J K L
JABOT PIN:
A jeweled tie pin popular in the 1920s and 1930s
JADE:
An opaque, semiprecious gemstone which is usually found in shades of green, but can also be found in lavender and rose shades
JADEITE:
A hard, translucent variety of jade which is rarer than the other varieties of nephrite
JASPER:
An opaque, impure, Polycrystalline variety of Quartz that may be red, yellow, or brown
JET:
A dense, black variety of lignite (fossilized coal) that can be highly polished and is often made into mourning jewelry, toys, or buttons, or used in inlays
JEWELERS OF AMERICA:
A trade association tasked with maintaining ethical standards within the jewelry industry
JUMP RING:
A small, oval or round wire ring used to link charms or pendants onto a chain
KARAT:
A unit of fineness for gold, equal to 1 part of pure gold in an alloy
KNIFE EDGE:
A ring whose shank forms a point at the middle point of the band, instead of being rounded or flat
KNOT:
A jewelry design element which includes multiple curved, wavy metal pieces which are loosely interlaced and soldered together
LAB DIAMOND:
A diamond that was created through a controlled laboratory process
LAB GEMSTONE:
A gemstone that was created through a controlled laboratory process
LAPIDARY:
A general term which is used for the cutting, shaping, polishing and creation of jewelry from precious and semi-precious stones
LASER DRILLING:
A technique used to enhance a stone's clarity by introducing bleaching or other enhancing agents
LASER ENGRAVING:
A technique which uses a high-powered laser beam to etch a design into the surface of a jewelry piece
LAVALIERE:
A chain from which an ornament or gemstone hangs in the center
LEAKAGE:
The leaving or escaping of light through the facets of fashioned gemstones
LEVER BACK:
An earring back that uses a clasp
LIQUID SILVER:
The term given to strands of small silver beads which were made by carefully slicing tubes of Sterling silver into pieces and stringing them together
LIVING JEWELRY:
Jewelry materials derived from living organisms
LOCKET:
A hinged case, usually in the shape of an oval or heart, which can be opened or closed and usually contains a photograph or memento
LOGAN SAPPHIRE:
A 422.99 carat rich, deep blue sapphire discovered in Sri Lanka
LONDON BLUE TOPAZ:
A popular variation of topaz with a vivid, dark blue-green color
LOST WAX PROCESS OR CASTING:
A casting process where a carved or cast wax original is encased in clay or other investment, before being melted at a high temperature, and replaced with molten metal
LOUPE:
A small magnifying glass, often held in the eye socket, used for analyzing gemstones
LOW-PROFILE:
A ring that has a low-set center stone
LUCITE:
A clear, span plastic that can be molded and carved
LUSTER:
The appearance of a material's surface, as determined by the quantity and quality of light reflected
LUXURY:
An extravagant jewelry piece