Jewellery Definitions Page
September 28, 2010 · 1 comment
- Claw setting – is a setting made from either gold or platinum with prongs or wire like structure to hold your diamond secure
- Bezel setting – is a setting which fully surrounds the diamond or gemstone in place with gold or platinum being “rubbed over” the edge of the stone
- Half bezel setting – the same as above but where only half of the diamond or gemstone is covered
- Bead setting –Tiny beads are raised by pushing gold or platinum over the edges of the diamond
- Thread setting – a series of diamonds are set generally in a line down the shoulder of the ring using the same technique as the above
- Pave setting – is a style of setting multiple diamonds using the same technique as a bead setting. This is generally used in a blanket effect with small diamonds
- Channel setting – a channel is opened to fit exactly the size diamond and then a groove is cut to allow the diamond to sit inside the channel. Once the diamond sits correctly the gold is pushed over the girdle of the diamond to hold it secure
- Shank – the jewellery term for the band component of a ring
- Shoulder – the part of a ring that is between the shank and the setting, generally there are diamonds set into the shoulder to enhance the beauty and sparkle of the centre diamond
- Setting – the component of a ring that holds the diamond or gemstone in place
- Platinum – a precious metal used in jewellery manufacturing which exhibits a superior whiteness and brightness compared to white gold
- Palladium – a natural element from the platinum family of elements, generally used in the alloy when making premium grade white gold to help improve the whiteness and brightness of the gold
- Rhodium – a natural element found in the platinum group of elements.
- Rhodium plating – a liquid solution that coats the white gold through a process called electrolysis and makes it whiter and brighter compared to its natural state which is considered grey compared to platinum
- 24ct gold – pure gold with no other metal or element being added to it
- 18ct gold – a 75% pure alloy of gold silver and copper. Considered the perfect mix for working in gold, it retains most of the inherent shine, strength and other properties that gold has compared to the other metals it is alloyed with.
- 9ct gold – a 37.5% pure alloy of gold, silver and copper. Is a more commercially affordable alloy of gold because the actual content of gold is less than 50% in the mix. Because of the amount of extra alloy being added to create 9ct gold, it makes the alloy particularly brittle and can be prone to stress fractures and breaks, often mistaken as being stronger than 18ct gold.
- Ring mandrel – a rod of steel used to measure the correct finger size when making a ring
- Gold plating – a liquid solution that coats most precious metals with gold through a process called electrolysis
- Enamel – comes in two types
- Vitreous enamel – which is in a powder form when raw, once applied to the gold or platinum and then heated, it forms a glass like layer of colour in the area it was applied to. This can be colour blended and produces a very high lustre similar to that of glass
- Cold mould enamel – is more like a plastic acrylic. It goes on like a paint and once cured it forms a high lustre finish where applied
- Solder – an alloy of gold to the same carat but mixed with various elements to reduce the melting point so that when heated the gold solder will liquidise
- Hard soldering – the process of heating up a piece of jewellery and applying silver, gold or platinum solder to a join between two or more pieces.
- Soft soldering – the process of heating up two separate pieces of metal, not necessarily silver gold or platinum, and then applying a lead based type of solder. The melting point for the solder is considerably lower with this type of soldering than it is with hard soldering
- Ring re-sizing – the process where your ring is either increased or decreased in finger size
- Re-tipping – the process of repairing any worn out claws on a setting, by adding new strips of gold to the setting
- Laser welding – a relatively new technology in the jewellery industry which allows us to use lasers which is super heated beams of light to spot weld two or more pieces of gold or platinum together. This process allows a far greater level of accuracy and cleanliness, than the traditional hard soldering technique.
- CAD – a computerised designing system being introduced worldwide in the jewellery industry. It is the same idea as architectural CAD software.
- Wax model – a wax mock up at 100% scale of a ring that will be created for you.
- Fitting – an appointment with me that lets you look at the ring or piece of jewellery before any diamonds are set in it. I get the opportunity to make sure the size is 100% correct and that you are 100% happy with the look of the piece of jewellery
- Engagement ring – a symbolic ring which represents the love and bright future a couple will share – given by the man to his lady love when he asks her to marry him.
- Wedding ring – a ring presented to your fiancé on the day of your marriage. It is traditionally an unbroken circle representing “no end” in the relationship and everlasting love.
- Eternity ring – a ring presented either at your 1st year anniversary or the birth of your first child – which ever happens first – it represents the fact that you are now wed for eternity
- Wedding day Gift – traditionally this is a pair of earrings that match her engagement ring or a pair of cuff links that has some kind of family resemblance for him
- Engraving – the process of marking gold or platinum with an inscription or pattern
- Carat – the unit of measurement designed to measure the weight of diamonds and gemstones
- Karat – the unit of measurement designed to measure the purity of gold
Tagged as:
bridal jewelry,
Craftsmanship,
designer jewellery,
Engagement Ring,
Eskae private jeweller,
Gold,
Platinum
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