Have you ever talked to an expert in a field, and they keep using words and phrases that you don’t understand? Me too! The jewelry world can be like that, we have words and phrases that can be unfamiliar which makes understanding what your jeweler is saying difficult. I have defined some words for you below so that you feel more confident in your conversations with your jeweler.
· Prong or Claw: A single bar of precious metal that fits over a gemstone to hold it in place
· Head: The whole unit that holds a gemstone in place; it is comprised of a base that attaches to a piece of jewelry and the part that actually holds the gemstone; there can be prongs that hold a gemstone in or, it can be a bezel style of head (see definition below)
· Bezel: A type of head that outlines the outer shape of a gemstone in precious metal to hold it in place; can be the most secure and long-lasting style of head but definitely has a stylistic look that people may or may not like
· Four Prong Head or Six Prong Head: A type of head that uses either four prongs or six prongs to hold the gemstone in place; most traditional and recognized way of setting a gemstone
· Basket Head: A stylistic design of a head where the sides of the base of the head is open with a bar of gold that goes around the circumference (below where the gemstone sits) for strength
· Low Base Head: A head where the base of the head is very short making the overall height of the gemstone set to be as low as possible; doesn’t work with all jewelry designs
· Porosity: When a piece of jewelry is cast in precious metal, oxygen can get trapped in a casting making it brittle; visually, you can see it with pock-looking marks in the metal; the only way to fix it is to recast the whole piece
I hope this helps, and I would love to help you with jewelry in 2025! Angela Cisneros Jewelry Concierge brings back the joy and confidence of jewelry shopping so that you can celebrate with ease! My by-appointment approach means:
One-on-one appointments (personal attention and no crowds!)
Discretion and privacy (surprises remain surprises!)
Expert help from a Graduate Gemologist with 27 years of experience (yep, that’s me!)
Learn more about me and my process: www.AngelaCisneros.com
Book your FREE appointment with me today! www.AngelaCisneros.com/book-appointment
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