Anklet: A bangle or bracelet worn around the ankle instead of the wrist. Anklets tend to be slightly larger than bracelets.
Alloy: A compound comprised of two or more metals to increase the hardness and/or luster of the resulting product. Many alloys are found in jewelry including Alpaca, Brass, Britannia Or pewter, Britannia silver, Bronze, Coin silver, Colored gold, Electrum, Gold(under 24Kt), Green gold, Nickel silver, Niello, Pewter, Pinchbeck, Pot metal, Rose gold, Stainless steel, Sterling silver, White gold, White metal, and Yellow gold.
Amber: The fossilized resin of conifer trees. The most common colors are honey yellow and various shades of red, but can also be off-white, black, and blue. Amber is easily simulated using plastics, but real amber produces static electricity when rubbed.
Bangle: A rigid bracelet that slips over the hand, or hinged oval worn over the wrist that closes with a clasp.
Bead: A small, usually round, object with a hole pierced through it to be strung as a necklace, bracelet, etc. Beads are commonly made from stone, shell, glass, or plastic.
Body Jewelry: Jewelry designed to be worn on or in any part of the body. While all jewelry is technically worn on the body, the term "Body Jewelry" is typically used when referring to belly rings, nose studs, toe rings, tongue bars, and for jewelry designed for pierced lips, eyebrows, nipples, or any skin surface.
Brooch: An ornamental piece of jewelry with a pin and clasp to be attached to clothing, from the French word "broche", meaning "to pierce" or an object/weapon made for piercing.
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.
Charm: A pendant or trinket worn on a bracelet, earring or necklace.
Charm Ring: A ring with a charm attached to the ring band.
Cuff Bracelet: A wide rigid bangle with a narrow opening on one side to allow the the wrist to pass through.
Dangle Earring: An earring that dangles below the earlobe. Also called a "Drop Earring" or "Chandalier Earring".
Disc Earring: A round flat stud attached to the earlobe with a post and clutch.
Ear Cuff: A wide decorative ring with a gap designed to be pinched onto the ear without need for piercing. Ear cuffs may be pinched onto any part of the ear, not just the earlobe.
Earring back: A disk or bead that fits over an earring post and holds the earring securely in place, like a catch.
Faux: (Pronounced like "foe") French word meaning false, fake, imitation or artificial. In a manufacturing context, faux is used to indicate something made to resemble something else. Faux marble looks like marble. Faux bois looks like wood. Faux porphyry looks like stone.
Findings: All types of construction components used in jewelry making such as clasps, pins, hooks, tabs, etc.
Gold plated: A piece of jewelry with a wafer thin coating of gold electroplated or mechanically plated onto a base metal.
Gold Tone: Jewelry finished with a gold color with almost no appreciable measurement of weight in actual gold.
Half-hoop: A bangle, bracelet, or ring in which only half of the circumference of the piece is set with stones.
Hoop Earring: An earring made from metal wire or tubing that has been shaped like a hoop. Charms and other ornaments are sometimes hung from the hoop.
Non-precious: Any metal that is not considered to be a precious metal or any gemstone that is not considered to be a precious gemstone.
Pierced earrings: Earrings that are attached to an ear by means of a wire or post that is inserted through a hole pierced in the ear.
Post: The pin that sticks out the back of a stud earring. The post goes through the pierced ear and is secured in place with a catch that slides onto it behind the earlobe.
Ring Size: A measurement of how large the ring needs to be to fit on a person's finger. The average ring size for women is 6. The average ring size for men is 10.
Rope chain: A series of small oval-shaped links that are arranged in such a way that they make a spiral design resembling woven rope.
Signet: A carved design, like an intaglio, which was usually worn on a ring.
Stack rings: Two or more rings that are designed to be stacked on the same finger at the same time.
Stud: or button earring. A simple style of earring for pierced ears that has a single stone (such as a pearl) or metal ball on a straight post with no dangling parts.
Toe Ring: A type of body jewelry worn around one or more toes. Toe rings come in styles similar to rings worn on the fingers, but toe rings have a small gap on the bottom of the ring to allow them to slip over the tips of the toe more easily.
White gold: An alloy made of gold mixed with nickel, sometimes also containing palladium or zinc.
Yellow gold: The most popular gold alloy made up of gold, silver, copper, and often zinc.
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