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.
Jewellery Styles
1–24 of 73
Aad
A Rajasthani choker: a broad, flat, rectangular plate of stone-set work sitting square at the base of the throat.
Addigai
A close-fitting South Indian choker, densely stone-set and curved to follow the base of the neck.
Anklet
A chain worn around the ankle, called payal in the north and kolusu in the south.
Bajuband
An armlet worn on the upper arm, tied or clasped. Called vanki in South India.
Bali
A hoop earring. In Indian jewellery, often strung with pearls or beads around the ring.
Bangle
A rigid closed circle worn on the wrist, sized by internal diameter rather than length.
16 in stock · from ₹1,200
Bangle Size
The Indian bangle sizing system, from about 2x4 (small) to 2x10 (large), measured as internal diameter.
13 in stock · from ₹1,200
Borla
The round, bell-shaped Rajasthani head ornament worn at the centre of the forehead, in place of a flat tikka.
Bridal Set
A matched group of pieces worn together for a wedding: typically a necklace, earrings, and often a maang tikka.
Brooch
A pinned ornament. In Indian wear, most often a saree pin holding the pallu in place at the shoulder.
35 in stock · from ₹1,800
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.
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
Chooda
The set of red and white bangles a Punjabi bride wears, given at the wedding and worn for a set period afterwards.
Cocktail Ring
An oversized ring built around one dominant stone or cluster, worn as a single statement.
Cuff
A rigid bracelet with an opening at the back, slipped over the wrist rather than fastened.
Cufflinks
Paired fasteners that close a double shirt cuff in place of buttons. A classic setting for a single pearl.
Ear Cuff
An ornament that grips the outer edge of the ear rather than passing through a piercing.
Finger Ring
A ring set with a pearl, usually a single dome-backed or button pearl in a protective setting.
40 in stock · from ₹400
Guluband
A broad flat band worn tight at the throat, traditionally mounted on fabric and tied with a dori.
Guttapusalu
A South Indian necklace where clusters of small pearls hang in bunches from a metal frame, said to resemble a fish's roe.
Haath Phool
A hand ornament linking a bracelet to one or more finger rings by chains across the back of the hand.
Hair Pin
A decorative pin worn in a bun or plait. Juda pin in the north, and part of the jadai set in the south.