world, but the
bulk of coral used in
jewelry making has always come
from the waters off Sardinia and the
coast of Sicily, in the
Mediterranean. Coral comes in colors
from vivid orange, red, and white,
to salmon and pale pink (called
angelskin coral). In
jewelry making, coral is either
carved into
beads, cameos,
and other forms, or is left in its
natural branch-like form and just
polished. During the mid-Victorian
era large cameo
brooches of coral finely carved
in high-relief floral sprays or
faces were popular. Coral beads have
been found in Egyptian graves going
back 4000BC. It used to be
thought that coral protected the
wearer, so it was a traditional gift
to children. Since it is composed of
calcium
carbonate,
real coral will effervesce if
touched with acid. Imitation coral
is made from glass, porcelain, or
plastic and will not effervesce when
touched with acid.
Corallium rubrum:
A valuable red
coral introduced to the Indians
by the Spanish.
Cord belt: A
thick belt worn on the waist,
usually with a caftan.
Coronet: A
small or inferior type of crown worn
by a person of high rank but lower
than a sovereign.
Coronet setting:
See
Arcade Setting.
Corundum: The
name of a family of stones composed
of crystallized
aluminum and
oxygen that includes
rubies and
sapphires. The color of these
stones depends on the
oxides present in their
composition. Corundum is one of the
hardest
minerals second only to
diamonds rating a 9 on the
Mohs scale. See
alumina.
Cowrie Shell:
The highly polished and brightly
marked shells of tropical marine
gastropods of the genus Cypraea,
some of which are used as currency
in the South Pacific and Africa.
Small cowrie shells are commonly
used as
beads in
jewelry.
Crimp Bead:
Small soft
metal
beads that are squeezed shut to
secure clasps onto the ends of cords
or chains.
Crown: The
upper part of a cut
diamond or stone above the
girdle.
Crown Height:
A measurement of the distance from
the
girdle to the
table on a
diamond or other
cut stone.
Crystal: A
fine, high-quality glass invented in
17th century England. In order to be
considered crystal rather than
simple glass, the product must
contain at least 10%
lead
oxide. The
lead
oxide is attributed to providing
the glass with extraordinary
qualities of
brilliance, sound and a suitable
texture for cutting
or
engraving. Some of the finest
crystal ever made is from Baccarat
in France (est. 1816) and Waterford
in Ireland (est. 1729).
Crystalline:
A substance composed of crystals or
resembling crystal in transparency,
structure and outline.
Crystallize:
To cause a material to form crystals
or to assume both the internal
structure and external form of a
crystal.
Cuban Link Chain:
 A standard cable
chain with oval
shaped links that are each decorated
with a twisting pattern resembling
rope.
Cubic Zirconia:
 (CZ) A clear, hard,
mass-produced
gemstone cut
to resemble a
diamond. The
mineral
baddeleyite has the same
chemical composition, but to become
a CZ the
mineral must be heated to almost
5000 degrees Fahrenheit and have an
oxide stabilizer such as
yttrium or
calcium added to keep it from
reverting back to its original form
when cooled. Almost all the rough
CZ's in the market are composed of
zirconium
oxide and
yttrium
oxide, both of which are
naturally white but combine to form
a brilliant clear crystal. Like
diamonds, the best
cubic zirconia
gems are colorless but colored
forms are also manufactured. Vivid
green CZ is sometimes referred to as
C-OX, and CZ in
numerous colors is frequently sold
under various tradenames, such as
the yellow CZ from Ceylon called "jargon".
Cubic zirconia
gemstones are cut
in the same fashion as
diamonds, and like
diamonds the size of the
gemstone is usually indicated by
its weight in carats. The stone can
also be measured in millimeter
diameter size. Because the
cubic zirconia
stone is so dense and solid, it
outweighs a
diamond of the same millimeter
size, weighing 1.7 times more than a
diamond
of the same millimeter
diameter. It is also not as hard as
a
diamond rating only an 8 on the
Mohs scale. Natural skin oils,
soap, and dirt cause a film that
dulls the beauty and
luster of the
cubic zirconia, just as it dulls
real
diamonds. The best cleaning
agent for cubic
zirconia is liquid dishwashing
detergent, but other
gem and jewelry cleaners can also be
used.
Cuff Bracelet:
A wide rigid
bangle with a narrow opening on
one side to allow the the wrist to
pass through.
Cuff link: A
decorative fastener worn to close
the cuff of a shirt that provides
holes on the cuff for the cufflink
rather than closing with
buttons.
Culet: The
tiny flat
facet on the tip of the pavilion
of a cut
gemstone.
Cultured Pearl:
A means of duplicating the organic
process of natural
pearl creation invented by
Kokichi Mikimoto circa 1893. A tiny
irritant like a
bead, grain of sand, or a piece
of
mother of pearl from another
mollusk can be inserted into the
opening of an oyster or
mollusk. This irritant becomes
the nucleus of a
pearl once that
mollusk secretes a
lustrous substance (nacre)
to cover the foreign body. An oyster
or
mollusk can take between five to
seven years to secrete enough
nacre to produce a
jewelry quality
pearl.
Curb Link Chain:
A chain:
composed of oval-shaped links that
are twisted and often
diamond-cut so they lie flat.
Cushion Cut:
 A stone that is cut
to look like a square or rectangle
with rounded edges. The
cut is usually
multi-faceted
to give the highest possible light
refraction.
Cut: One of
the 4 C's of
diamond grading, "cut" refers to
the shape and style of a polished
gem. How a
diamond is cut has a lot to do
with the stone's
fire and
brilliance. A
diamond that is cut either too
shallow or too deep will not be as
brilliant as a properly cut
diamond.
Cut glass:
Any glass whose surface has been
cut into
facets, grooves and depressions
by a large, rotating wheel. Wheel
cutting glass was
developed in the 8th century BC, but
the technique of
faceting wasn't perfected until
the 18th century in England.
Although cutting
glass is a costly and difficult
process, the brilliant effects are
extraordinary!
CZ: See
cubic zirconia.
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