Know exactly what you are buying
300 pearl and jewellery terms, each one linked to a piece you can hold.
Where would you like to begin?
Types of Pearl
Freshwater, saltwater, South Sea, keshi, and how to tell a real pearl from a coated bead.
Shapes
Round, baroque, drop, coin and the rest, and what each one is worth paying for.
Quality & Grading
What AAA actually means, plus lustre, nacre, orient and the claims to be sceptical of.
Size & Length
Millimetres, choker to rope, bangle sizing, and which length suits which neckline.
Jewellery Styles
Jhumka, mangalsutra, kundan, polki, temple work and the rest of the Indian vocabulary.
Gold & Hallmarking
Karat versus carat, 22K and 18K, 916, plating, vermeil and what a BIS hallmark proves.
Gemstones & Cuts
Ruby, emerald, sapphire and zircon, their Indian names, and the cuts from princess to cabochon.
Metals & Plating
925 silver, platinum, brass and the alloys and finishes a piece is actually built from.
Clasps & Construction
Clasps, knotting, drilling and settings, the parts that decide whether a piece survives.
Care & Authenticity
Storing pearls, the tooth test, restringing, and the astrological terms buyers ask about.
Buying & Value
Making charges, wastage, gold rate, GST, buyback and what a piece is actually worth.
Terms starting with C
1–24 of 28
Cabochon
A smooth domed top with a flat base, no facets. The only way to show a cat's eye, star or opal fire.
Carat
A unit of gemstone weight, equal to 0.2 grams. Nothing to do with karat, which measures gold purity.
Cat's Eye
A stone showing a single bright band of light that moves across it, like a cat's pupil. The stone of Ketu.
Certificate of Authenticity
A document stating what a pearl is. Useful in proportion to who issued it and what it actually tests.
Certification Labs
Independent gemmological laboratories that identify and grade stones and pearls. The name on the report is what gives it weight.
Chain
Linked metal forming a flexible necklace or bracelet, sold by length, gauge and link pattern.
Champakali
A necklace of slender bud-shaped motifs, named after the unopened champa flower.
Chandbali
A crescent-moon earring, wide and flat, often layered in tiers. Chand means moon.
Chandra Haar
A long layered necklace of several graduated strands, curving like a crescent across the chest.
Channel Setting
Stones held in a groove between two walls of metal, with no prongs between them.
Choker
A necklace that sits high and close around the neck. Both a length and, in Indian jewellery, a distinct style.
42 in stock · from ₹4,200
Choker Length
A necklace of about 14 to 16 inches, sitting snugly at the base of the throat.
101 in stock · from ₹2,250
Chooda
The set of red and white bangles a Punjabi bride wears, given at the wedding and worn for a set period afterwards.
Circled Pearl
A pearl with grooves or rings running around it. Traditionally a defect, now often sold as a feature.
Citrine
The yellow to orange variety of quartz. Most of it is heat-treated amethyst, and it is often mis-sold as yellow sapphire.
Clasp
The fastening that closes a necklace or bracelet. The most common point of failure and the most overlooked part of a purchase.
Cocktail Ring
An oversized ring built around one dominant stone or cluster, worn as a single statement.
Coin
A flat, round disc. Large surface area for the weight, so it makes bold pieces that stay light.
6 in stock · from ₹3,750
Collar Length
The shortest classic length, around 12 to 13 inches, worn tight against the middle of the neck.
Conch Pearl
A pink, non-nacreous pearl from the queen conch, prized for a flame-like surface pattern. Cannot be cultured commercially.
Coral
A red to orange organic gem formed from marine coral skeleton. Paired with pearls in traditional Indian sets, and worn as moonga in astrology.
24 in stock · from ₹3,920
Crimp Bead
A soft metal tube squeezed flat to lock beading wire against a clasp. Used instead of knotting on wire-strung pieces.
Cubic Zirconia
A hard, brilliant lab-made stone used as a diamond substitute. Called American diamond throughout the Indian trade.
Cuff
A rigid bracelet with an opening at the back, slipped over the wrist rather than fastened.