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 K
1–13 of 13
Kada
A heavy rigid bracelet, broader and more substantial than an ordinary bangle. Worn by men and women.
Kamarbandh
A jewelled waist belt worn over a saree or lehenga. Vaddanam is the South Indian form.
Kanthi
A short necklace sitting close at the base of the neck. Also the devotional bead strand worn by Vaishnavas.
Karanphool
A flower-shaped ear ornament, traditionally worn with a chain that takes the weight from the hair.
Karat
The purity of gold, measured in twenty-fourths. 24K is pure gold; 22K is 22 parts gold to 2 parts other metal.
Karigar
The craftsman who actually makes the jewellery, usually working for the jeweller rather than for the customer.
Kasu Malai
A necklace strung with rows of coins, usually stamped with Lakshmi. Kasu means coin in Tamil.
Kasumi Pearl
A large freshwater pearl from Lake Kasumigaura in Japan, known for soft metallic apricot and lavender tones.
Keshi Pearl
A pearl that forms by accident with no nucleus at all, so it is solid nacre. Irregular in shape and unusually bright.
1 in stock · from ₹18,200
Knotting
A knot tied between each pearl on the thread. It stops pearls rubbing and limits a break to a single lost pearl.
Kolhapuri Saj
A Maharashtrian necklace of leaf-shaped pendants, traditionally twenty-one, each carrying its own meaning.
Korean Metal
A light, corrosion-resistant alloy widely used for fashion jewellery findings. Holds plating well and does not rust.
Kundan
A setting technique where highly refined gold foil is pressed around stones to hold them, with no prongs or claws.
45 in stock · from ₹2,700