Know exactly what you are buying
300 pearl and jewellery terms, each one linked to a piece you can hold.
Where would you like to begin?
Types of Pearl
Freshwater, saltwater, South Sea, keshi, and how to tell a real pearl from a coated bead.
Shapes
Round, baroque, drop, coin and the rest, and what each one is worth paying for.
Quality & Grading
What AAA actually means, plus lustre, nacre, orient and the claims to be sceptical of.
Size & Length
Millimetres, choker to rope, bangle sizing, and which length suits which neckline.
Jewellery Styles
Jhumka, mangalsutra, kundan, polki, temple work and the rest of the Indian vocabulary.
Gold & Hallmarking
Karat versus carat, 22K and 18K, 916, plating, vermeil and what a BIS hallmark proves.
Gemstones & Cuts
Ruby, emerald, sapphire and zircon, their Indian names, and the cuts from princess to cabochon.
Metals & Plating
925 silver, platinum, brass and the alloys and finishes a piece is actually built from.
Clasps & Construction
Clasps, knotting, drilling and settings, the parts that decide whether a piece survives.
Care & Authenticity
Storing pearls, the tooth test, restringing, and the astrological terms buyers ask about.
Buying & Value
Making charges, wastage, gold rate, GST, buyback and what a piece is actually worth.
Every term
265–288 of 300
Stud
An earring that sits directly on the lobe, held by a post through the piercing.
Stud Size
The pearl diameter on a stud earring. 6mm to 8mm is everyday; 9mm and up is a statement.
31 in stock · from ₹1,000
Sui Dhaga
A needle-and-thread earring: a fine chain that threads through the piercing and hangs on both sides.
Surface Blemish
Pits, bumps, creases and dull patches on a pearl's surface. Some marking is present on essentially every pearl.
Symmetry
How evenly a pearl or stone is balanced around its own axis. What separates a fine drop from a baroque one.
Taar Mala
A necklace of many fine parallel strands gathered into one clasp. Traditional Hyderabadi pearl work.
18 in stock · from ₹1,500
Tahitian Pearl
A naturally dark saltwater pearl from the black-lipped oyster of French Polynesia. Grey to near-black, with green, aubergine or peacock overtones.
38 in stock · from ₹400
Tarnish
The dark film that forms on silver as it reacts with sulphur in the air. Surface only, and it polishes off.
Tassel
A bunch of threads or beaded strands hanging from a cord end or a pendant. Latkan in the north, kuchu in the south.
Temple Jewellery
South Indian jewellery in a deity and motif vocabulary, originally made to adorn temple idols and now worn by dancers and brides.
Thaali
The South Indian marriage pendant, tied on a turmeric-dyed thread or a gold chain at the wedding.
Thewa
A Rajasthani craft that fuses pierced sheet gold onto coloured glass, producing a stained-glass effect.
5 in stock · from ₹5,880
Thushi
A Maharashtrian choker of tightly packed beads on a rigid band, sitting close against the throat.
Timaniya
A Rajasthani choker built around a prominent central pendant, usually kundan set with enamel behind.
Tissue Nucleated
Grown around a scrap of mantle tissue instead of a bead, so the pearl is solid nacre throughout. The freshwater method.
Toe Ring
A ring worn on the second toe, traditionally in silver, and in much of India a marker of marriage.
Toggle Clasp
A bar that drops through a ring and lies across it. Easy to fasten one-handed, and only as secure as the tension holding it.
Tola
A traditional South Asian weight, about 11.66 grams. Still used in conversation, rarely on the bill.
Tooth Test
Rub a pearl gently against the edge of a tooth. Real nacre feels faintly gritty; an imitation feels glassy smooth.
Topaz
A hard silicate gem, most often seen as blue topaz. Frequently confused with, and substituted for, yellow sapphire.
Trillion Cut
A triangular cut, used both as a centre stone and as a pair of side stones.
Turquoise
An opaque blue to green stone, soft and porous. Called firoza in India and worn for Jupiter in astrology.
16 in stock · from ₹3,750
Twin Pearl
Two pearls fused together during growth, sharing a nacre skin.
Ultrasonic Cleaner
A tank that cleans by vibrating a liquid at high frequency. Excellent for diamonds and destructive to pearls.