General Information

Glossary of Terms

The following terms are defined to help you become better educated about jewelry as a whole. Some of these terms may be found in one of our catalogs.

Alloy

A mixture of two or more metals. For example, 100 ounces of sterling silver is a minimum of 92.5 ounces silver and 7.5 ounces or less of other metals (in our case we use copper).

Amethyst

A gemstone used in some of our jewelry. It is usually violet or pale red-violet in color. Rated a 7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness (see definition). It is the birthstone for February.

Bezel Setting

A type of setting that uses a rim to completely surround the stone. Bezels can be molded into any shape to fit the stone, such as straight edges or scalloped.

Blue Topaz

This gemstone is often used in our jewelry. It is a uniform sky-blue color without any overtones and comes in either a pale, bright, or intense blue. This stone is often confused with the sea-blue color of an Aquamarine. Rated an 8 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness.

Brass

An alloy of copper and zinc. The proportions are variable. Most common alloys in jewelry making are between 80 and 90 percent copper and 10 to 20 percent zinc.

Bronze

Technically, an alloy containing copper and tin. However, several modern copper alloys are called bronze because they look like bronze even though they do not contain tin. For example, "commercial" bronze is 90 percent copper and 10 percent zinc.

Cabochon

A gemstone cut that features a smooth, rounded surface. (Pronounced kab´e shon´).

Carat

A measure of weight used for gemstones equal to 200 milligrams or 1/5 gram. This is different from "Karat" (see definition) but is pronounced the same. Diamonds are measured in carat weight and points (see definition). Gemstones other than diamonds are usually measured in carat weight and millimeters (mm).

Casting

The process of forming an object by pouring molten metal into a hollow mold. In the lost wax casting process used to produce jewelry, molten metal is forced under pressure into a mold from which a wax pattern has been melted and burned out. The molds can be either sand or a plaster type "investment" mold. We use the "lost wax" method in our casting of jewelry.

Chased

Decorated designs, usually carved or hammered into the face of the metal with various small forming tools, and usually linear in character.

Clarity

A term used to define the clearness of a gemstone or absence of inclusions (distortions or impurities in the crystalline structure).

Cultured Pearl

Any type of pearl that is created within a mollusk by manually inserting an irritant into the shell. This becomes the nucleus of the pearl and is then surrounded by the actual pearl substance itself (called the nacre). Almost all pearls for sale today are cultured.

Diamond

Quality is measured by the 4 C's: Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat. Diamonds are exceptionally hard with the highest rating of 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. It is the birthstone for April.

Die Striking

Essentially, this is the same method used by ancient Greeks to make their coins. A die- struck object is produced by striking metal with a "stamping hammer" against a die (which has a design "engraved" in it). The stamping hammer forces the metal, under tremendous pressure, into every crevice of the die cavity, and the metal forms into the shape of the die cavity. "Coining" is a term sometimes used to refer to this process. Another term that is closely associated with die striking is "stamping."

Emerald

James Avery Craftsman uses only lab grown (see definition) emeralds, which have essentially the same optical, physical and chemical properties as a natural emerald. They are more affordable since they can be produced in less time in a laboratory setting by controlling the temperature and pressure under which they are formed. (A lab grown emerald is not imitation or artificial). The emerald is the birthstone for May.

Engraving

The process of cutting a design on a hard surface (metal, stone, or wood) with a sharp instrument.

Faceted

The cutting of regular, flat surfaces on a gemstone in a specific geometric pattern. A facet is the polished plane surface of a gemstone. Faceted gemstones come in many shapes, such as the brilliant cut, emerald cut, heart shape, and Marquis (an oval pointed on each end).

Freshwater Pearls

A pearl formed in a freshwater mussel either naturally or by culturing. These pearls are found in lakes and rivers throughout the world. Most gemstone-quality freshwater pearls are cultured.

Garnet

Garnets come in many colors, but we carry the red-violet to red-brown colors. The Mohs Scale of Hardness ranks the garnet 7 to 7 1/2. This is the birthstone for January.

G.I.A. Grading

The Gemological Institute of America provides a system for grading diamonds in both color and clarity. Although not universally accepted, most reputable jewelers use this system. The diamonds in our jewelry are all of very high quality.

Gold

A heavy, yellow precious metal. Gold has been a popular jewelry metal for centuries. Fine gold is very malleable (easy to form or shape).

Fine Gold: 99.9% gold or higher; contains no alloy material. Fine gold is 24K gold.

Solid Gold: A term that some would reserve for fine or 24K gold because it contains no other metals (alloys); however, in 1967, the Federal Trade Commission held that "solid gold" may be used to describe articles that do not have a hollow center and are at least 10K or finer alloy, such as 14K or 18K.

Karat Gold: One Karat equals 1/24 part by weight in an alloy (mixture). Twenty-four Karats, then, is equal to pure gold. All alloys of gold of 10K or finer should be stamped with a Karat weight or quality stamp. Avery 14K gold items are marked with either the International Export standard of "585" or the 14K mark.

Karat Formula
Karat Marking	Part of Gold in Alloy	Part of Other Metals in Alloy	% of Gold	International Marking
24K	24	0	100%	999
18K	18	6	75%	750
14K	14	10	58.33%	585

Hammered Finish

A form of metallic decoration obtained by repeated taps on the surface of the metal with a small hammer, leaving indentions.

Hand Finished

Finishing is accomplished by hand labor and manually controlled methods which permit the maker to control and vary the type of finish of each individual piece.

Inclusion

Any foreign matter or distortion that is enclosed within a mineral or gemstone.

Lab Grown

A man-made stone which essentially has the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as a natural gemstone. They are more affordable since they can be produced in less time in a laboratory setting by controlling the temperature and pressure under which they are formed. Lab grown stones are synthesized in a lab. They are not imitation or artificial.

Mabé Pearl

Pronounced "ma-bay." A mabé is an assembled pearl product made to appear as half a pearl. James Avery Craftsman's mabé pearls have a thick nacre but should still be treated with special care.

Mohs Scale

A scale for measuring the hardness of a mineral or other hard substance, developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs of Austria. Mohs took ten well-known minerals and assigned them numbers according to their hardness. They are: 1) talc, 2) amber, 3) pearl, 4) rhodochrosite, 5) lapis, 6) peridot, 7) emerald, 8) topaz, 9) ruby/sapphire, and 10) diamond. Talc is the softest, and the diamond is hardest. Example: Amethyst and garnet are about a 7, or about the hardness of emerald.

Nickel

A hard, silver-white metal used in alloys and plating. This metal is commonly used as an alloy in sterling silver, although about 5% of the population has an allergic skin reaction to the nickel. Because of this, we use copper as the alloy in our sterling silver.

Oxidation/Oxidize

The intentional dark coloring of metal, usually silver, copper or brass, used to accent a design or define details. The coloring is achieved by using sulfur compounds to form metal sulfides on the surface. It is similar to the patina or oxidation which forms naturally over time on many metal surfaces. Although usually more permanent than a patina, abrasion or over-vigorous polishing can damage desired oxidation. (Tarnish is what we usually call undesirable patina or oxidation).

Palladium

A metallic chemical element of the platinum group on the Periodic Chart of the Elements. It has a silvery white color and is somewhat rare. Palladium is malleable and can be used in alloys with both gold and silver. All the ear posts on our sterling silver earrings are made of an alloy of palladium and silver. This makes them much stronger than sterling silver alone, so our ear posts are less likely to break or bend.

Pave Setting

Pronounced "pah-vey." A jewelry setting in which small gems (usually diamonds) are set very close together.

Platinum

Platinum is often referred to as the precious metal that is pure, distinctive, and timeless. It is the “heaviest” of the precious metals, with a density almost twice that of gold. Because of its strength, it is ideal to secure diamonds and other precious gemstones in setting mounts. Even after many years of use, platinum will show far less wear that most other precious metal alloys.

As with other precious metals, platinum is mixed with other metals to form an alloy. Our platinum jewelry contains 90% platinum and 10% iridium. This special alloy will not tarnish or lose its white luster, and is extremely durable and corrosion-resistant. Due to the high purity of platinum jewelry, it is naturally hypo-allergenic.

Point

A weight measurement used for diamonds of less than one carat. Example:

• 1/4 carat diamond = 25 pt. diamond
• 1/3 carat diamond = 33 pt. diamond
• 1/2 carat diamond = 50 pt. diamond
• 3/4 carat diamond = 75 pt. diamond
• 1 carat diamond = 100 pt. diamond

Repoussé

Repoussé is a French term meaning "to push back." It is a jewelry-making technique whereby a piece of metal is hammered and pressed from the back, using various sizes of punches and tools, to form a design in relief.

Ruby

James Avery Craftsman uses only lab grown rubies. The lab grown ruby is created by combining the methods of nature with scientific techniques in a controlled environment. It has essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as a natural ruby but is less expensive. Ruby is a 9 on the Mohs Scale and is the birthstone for July.

Sapphire

James Avery Craftsman Uses only lab grown sapphires. Lab grown sapphires have essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as a natural sapphire. Sapphires are most noted for their rich blue colors but also come in yellow, green, pink, orange, and purple. Sapphires possess a hardness of 9, which ranks second to the diamond on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. It is the birthstone for September.

Silver

A "white" precious metal that is extremely malleable and combines well with other metals. (Other "white" precious metals include platinum, palladium, and white gold).

Fine Silver: Commercially pure silver, 99.9% fine or higher, (in other words, it contains no alloy material).

Sterling Silver: Our sterling silver is a mixture (alloy) of at least 92 1/2% pure (fine) silver and a maximum 7 1/2% copper. Our sterling is stamped with the number "925" and the word "sterling." The "925" is the international standard for sterling and means that the jewelry has at least a 92.5% fine silver content. Nickel is sometimes used by other manufacturers, however, nickel can cause skin irritation to some people; therefore, we do not use it in our sterling silver.

Silver can blacken when it is exposed to chemicals in hand creams, lotions, hair products, and colognes. Natural body cycles, which can raise the acid content in the skin, will sometimes cause temporary blackening. So can perspiration because of the salt content.

To clean your sterling silver, use a mild soap and water and a toothbrush . A brand-name silver cream can be used if there is tarnishing. For polishing, a soft, treated cloth is best. We sell them here at James Avery. Avoid harsh chemical dips as they can harm the finish. James Avery Craftsman will inspect and clean James Avery Craftsman jewelry in store free of charge. If an item requires a more extensive cleaning or repair and must be sent to our corporate Repair Department, there is a nominal charge. We have a Care and Cleaning brochure available online that explains tarnishing, blackening, cleaning, care, and other concerns you might have about our jewelry. Care & Cleaning Brochure

Synthetic Gemstone

Synonymous with lab grown. A man-made stone that has essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as a natural gemstone. We currently offer three synthetic gemstones: the lab grown emerald, the lab grown sapphire, and the lab grown ruby. Synthetic stones are not imitation or artificial.

Tiffany Setting

A six-prong setting for solitaire diamonds introduced to the trade by Charles L. Tiffany in 1886.

White Gold

An alloy of gold colored by the presence of platinum or palladium. As with any gold, the amount of gold over 10K must be stamped with a Karat weight. James Avery Craftsman offers a few selected designs in white gold.