Jewelry:  Below are the main categories and a few key parts of women's jewelry, with the terminology of each kind explained.  Because of changing fashion trends, not all possible types are listed here!

Bracelets:  Below are a few of the types of bracelets that you are likely to see at the Christian Jewelry Shop:

Brooches and Pins:  (pronounced like "broach") Jewelry worn on the chest or lapel, attached to clothing with a pin closure.

Chain:  We carry 14K and 10K solid gold chain in a variety of popular styles.  Chain may be worn by itself, or with a pendant or slide.  For typical length uses, see table under Chain length below.  Check the table below for a representative image of the most popular types of chain.  Keep in mind that each type of chain exists in many styles, metal finishes, widths and weights--the images below are magnified and representative of only one style.  For more terms, see list below table.

BeadBox
ByzantineCable
Solid CableCurb
FigaroMesh
Omega Popcorn
RoloRope
San MarcoSingapore
SnakeWheat

Hollow chain: In larger width chains, to reduce cost and weight, either each link or the inside of the chain (such as in a woven or mesh style) is hollow. 

Solid chain: Indicates that the chain links or interior are not hollow.  The term does not refer to the metal purity--all our chains are "solid gold" or "solid platinum", which indicates that no metal is used except the gold or platinum.  Solid Omega chain is flattened round omega chain, yielding a "half-moon" cross-section. 

Chain length/width:  Chain can be specified in various lengths for use as bracelets or necklaces.  Chain width is typically 0.75-2mm for a pendant chain, and wider for use alone as a necklace or bracelet (click on illustration below to see size comparison). When used as a necklace, the chain length determines where on the neck or chest that the pendant, or lowest point of the necklace, will fall.  Consult the chart for chain length terminology.  See the next paragraph to determine the "fall" of a necklace based on neck size.

6 in.child's bracelet length
7-7.5 in.average bracelet length
8 in.large bracelet length
9-10 in.anklet length
12-13 in"collar" necklace
14-16 in."choker" necklace
17-19 in."princess" necklace (most popular)
20-24 in."matinee" necklace
28-34 in."opera" necklace
45 in & up"rope", often looped twice

Click to enlarge

To estimate the "fall" of a necklace (how far below the base of the neck the necklace drapes), subtract the neck size from the necklace length and divide the result by two.  For example, for a 12" neck and an 18" necklace:  18" minus 12" equals 6", then dividing 6" by 2 gives 3".  Therefore, the lower part of the 18" necklace would fall about three inches below the center of a 14" neck. The weight of a pendant attached at that point will pull the fall a little lower.

Clasps:  For necklaces and bracelets, a very important part of the construction is the type of clasp that is used to secure the jewelry to your person.  Security is the key here--a clasp should not become loose and allow the jewelry to come unattached!  Bracelets and anklets should utilize more secure clasps since they experience more movement than necklaces, and are more prone to catching on objects.  Some common clasps:

Barrel, with safety latch: High security
Barrel, bayonet type:  Medium security, can loosen with movement.
Barrel, screw type:  Medium security, can unscrew because of movement.
Box type, with safety latch:  High security.
Fold over clasp:  Medium security--latch wears over time.
Hook type.  Medium security, hook can open with use.
Lobster claw.  High security.
Spring ring.  High security
Toggle: High security.

Earrings: The history of earrings dates back to around 3000 B.C. in Western Asia.  Today's earrings are available in many styles; some of the more popular styles are listed below.

Earring Closures:  Earrings are attached to the earlobe in various methods.  Listed below are some of the more common ones.

Earring Jackets:  An earring jacket is a small piece of ear jewelry with a hole in the center, through which a stud earring's post is inserted, thus "jacketing" the earring.  The same earring jacket can be worn with different post earrings, just as a blouse can be worn with different scarves.  Likewise, the same post earring can be worn with different earring jackets.

Necklaces:  A necklace may be nothing more than one of the hundreds of metal chains that we carry at Viridian Gold (platinum, gold, stainless steel or even leather), a pendant combined with a chain, a string of pearls, or a combination of any or all of these.  When shopping for necklaces, always investigate the chain section!

Pendants: A pendant is sold without a chain, which allows maximum flexibility of choice!  If a pendant includes the chain, it is usually referred to as a necklace.  The pendant is suspended from the chain by a bail (below), which is usually visible at the top of the pendant, although some pendants have the bail on the back so that it is not visible.  Pendant dimensions usually include the bail. 

Bail: The loop of metal on a pendant or a slide through which the necklace chain passes.  Chains must be sized to allow the chain closure to pass through the bail.  Some slides and pendants do not have a bail--instead, the chain passes through the pendant itself.  Bails may be attached to the pendant with a ring (movable), or may be immovably attached.

Slide: A pendant which has no bale--the chain passes through the slide itself, either through holes or slots formed into it, or through an opening in the design.

Metal Finish:  Not all jewelry metal is finished the same way!  There are several types of finishes which are applied to the gold and platinum used in fine jewelry--here are a few which appear in jewelry carried by Viridian Gold:

Brushed:  Similar to Matte finish, a brushed finish is composed of tiny striations, or scratches, in the finish as made by a metal brush.  If the striations are very fine, the finish is similar to matte.  The terms are often used interchangeably.

Die Struck:  A die is a hard-steel tool upon which an image has been formed.  It is machine-pressed with great force ("struck") onto a precious metal blank, creating a sharp, dimensional design which is polished and further formed into the jewelry piece.

Diamond cut:  The surface of the metal is cut into highly polished facets which reflect light at different angles, creating a sparkling diamond-like effect.

Epoxy resin:  An epoxide polymer that cures when mixed with a hardener, creating a synthetic resin.  Epoxy resin is used in jewelry inlays.

Embossed:  The design or text formed in the metal is raised above its surface, the opposite of engraving.

Enameled:  The process of fusing colored glass or other very hard compounds onto the metal to provide color that is not usually found in alloys of the base metal.

Engraved:  The design or text is cut into the metal, thus being formed below its surface--the opposite of embossing.

Filigreed:  Intricate patterns of open work in the metal which are formed by fused gold wire or by cutting through the metal.

Florentine:  A cross-hatched engraved design, more coarse than a brushed or matte finish

Guilloche:  (pronounced ghi-LOWSH) An intricate interlaced pattern that is engraved by an engine-turned lathe.  When a translucent enamel is applied, as in a Faberge Egg, the engraving can be seen through the enamel.

Hammered:  Random indentations in the metal either formed by the mold in which the piece was formed, or by actual hammering.

Highly Polished:  All jewelry is polished to some extent in order to remove the rough surfaces which are formed in the manufacturing process.  This is a labor-intensive step and is often compromised in lower-quality jewelry, especially on the underside of the crown of rings and the backs of pins and brooches.  Highly polished metal has a mirror-like finish.

Matte:  A non-reflective surface--the metal has been polished, but not to a mirror-like finish.  The effect is often achieved by abrading the surface with fine materials after polishing.  Similar to Brushed finish, though not as coarse--the terms are often used interchangeably.

Mesh:  A sheet of woven fine wire, precious metal or steel wire.

Milgrain:  The metal is formed with a texture resembling a string of tiny beads which outlines a design detail or border.

Satin:  The metal has a softer shine than a highly polished metal, but not as dull as a matte finish.

Metal Plating and Filling:  What you see is not necessarily what you get!  Less expensive metals can be superficially transformed by the application of another type of metal onto the original's surface. 

Gold Electroform:  This is not plating, but is a method by which the mold of the jewelry piece is electrically coated with layers of gold.  The mold is then removed, leaving only the gold.  Electroformed jewelry has a "big look" because it is hollow--the process is suitable mainly for pins, brooches and pendants which are not subject to rough handling, since the gold is very thin (about .003-.007 in.) and can be easily dented.

Gold Filled (GF):  A process by which a relatively thick layer of gold is mechanically applied to a base metal and fused by heat and pressure.  The layer must be at least 10K gold and 5% of the total weight of the item.  Gold Overlay and Rolled Gold Plate is the same as GF, except only 2.5% of the item must be gold.  We do not sell gold filled products.

Gold Electroplated (GEP):  A layer of gold at least 7mils (7/1,000,000 of an inch) thick is electrically deposited onto the base metal by immersion in a liquid containing chemically bound gold molecules.  Gold Flashed or Gold Washed is the same as GEP, except the gold is less than 7mils thick.  Viridian Gold does not sell GEP items--however, some jewelry items may have plated accents in contrasting gold color.

Palladium Plated:  Jewelry items may be plated with Palladium, rather than Rhodium (below), to enhance whiteness, since Palladium is also a naturally white, platinum-group metal, and much less expensive than rhodium.

Rhodium Plated:  Rhodium is a member of the Platinum family of metals--it is actually whiter and harder than platinum.  Rhodium is used to plate most white gold in order to give it a more durable finish and a whiter color.  In order to enhance colorlessness, diamonds may be mounted in either white gold prongs, or yellow gold prongs which have been rhodium plated.  Rhodium is very expensive, about five times the cost of platinum.

Vermeil:  Sterling silver which has been plated or rolled with at least 120mils of 24K gold.  If a gold-colored item is marked "925", it is vermeil.  Viridian Gold does not sell vermeil products.

Metal Type / Weight:  Gold is the most popular metal for fine jewelry today, with platinum gaining in popularity.  Other metals such as sterling silver, stainless steel and titanium are also used in fine jewelry.  At Viridian Gold, the weight of a jewelry piece refers to its gold content.  Therefore, a 14K diamond ring specified as having a weight of 4.4 grams indicates that the ring is composed of 4.4 grams of 14K gold, exclusive of the weight of the stones.  For rings that we offer in different stock sizes, the weight given in the product description is for the standard stock size of 6 for women's rings and 10 for men's rings.  When comparing gold or platinum jewelry, always note the weight of the piece rather than its size dimensions, since two pieces that are similar in appearance may have significantly different gold content, and hence value.

Gold:  Gold is too soft in its pure state to be used for most kinds of jewelry.  Pure gold is specified as 24K, where "K" is the abbreviation for karat, a measure of purity (not to be confused with carat, a measure of weight).  In order for gold to be usable for jewelry, it must be mixed with other metals to form an alloy which is stronger than gold in its pure form.  So, 14K gold is 14/24 pure, or about 58.5% gold and 41.5% other metals--copper is used in both yellow and white gold, with silver being added for yellow gold and nickel for white gold.  14K gold is thus stronger than 18K gold, and yet retains the bright color indicative of gold, even though it is less costly and contains less pure gold than 18K does. White gold is usually also plated with rhodium, which is a platinum-group metal, in order to enhance its whiteness.  Often, yellow gold is selectively plated with rhodium to form a two-tone color scheme, such as a yellow gold setting with the setting prongs of the diamond plated with rhodium.  Gold is also specified by fineness, where a fineness of 1000 indicates 100% purity.  14K gold thus has a fineness of 585, and this number is often stamped on jewelry instead of the karat mark.  In order to be called "gold" in the US, the metal must be at least 10K.

Palladium:  This white, platinum-group metal is quickly growing in popularity now that new alloys allow for quality casting while maintaining 95% purity, and many are predicting that it will replace white gold as the white metal choice for jewelry.  Palladium is similar in hardness to 14K white gold, and is thus harder than platinum.  In addition, it is 44% less dense than platinum, and costs much less per ounce--thus, jewelry made with palladium is much less costly.  Like platinum, it does not require alloying for whiteness, and thus it is naturally hypoallergenic (contains no nickel).  Palladium is about 1/3 the cost (per gram) of platinum.

Platinum:  Prior to the 1940's, platinum was popular in engagement and wedding rings, but it was outlawed for non-military use at the outbreak of World War II.  White gold was substituted, and remained popular even after the war because of its lower cost and easier fabrication--however, in the last 15 years platinum has increased in popularity.  Pure platinum, unlike pure gold, is structurally strong, partly because it has a higher melting point, a characteristic which makes it more difficult for jewelers to work with.  Because of its natural properties, platinum jewelry is not as highly alloyed as is gold--platinum jewelry with a fineness of at least 950 may be marked simply as "Plat." or "Pt.", but if the fineness is less, the piece must be marked to indicate this, such as "900 Plat." 

Sterling Silver:  Silver is whiter than any other jewelry metal.  Like gold, silver is too soft to use for jewelry in its pure state, so it is usually found as Sterling Silver, an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper.  Items marked with "SS" or "925" are sterling silver.  Sterling silver will tarnish, of course, but it is still used in inexpensive jewelry--when highly polished, sterling silver will need little if any polishing when worn as jewelry.  Sometimes silver is plated with rhodium to prevent tarnishing (but this changes its appearance), or with gold to produce a type of metal called vermeil.  Silver jewelry items sold by Viridian Gold are not rhodium plated.

Black Silver:  A black, naturally-occurring silver ore which is 68.8% silver, combined with antimony and sulfur.

Quad Spacer:  A set of four small, metal, pierced beads joined by a tiny cord.  Quads are used in sets as spacers for beads or pearls, serving both to separate the beads or pearls, and to cover the security knots in the necklace's cord.

Settings:  The stones in jewelry must be securely attached to the jewelry metal.  The main techniques used are:

Bezel-set:  In this style, the stone is secured within a well of metal that is provided with a lip all the way around the stone.  After the stone is set into the well, the metal lip is bent over and smoothed against the stone, securing it with a continuous layer of metal.  This style is also well suited for stones subjected to heavy wear, such as rings.

Bead and Bright set:  This is a technique whereby the gemstone is mounted in a well in the metal which is surrounded by beads formed by cutting away portions of the surrounding metal.  These beads are then bent over to secure the stone, and either polished or "faceted" so that they have multiple flat surfaces which reflect light as a gemstone does.

Channel-set:  A channel setting provides the most secure and protective environment for multiple gemstones, since the stones are recessed in a metal channel, secured in notches or grooves in the side of the channel.  This is typically a more expensive setting, since the labor and care involved in setting the stones is so great.

Gypsy Setting:  The stone is set into a solid piece of metal by drilling a recess into the metal, placing the stone in the hole and then forming the metal at the edge of the hole back over the stone to secure it.

Illusion Setting:  Used for smaller diamonds, this setting supports one or more diamonds in prongs within a larger surface of white gold, which is in turn supported in a larger setting, thus giving the "illusion" of a larger diamond. If desired, the setting can be switched at a later date to set a larger diamond.

Inlay: Setting technique in which part of the surface of the jewelry piece is cut away, yielding a crevice into which a gemstone is imbedded and glued, setting it flush with the piece surface. 

Prong-set:  The most common setting, the prong setting allows the stone to be displayed prominently above the rest of the piece of jewelry.  The prongs are notched to receive the girdle (the widest part) of the stone.  The number of prongs varies according to the size and style of the setting, but four- and six-prong settings are most common.  Here, the strength of the prongs is vital, since they can easily be caught on clothing or other objects, becoming bent and allowing the stone to be loosened.  14K gold and platinum provide the greatest strength--often a ring may be designed with a platinum setting and a gold shank (the part of the ring that encircles the finger).  It is recommended that prong settings be examined every six months or so for signs of damage in order to prevent stone loss.    

Pavé-set:  Pavé, French for "pavement", is a technique whereby the surface of the jewelry is covered, or paved, with stones.  Each stone is held in place by tiny beads, actually very small prongs, that are molded into the jewelry and bent over or flattened against the stones to hold them in place.  This method is highly labor intensive, since it involves the setting of a large number of very small stones.  Pavé settings can be rough to the touch if they are not finished properly, and are susceptible to stone loss due to the small amount of metal that secures them.

V-Prong setting:  Typically used to mount cut styles which have a delicate point, such as marquis, to protect the points from chipping.  The prong is formed with an indentation the same shape as the stone's point, similar to a cut-away bezel or channel mount. 

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