Diamond Jewelry Glossary

Diamond Jewelry Glossary

Your A-Z guide to diamond and jewelry terminology.

B

Bezel Setting — A metal rim that encircles the diamond, holding it securely. Shop bezel-set jewelry.

Brilliance — The white light reflected from a diamond. Determined primarily by cut quality.

C

Carat — A unit of weight for diamonds. 1 carat = 200 milligrams. Learn more.

Clarity — A measure of internal imperfections (inclusions). Graded from FL (flawless) to I3.

Color — Diamond color is graded D (colorless) to Z (light yellow).

Cut — The most important of the 4Cs. Determines how well a diamond reflects light.

CVD — Chemical Vapor Deposition. A method of growing lab diamonds using carbon-rich gases.

Cushion Cut — A square shape with rounded corners. Shop cushion cut.

E

Emerald Cut — A rectangular step-cut diamond. Shop emerald cut.

Eternity Band — A ring with diamonds encircling the entire band. Shop eternity bands.

F

Fire — The rainbow-colored light dispersed by a diamond.

Facet — A flat, polished surface on a diamond. Round brilliants have 58 facets.

G

GIA — Gemological Institute of America. The gold standard in diamond grading.

H

Halo Setting — A center diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds. Shop halo rings.

HPHT — High Pressure High Temperature. A method of growing lab diamonds.

I

IGI — International Gemological Institute. A leading diamond grading laboratory.

Inclusion — A natural characteristic inside a diamond that affects clarity grade.

K

Karat (Gold) — Measure of gold purity. 24K = pure gold. 14K and 18K are most common in jewelry.

L

Fine — A diamond created in a laboratory that is chemically identical to mined diamonds. Learn more.

M

Marquise Cut — An elongated diamond shape with pointed ends. Shop marquise.

Mohs Scale — Hardness scale. Diamonds rate 10 (maximum hardness).

O

Oval Cut — An elongated round shape. Shop oval diamonds.

P

Pear Cut — A teardrop-shaped diamond. Shop pear diamonds.

Princess Cut — A square brilliant-cut diamond. Shop princess cut.

Prong Setting — Metal claws that hold a diamond in place, maximizing light exposure.

R

Round Brilliant — The most popular diamond shape with 58 facets. Shop round diamonds.

S

Scintillation — The sparkle pattern created when a diamond moves.

Solitaire — A setting featuring a single diamond. Shop solitaire jewelry.

T

Tennis Bracelet — A bracelet with a continuous line of diamonds. Shop tennis bracelets.