Small jewelery glossary
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.