Glossary

10k – Short for 10 karats. Gold that is 42% pure.

14k – Short for 14 karats. Gold that is 58% pure, and the most popular purity in the USA.

18k – Short for 18 karats. Gold that is 75% pure, and the most popular purity in Europe.

Alexandrite – A variety of Chrysoberyl, Alexandrite’s key characteristic is its color change capabilities. The most desirable Alexandrite gems are green in the sun and red in incandescent lighting. Alexandrite is quite rare and expensive, and the most valuable gems encompass many colors under different types of lighting. Alexandrite replaced the pearl as the birthstone for June.

Alloy – A mixture of metals melted together to bring out the positive characteristics of each ingredient.

Amethyst – Ranging in colors from lilac to deep purple, Amethyst is a crystalline quartz that is easily accessible in large sizes for a great value. Natural irradiation, iron, and other trace elements are responsible for the wide range of purple-noted colors in which February’s birthstone can be found.

Aquamarine – From the Latin word for “sea water,” Aquamarine is from the beryl family and is the easily accessible birthstone for March. If enough of its characteristic long tubular inclusions exist, an Aquamarine can be expertly cut into a star or cat’s eye, raising its value and demand, however, Aquamarine gemstones are widely available and fairly inexpensive.

Band – Oftentimes exchanged during wedding ceremonies, a band is a piece of jewelry consisting of a circlet of precious metal that sometimes may contain gemstones.

Birthstone – A gemstone popularly associated with the month or astrological sign of one's birth.

Carat – The weight of a gemstone. Carat weight can be impacted by the cut of the gem, and can be made to appear larger or smaller.

Citrine – Part of the crystalline quartz family, Citrine is a gemstone that’s found in brilliant yellows and red-oranges. The majority of Citrine is produced by heating smoky quartz or Amethyst to produce light to medium yellows and more vibrant yellows and oranges to orange-brown shades respectively. Citrine found in nature has an iron presence that is responsible for the yellow colors and shades. Citrine is the birthstone for November.

Clarity – The small, natural marks and imperfections (known as inclusions) present in all but the rarest, most expensive gemstones and diamonds. Minimal inclusions denote high clarity. Highly valuable gems and diamonds include imperfections and inclusions and still maintain high clarity.

Color – The hue, tone, and saturation of a gemstone.

Cubic Zirconia – Synthetically produced, cubic zirconia is made of zirconium dioxide and is one of the closest diamond imitations available on the market. Since cubic zirconia is synthetic, the colorless gem will not have many inclusions or imperfections and will have a bright twinkle and shine.

Cut – A symmetrical way to shape a gemstone and minimize its inclusions and best showcase the gem’s color.

Diamond – A kimberlite mineral formed at high pressure and temperatures deep in the earth. Diamonds are found in alluvial deposits like streams, beaches, river banks and deltas after erosion and kimberlite weathering. Diamonds are naturally found in an array of colors due to its surrounding elements, and can be treated to display many other colors. Diamond is oftentimes considered the birthstone for April.

Emerald – From the beryl family, Emerald is a medium to dark green. The shades and tints of green are due to the presence of impurities of chromium and vanadium, and amounts of iron lend itself to a bluish quality in the green of an emerald. Emerald is the birthstone for May.

Engraving – The process or art of cutting or carving a design on a hard surface like a ring or pendant or other piece of metal jewelry.

Garnet – Unlike other gemstones with a single species, gem garnet species range widely from almandine and andradite to spessartite and uvarovite and many others in between. Almandine garnets are the most common, producing the recognizable dark red varieties, though Garnets appear in all colors except blue. Garnet is the birthstone for January.

Gemstone – A precious or semiprecious stone, especially one cut, polished, and used in a piece of jewelry.

Genuine Stone – Genuine gemstones are produced in the earth through natural processes. Genuine stones may be treated to enhance their beauty, but are still considered to be genuine.

Gold – One of the most precious and valuable metals, beloved for its beautiful color and how easily it can be shaped in its pure form. Gold jewelry is always less than 100% pure.

Hue – The pure color of a gemstone. The more valuable gemstones will have a pure hue with the least amount of hues of other colors alongside their primary color.

Karat – The measurement of gold purity, calculated in parts of 24 by weight. 100% pure gold is 24 karats, while 50% pure gold is 12 karats.

PALS Replacement Agreement — The ArtCarved Protection Against Lost or Stolen (PALS) Replacement Agreement. If you purchase an ArtCarved PALS Replacement Agreement, your high school class ring is protected against loss or theft for four (4) years from the date of purchase. PALS Replacement Agreement only applies to ArtCarved high school class rings without diamonds. Championship rings not included.

Peridot – Part of the olivine group of minerals, Peridot refers to the green gemstones. While traces of chromium make the green hue of Peridot brighter, it is the element iron that gives peridot the characteristic green color. Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August.

Rose Gold – An alloy combining gold and at least 25% copper, giving the metal a reddish-gold tint. Durable, complements all skin tones, and is generally less expensive than yellow or white gold.

Ruby – A red and durable variation of the mineral corundrum, rubies get their various shades of pink, red, purple, orange and brown from traces of chromium and iron. Ruby is the birthstone for July.

Sapphire – Though Sapphires are often recognized as blue gemstones, the corundum gemstone is available in every color besides red (those are rubies). Depending on color and saturation, Sapphires are durable and available at almost any price point, making them a popular gem choice for many jewelry pieces. Sapphire is the birthstone for September.

Saturation – Saturation refers to the gemstone’s color purity, denoted by tints of gray or brown.

Setting – The metal that holds a gemstone in a ring, pendant, or other piece of jewelry, or the way the gemstone is fixed.

Siladium™ & Eclipse Siladium™ – ArtCarved’s proprietary jeweler-grade stainless steel alloy. Siladium is our proprietary jeweler-grade stainless steel alloy. It’s stronger than any gold or silver, and we polish it up to a remarkably high gloss. Eclipse Siladium™ is the same proprietary jeweler-grade stainless steel alloy with a black coating applied through a process called physical vapor deposition.

Silver Select™ – ArtCarved’s proprietary silver alloy made of silver, platinum and palladium. Together, these metals create an alloy that’s more durable than many white metals alone and more precious than sterling silver.

Simulated Stone – Also known as ‘simulants,’ simulated stones are gemstones made in a lab to imitate natural gemstones. Simulants aren’t always lab-created or synthetic, though. Oftentimes, simulants are glass or pieces assembled to look like natural stones, but simulated stones are always created synthetically in a lab.

Smoky Quartz – Often mistaken for Topaz, Smoky Quartz comes in most every shade of brown, from tan to brownish-yellow, to almost black. Also known as “Chocolate Citrine,” Smoky Quartz is well known for large sizes, making it an optimal gemstone for the shopper who wants a big gem at a great value.

Spinal – A large group of minerals can be categorized as spinel, and these gems come in a wide variety of colors. From light pastels to strong, deep colors, spinel is available in many shades of red, pink, purple, orange, blue, and even black. A pure spinel is colorless, with the presence of trace elements like cobalt, chromium and iron lending themselves to the various colors available.

Sterling Silver – An alloy containing mostly silver with a small percentage of copper for strength. Our sterling silver is 92.5% pure, with a color profile of gray and white; durable and easy to restore (all silver naturally tarnishes over time).

Tone – The depth of a gemstone’s color. Ranging from black to colorless, the most valuable gemstones tend to have tones that fall between medium-light and medium-dark.

Tourmaline – Available in all colors from black to colorless, Tourmaline crystals are often color-zoned along the length. The gem Tourmaline is the species elbaite and it occurs in a wide range of shades and colors. Tourmaline is the birthstone for the month of October.

White Gold – An alloy containing gold, nickel, silver, and a rhodium plating producing a color close to sterling silver with a warmer, slightly redder hue; Durable and will not tarnish.

White Topaz – A variation of the silicate mineral, White Topaz is a natural gem that occurs in many different colors. Usually colorless, White Topaz can contain natural marks and impurities (known as inclusions) that affect color, but is relatively clean and glassy.

Yellow Gold – An alloy containing gold, copper, and zinc producing a color most closely associated with the popular concept of “gold”; Hypoallergenic, traditional, and easy to maintain.

Yellow Gold or Silver – Sterling silver coated with a few microns of 10k yellow gold to produce the look of yellow gold without the associated cost.

Zircon – Not to be confused with the synthetic cubic zirconia, Zircon is a completely distinct and natural crystalline structured gemstone that’s found in a variety of colors, and can be treated to display many additional colors. From dark reds and oranges, to light greens and yellows, you can find Zircon in many colors, as well as colorless, making Zircon a good diamond simulant by appearance, though it is much more brittle. Zircon (along with tanzanite and turquoise) is known as a birthstone for December.