Small jewelery glossary

The purchase of a piece of jewelery is an important purchase, carrying meaning and a logic of pleasure and durability.
It is lived fully and joyfully if it is done with a perfect understanding of its method of manufacture and its materials.
This is why we provide you with the glossary below.
  • B for Bail:

The bail is the attachment of a pendant, often round or oval in shape; it allows you to pass a chain or cord through it, in order to then hang the pendant around your neck.

The size of the bails of our pendants is designed to allow you to slip in all the thicknesses of standard chains: no mess, you can easily reuse the chains you already have!

  • C for Carat:

The carat is the unit of measurement of stone weight. 1 carat= 0.2 grams.

This denomination was also used to calibrate gold alloys ("18 carat gold") but is no longer legally usable, and is replaced by the measurement of the gold parts of an alloy ("750/1000th gold", "gold 375/1000th"), much more telling.

  • C as Cabochon
The cabochon is a style of stone cutting: a cabochon does not have facets, so the stone takes the shape of a dome, with a flat or rounded bottom.
  • G for Gem

Said of a jeweler's quality stone (solid enough, colorful and bright enough to distinguish itself from a lambda stone); whether it is a precious stone (diamond, sapphire, emerald and ruby) or fine stone (all the other families of gemstones).

Note: the term "semi-precious stone" is no longer legally usable, it could indeed be misleading since some stones that are not part of the 4 "precious" stones are actually rarer, or more beautiful, and more expensive.

  • J for Jeweler
Artisan making adornment items showcasing gems.
  • G like Gadroon

The gadroon is an ornamental pattern of gold, in relief or hollow, forming a molding or a groove, and usually arranged vertically.

Gadrooning is a goldsmith's gesture, you will find examples of it on the pieces in our collection (Juliette pendant, Jeanne creole, Roxane ring).

  • G as in 750/1000th Gold

750/1000th gold refers to what was formerly known as "18 carat" gold.

It is indeed an alloy composed of 75% pure gold, and 25% of another metal, influencing its color (the addition of copper makes it possible, for example, to obtain gold called "pink").

375/1000th gold, for example, was formerly known as "9 carat" gold and actually contains only 37.5% pure gold.

On the contrary, "pure" gold was called "24 carat gold". It is little used in Europe because of its easily malleable and therefore more fragile consistency.

  • G as Goldsmith
The goldsmith is a craftsman of metal, and in particular of precious metals such as gold, silver, or platinum.
  • R for Rosecut 

Old cut combining a flat bottom and a faceted crown.

This cut was typical of the Maison's antique jewellery, and gives the stones a special shine and a depth of color that we particularly like. For example, you can find it on our Olivia or Ines rings.