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Commonly Used Jewelry Terms

Black Pearl
Black Pearls can occur naturally or be man-made.
Bleaching
Bleaching lightens and whitens ivory and pearl.
Blue White
"Blue white" describes a diamond that under normal, north daylight shows a blue or blueish color.
Brilliant
"Brilliant" describes a round diamond that has at least 32 facets plus the table above the girdle (the rim around the diamond) and at least 24 facets below.

Carat
The size of a diamond is represented by the carat. Each carat is equal to 100 points.
Coin Silver
The mark "coin silver" is used for compounds that contain 90 percent silver.
Corrosion Proof
A product is corrosion proof if the product is immune from rust and other forms of corrosion.
Corrosion Resistant
A product is corrosion resistant if the product is resistant to rust and other forms of corrosion.
Cultured Pearl
A cultured pearl is made by a mollusk, but with human intervention. An irritant is introduced into the shell, which causes a pearl to grow.

Diamond
A diamond is a natural mineral consisting of pure carbon crystallized in the isometric system, found in many colors, with a hardness of 10, specific gravity of 3.52, and a refractive index of 2.42.
Diffusion Treatment
Diffusion treatment adds color to the surface of colorless gems; for some gems, the center of the stone remains colorless.
Dyeing
Dyeing adds color and improves color uniformity in some gems.

Electroplated
Jewelry can be mechanically plated with gold in a variety of ways, including electroplated. Eventually, the gold plating wears away, but it depends on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Flawless
"Flawless" describes any jewelry that has no flaws, cracks, inclusions, carbon spots, clouds, internal lasering, or other blemishes or imperfections of any sort when examined by a skilled jeweler.
Fracture Filling
Fracture filling conceals cracks in diamonds by filling them with a foreign substance. The filling may not be permanent.
Full Cut
Diamonds described as "full cut" are round diamonds that have at least 32 facets plus the table above the girdle (the rim around the diamond) and at least 24 facets below.

Gem
A gem is a ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, or other industry product that possesses the beauty, symmetry, rarity, and value necessary for qualification of a gem.
Gemstone Treatments
Gemstone treatments refer to the way some gems are altered or treated to improve their appearance or durability. The effects of some treatments may lesson or change over time and some treated stones may require special care. Sometimes, enhancements affect the value of the stone.
Gemstone Enhancements
Gemstone enhancements refer to the way some gems are altered or treated to improve their appearance or durability. The effects of some treatments may lesson or change over time and some treated stones may require special care. Sometimes, enhancements affect the value of the stone.
Genuine
The word "genuine" is used to describe anything but a product that is manufactured or produced artificially.
Gold
"Gold" is used to describe any jewelry that is 24 karat gold.
Gold Electroplate
Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process.
Gold Flashed
"Gold flashed" describes products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled, or gold electroplate.
Gold Washed
"Gold washed" describes products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled, or gold electroplate.
Gold Overlay
Gold overlay jewelry has a layer of at least 10K gold mechanically bonded to base metals.
Gold-filled
Gold-filled jewelry has a layer of at least 10K gold mechanically bonded to base metals.

Hand-made
An item is hand-made when the entire shaping and forming of the product is from raw materials and its creation was accomplished manually.
Hand-polished
An item is hand-polished when the entire finishing of the product is accomplished manually.
Heating
Heating can lighten, darken, or change the color of some gems.

Imitation Diamonds
Imitation diamonds, such as cubic zirconia, resemble diamonds in appearance but are much less costly.
Imitation Pearls
Imitation pearls are man-made.
Imitation Stones
Imitation stones resemble natural stones in appearance, and may be glass, plastic, or less costly stones. Laboratory-created and imitation stones must be identified as such.
Impregnating
Impregnating some gems with colorless oils or wax masks a variety of imperfections, hides cracks, and improves color.
Irradiating
Irradiating can add more color to colored diamonds and certain other stones.

Karat
The karat mark tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) gold contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts base metals.

Laboratory-created Stones
Laboratory-created stones are made in a laboratory. These stones are also referred to as laboratory-grown, (name of manufacturer)-created, or synthetic. Laboratory-created stones are identical to natural stones but are different in two basic ways: 1) they are not as rare as natural gemstones and as such, 2) they are generally less expensive.
Lasering
Lasering involves the use of a laser beam to improve the appearance of stones and gemstones that have black inclusions or spots. Lasering is permanent.

Mechanically Plated
Jewelry can be mechanically plated with gold in a variety of ways. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but it depends on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Natural Stones
Natural stones are stones found in nature.
Natural
"Natural" is used to describe anything except a product that is manufactured or produced artificially.
Noncorrosive
A product is noncorrosive if all parts of the product are immune from rust and other forms of corrosion during the life of the product.

Pearl
Natural or real pearls are made naturally by oysters and other mollusks.
Perfect
"Perfect" is used to describe any jewelry that has no flaws, cracks, inclusions, carbon spots, clouds, internal lasering, or other blemishes or imperfections of any sort when examined by a skilled jeweler.
Pewter
Pewter items are described and marked as such if they contain at least 90% tin.
Platinum
Platinum is a precious metal. It is usually mixed with other similar metals, known as the platinum group metals: iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, and osmium.

Quality Marks
Quality marks are any letters, figures, numerals, symbols, signs, words or terms, or any combination of the preceding, which have been placed on the product and which indicate the composition of the product.

Real
"Real" is used to describe anything except a product that is manufactured or produced artificially.
Rolled Gold Plate
Rolled gold plate is jewelry that has a layer of at least 10K gold mechanically bonded to base metals.
Rust Proof
A product is rust proof if all parts of the product are immune from rust and other forms of corrosion.
Rust Resistant
A product is rust resistant if all parts of the product are resistant to rust and other forms of corrosion.

Seed Pearl
Seed pearls are natural pearls that measure approximately two millimeters or less.
Silver
Silver or sterling silver describe a product that contains 92.5% silver.
Silverplate
Silverplate is used to describe a layer of silver, which is bonded to base metals.
Solid Gold
"Solid gold" refers to any karat gold if the inside of the item is not hollow.
Sterling Silver
Sterling silver describes a product that contains 92.5% silver.

Vermeil
Vermeil consists of a base of sterling silver coated or plated on the surface with gold or gold alloy of not less than 10K fineness.

Source:

All That Glitters... The Jive on Jewelry, August 1998, FTC
Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries, FTC
In the Loupe: Advertising Diamonds, Gemstones, and Pearls, August 1998, FTC