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.
Every term
217–240 of 300
Pinctada
The genus of marine oysters that produces every commercially important saltwater pearl.
Platinum
A naturally white precious metal, denser and rarer than gold. Never needs plating, and does not fade.
Polki
An uncut, unfaceted natural diamond, set face-up in kundan. Glows softly rather than sparkling.
18 in stock · from ₹3,750
Potato
Lumpy and roughly oval, with visible dimples. The most economical real freshwater pearl.
3 in stock · from ₹2,250
Princess Cut
A square brilliant cut. Nearly as much sparkle as a round, with far less of the rough crystal wasted.
Princess Length
About 17 to 19 inches, resting just below the collarbone. The default necklace length, and the safest gift.
172 in stock · from ₹1,800
Prong Setting
Small metal claws gripping a stone at its edges. Maximum light, minimum protection.
Provenance
Where a pearl or stone came from. It can multiply the price, and it is the hardest claim to verify.
Quahog Pearl
A purple non-nacreous pearl from the North Atlantic hard clam. Rare, and found by accident in the food trade.
Quartz
The most common gem mineral, covering amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, smoky quartz and clear rock crystal.
18 in stock · from ₹2,700
Radiant Cut
A rectangular outline with cut corners and full brilliant faceting. The sparkle of a round in the shape of an emerald cut.
Rani Haar
A long, elaborate necklace worn below a choker, reaching the chest or stomach. The centrepiece of a bridal set.
Ratti
The traditional Indian unit for gemstone weight, taken in today's trade as about 0.91 carat, or roughly 180 milligrams.
Re-plating
Restoring a worn plated finish. Routine maintenance for white gold and plated pieces, not a repair.
Resale Value
What a piece fetches when sold on. For most jewellery it is the metal value, with the craftsmanship written off.
Restringing
Replacing the thread a strand is built on. Routine maintenance, not repair, and overdue on most pearl necklaces.
Rhodium Plating
A thin layer of rhodium over silver or white gold, giving a bright white finish that resists tarnish.
Rice Pearl
A small elongated freshwater pearl shaped like a grain of rice, usually with visible surface rippling.
10 in stock · from ₹2,500
Rope Length
Anything beyond about 36 inches. Long enough to knot, layer or wear as several strands at once.
2 in stock · from ₹17,680
Rose Cut
A flat-bottomed cut with a domed top of triangular facets. The antique cut that polki descends from.
Rose Gold
Gold alloyed with a high proportion of copper, giving a warm pink colour. Harder than yellow gold.
Round
A true sphere. The rarest and most expensive pearl shape, and the benchmark every other shape is priced against.
184 in stock · from ₹1,800
Round Brilliant
The standard round cut with 57 or 58 facets, engineered to return the maximum light. The most common cut there is.
Roundish
Recognisably round in outline but visibly imperfect on close inspection.
16 in stock · from ₹4,760