GLOSSARY OF TERMS

The French ‘Baguette’. This is a cut shape of any gemstone which is most often a small oblong. They are similar to emerald cuts.

The section of the ring which fits round the finger. Also known as a shank.

A bracelet that is rigid and often without a clasp. Often a bangle is worn a little further up the arm as opposed to around the wrist.

Any non-precious metal – such as copper or zinc.

Describes the area where the sides and part of the shank of the ring head are in an openwork basket shape.

The central part of the ring that holds the gem or main ornaments.

A setting where a thin band or rim of metal holds the gemstone around the girdle and the top of the gemstone sits flush. This can sometimes refer to a rub over setting.

A term used to describe a convex shaped design usually used in cocktail rings and brooches. Sometimes spelt Bombay.

A Liverpool based jewellery house, founded in 1798. Now referred to as simply ‘Boodles’, the jewellery house is known for its principles of designing and crafting jewellery themselves and has been owned and run by the Wainwright family for over 130 years.

The first jeweller of the Place Vendome in Paris. Founded in 1858 by Frederic Boucheron. First opening in London in 1903, Boucheron is a jewellery house that creates some of the finest luxury and high-end jewellery creations in the world. They are particularly well known for creating the first gold and gemstone encrusted wristwatch for a man in 1900, and the Queen Mothers favourite diadem.

A deep, sharply cut engraving in metal, associated with the Victorian period.

Is an essential attribute of a beautiful diamond and has 2 components; brightness and contrast. Bright diamonds return lots of light from the surroundings back to an observer. If light from above leaks out the back of a diamond, or its facets are not symmetrical or optimally shaped, naturally it has less brightness. To be brilliant, a diamond also needs to have contrast, and when it moves it should intensely sparkle. For maximum brilliance, every facet of a diamond should be professionally polished after the cutting process.

A form of rose cut (sometimes known as the double rose) with no top or base, usually used to create a teardrop shaped gemstone, whereby the gemstone is surfaced with many triangular shaped facets. This gemstone cut was very popular in the Victorian era after Napolean Bonaparte gave a 263 carat briolette diamond to his Empress consort Marie Louise.

Bulgari are a famous Italian jewellery house founded by Sotirio Bulgari in 1884. In 1932 his sons Giorgio and Constantino, who created the distinctive Bulgari style, succeeded the business. Bulgari is heavily influenced by the Italian Renaissance combined with Greek and Roman classicism. They expanded internationally in the 1970s, first opening in New York, then on to Paris, Geneva and Monte Carlo. It was at this time that they began making watches. Bulgari are best known for their bold designs, with bright, high quality gemstones, geometric shapes and archaeological influence. They were one of Elizabeth Taylor’s favourite jewellers.

A gemstone that is from Burma. Burma (now Myanmar) is a country which is known in the gemstone industry as the source of the worlds finest rubies, which have a distinctive deep bluish-red colour and velvety appearance – known in the trade as a ‘pigeons blood’ ruby. Another reason for the allure of Burmese rubies is that they emit red fluorescence in normal light, making them appear to glow from within, enhancing their colour.