Bolt Ring
 The basic type of fastening for a necklace or bracelet consisting of a hollow loop with an internal spring operated catch.
Hallmark
A mark, or series of marks, on a piece of gold, silver or platinum jewellery to guarantee the level of purity of the metal. In the UK this is applied by an Assay office and is a legally required mark for items over a specific weight. It is one of the oldest forms of quality marking in the world.
Leverback
 A type of earring fastening for pierced ears which utilises a hinged "lever" on the main part of the earring to close the gap to the end of the hook.
Minimum Weight
Because of manufacturing processes, gold chains of similar length can vary slightly in weight. Because a significant proportion of the value of the chain is due to the amount of gold in it, clearly the weight of the gold will affect the chain's value. The minimum weight is therefore the lowest weight a particular chain should be, although frequently it will weigh more than this. This is particularly true of chains with fancy links, which are often hand finished. JewelleryNow will usually quote minimum weights for gold chains that do not have any gemstones set in them.
Post and Butterfly
 A common form of earring fastening for pierced ears using a "post" attached to the earring which threads through the ear, and a separate butterfly shaped device to hold it in place.
Pearlescent
The description given to a piece of jewellery that reflects light in a pearl-like way, but not necessarily being a pearl. A pearlescent look generally has an illusory depth to it, seemingly of different layers of semi-transparent white and off-white coatings.
 Torque
A rigid, but generally pliable, item of jewellery for wearing around the neck. Very fashionable at the moment.
Wearable length
For neck-chains or bangles, the wearable length is the length of that part of the item actually around the neck or wrist and so excludes, for example, the "Y" part of a "Y" necklet.
|
Diamond Cutting
Inscriptions or designs on the surface of gold items are often created by diamond cutting, which is literally where a diamond tipped tool has been used to engrave or mark the surface.
Iridescent
The description given to a piece of jewellery that displays a spectrum of colours that shimmer and change as it is moved. These changes in colour occur due to optical properties of the jewellery that reflect and scatter the light.
Lobster Claw clasp/ Squared Lobster Claw clasp
 A fastening for a chain (necklace or bracelet) consisting of a loop with a sprung, lever operated opening. So called because of its similarity to a lobster's claw.
 A Squared lobster claw clasp is similar to the above but with parallel side edges.
Nickel free
Nickel is a metal often used in fashion jewellery or occasionally as an alloy in gold jewellery. However a large number of people have an allergy or skin reaction to nickel causing a rash. Therefore jewellery that contains nickel will inevitably cause skin irritation to these people, particularly if worn as pierced jewellery such as earrings. Newly enacted European legislation lays down strict definitions for the amount of nickel that jewellery which comes in contact with the skin can contain. All of the jewellery sold by JewelleryNow naturally complies with this legislation, and for the vast majority of our fashion jewellery ranges (the most frequent cause of nickel related skin allergies) our jewellery goes well beyond the legal requirement for nickel content. Where the supplier has indicated that no nickel has been used in the manufacture of the piece, we've stated that it is "nickel free".
Rhodium plated
Rhodium is a derivative of platinum, is very hard and is silvery-white in colour. Rhodium plating is used to both harden the surface it covers, and also to create a polished, silvery look. It is often used for showing up gemstones to their best effect on gold jewellery, and at the same time make the claws holding the gemstone firmer and less likely to damage.
|
