Here are some definitions used on this website and others that we thought you might find useful.

Bail - a loop, generally made from metal (like wire, silver or gold) used to attach a chain, necklace or cord to a pendant.

Biwa - A cultured pearl grown in a freshwater mussel from Lake Biwa in Japan. Only those actually produced there should be called Biwas; others are simply called freshwater cultured pearls.

Carat - The unit of weight used for precious stones. One carat equals one-fifth of a gram. Also a measurement of fitness in gold. Pure gold is expressed as 24kt.

Mohs Scale - used to measure hardness of minerals, talc is at zero and diamonds are at 10. Each mineral on the scale is hard enough to scratch the one below it in the scale.

Precious Stones or Gems - costly gems such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

Semiprecious Stones - Natural stones that generally have a lower value than precious stones, including amethyst, aventurine, carnelian, garnet, opal, rose quartz, and others. Primarily used in fashion jewelry.