Jewellery Advice

Need some help choosing the right type of jewellery? We have provided some helpful tips below

Buying Online

When buying jewellery online it is always best to check the following details;

• How long will delivery take? This can vary greatly from site to site, and if you need something in a hurry you may need to pay extra.
• Returns Policy. This is especially important if you are buying a gift for someone, so be sure to check the websites terms and conditions.
• Jewellery Boxes. These can provide a nice touch if you are giving the jewellery as a gift, so check if they come as standard or if you will need to buy one additionally.
• Import Taxes / Duty. When buying from overseas you may find that you need to pay extra taxes when the products arrive. It is advisable to check with the company or your national tax revenue authority first.

Ring Sizes

Fortunately with most jewellery you don't have to worry about sizes, that is with the exception of the all important ring! Most jewellers will measure this for you, or alternatively you can get an estimate by using our DIY system below.

• Use a piece of non-stretchy string or strip of paper no wider than 1.4 cm (1/2 inches).
• Wrap it around the base of the appropriate finger.
• Use a pen to mark the point on the string/paper where it overlaps, forming a complete circle.
• With a ruler, measure the length from the starting end of the string/paper to the pen mark.
• Use this measurement and the chart below to determine your ring size.
• Your finger changes size during the day, so for the most accurate reading measure the finger at the end of the day when the finger is the largest.
• Rings which have a deep band width will need to be slightly larger than your normal rings so consider this when checking your size.

This chart is based on the British Standard which uses alphabetic letters for each 1.25mm of ring circumference with half sizes in between.

If you are wanting to buy a ring as a surprise gift finding a size can be difficult. If for a woman try asking her mother, friends or other family member, who maybe able to enquire subtly in conversion. Alternatively, you can also borrow a ring (making sure it's worn on the correct finger!) and slide it down a tapered candle until it fits snugly. You can then measure the candle diameter and use the chart above to find the size.

Dictionary of Jewellery

Amulet - A protective charm that is supposed to bring the wearer good luck.

Anklet / Ankle Chain / Ankle Bracelet - Similar to a bracelet, but worn around the ankle. These can be made from various materials, including metal, plastic or leather.

Arm Ring / Armlet / Armband - Similar to a bracelet this is a band of ornametal metal that is worn around the biceps on the upper arm.

Band - A band is a ring that is made from a thin, flat, ribbon-like strip of material, normally metal. This ring can be unadorned or decorated. Wedding rings are often bands and sometimes referred to as Wedding Bands, or Matching Bands if the bride and groom are to have one each.

Bangle - These are a stiff type of bracelet. Some bangles have a hinge to open in order to be worn, while others are solid and must be slipped over the hand.

Beads - These can be made of glass, wood, stones, plastics, seeds, and ceramics. They are small objects each with a hole through, which can be strung together to make jewellery.

Bib Necklace / Collarette - A short necklace with ornate decoration at the front. (see picture right) 

Birthstone - Each month of the year is allocated a different type of stone/colour. These are: January=Garnet, February=Amethyst, March=Aquamarine, April=Diamond, May=Emerald, June=Moonstone or Pearl, July=Ruby, August=Peridot, September=Sapphire, October=Opal, November=Citrine or Topaz, December=Turquoise or Zircon

Braclet - This is a general term for an ornament worn wrapped around the wrist.

Brooch - An decorative ornament that can be pinned or attached to a garment.

Cameo - Normally a gem or shell material with two distinct colored layers. The top layer is then carved with the bottom layer providing a contrasting background.

Carat (ct.) -  A standard measure of weight used for gemstones. One carat weighs 0.2 gram (1/5 of a gram or 0.0007 ounce). A hundredth of a carat is called a point.

Chains - A chain can be a necklace worn around the neck or a bracelet. They come in various styles some of which are;

• Box: A chain with wide, square links that form boxes
• Byzantine: A chain with close-fitting links, creating an intricate design that forms a tube
• Cable: A chain with round links of the same size
• Curb link: A chain with oval links that are twisted to lie flat
• Figaro: A chain with long and round links that are not uniform in size
• FOB: A short chain with a decorative seal or other device attached to the end
• Herringbone: A chain with small, slanting links that appear flat
• Mesh: Fabric-like chain woven from very fine wire
• Omega: Flat chain with a solid surface formed by the links.

Charm - These are small, representational ornaments that are worn on bracelets and necklaces or even attached to your mobile phone!

Choker - A tight-fitting necklace, worn high on the neck.

Class Ring / Graduate Ring - A ring worn by students to commemorate their graduation.

Cluster Setting - A design where small stones or pearls are set around a larger stone.

Cocktail / Dinner Ring - An oversized ring, sometimes set with precious or semiprecious stones, but this is not essential. They should be large and chunky and are normally worn by women on the fourth finger of the right hand.

Cuff Bracelet - A stiff, relatively wide type of bracelet that can be made from various materials. They are similar to a bangle but have a narrow opening on one side to allow the the wrist to pass through.

Cufflinks - This is a fastener for the two sides of the cuff on a dress shirt or blouse. They range from relatively plain to high decorative in design.

Diamante / Rhinestones - highly reflective glass made to imitate gemstones. Originally rhinestones were quartz stones (rock crystal) obtained from the Rhine river, which were cut to resemble gemstones. The best rhinestones today are made of highly reflective leaded glass which is faceted and polished.

Diamond - These are not just a girls best friend, but also extremely hard, precious gemstones made of highly-compressed carbon. A diamond's value is based on the "4 C's": colour, cut, clarity, and carat weight.

• Diamonds are normally colourless but can also be yellow, orange, brown, to almost black. Rarer colors are red, blue, green, and purple; these colors (called fancies) are quite valuable. A diamond's colour (saturation) is rated on an alphabetical scale ranging from D (white) to Y (yellow). "Z" diamonds are fancy, or a deep-colored diamond.
• A diamond's cut is designed to maximize the stone's natural "fire" (the streaks of brilliant colour within it).
• A diamond's clarity depends on the number and size of its flaws and inclusions (of other minerals, like quartz). Clarity is rated from FI (flawless), IF (flawless at 10x magnification), a series of V ratings (very small flaws at 10x magnification), a series of S ratings (small flaws at 10x magnification), to I1, I2, and I3 (having inclusions visible to the naked eye).
• A diamond's carat weight is simply how much it weighs. Famous diamonds include the Star of Africa (Cullinan) at 530.20 carats, the Darya-ye Noor Diamond, the largest pink diamond in the world at about 186 carats and the Amsterdam Diamond, a 33.74 carat black diamond which sold for $352,000 in 2001.

Dinner / Cocktail Ring - An oversized ring, sometimes set with precious or semiprecious stones, but this is not essential. They should be large and chunky and are normally worn by women on the fourth finger of the right hand.

Dog Collar - This is a type of short, multiple-strand choker-style necklace that fits tightly around the neck.

Dog Tags - Originally the name given to identification tags worn by military personnel. This type of design is now common in fashion jewellery with the tags inscribed with a logo, band name, or wearers initials.

Dangle Earrings - As the name suggests these are earings that dangle from the bottom of the ear. They are normally attached to the ear via a thin wire with a small hook at the back.

Earrings - A peice of jewellery that is worn in the ear. These are attached to the ear either by a piercing through the ear or with clip-on earrings simply clip onto the earlobe.

Emerald - These are rare and valuable gemstone which are coloured green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. They normally have flaws or cracks are are valued like diamonds by their cut, colour, clarity and carat.

Engagement Ring - A ring given to a woman on the acceptance of a proposal of marriage. It is worn on the left hand ring finger (the finger next to the little finger). Designs vary, but it is normally a gold, silver or platinum band mounting at least one diamond.

Eternity Ring - A narrow ring with a set of gemstones completely or partially set around the shank, sometimes given as wedding rings.

Fashion Jewellery / Costume jewelley - Inexpensive and often flashy jewellery made from less valuable materials and simulated gemstones

Filigree - A technique used to produce fine, lace like, intricate patterns in metal, normally gold or silver.

Flaw - An imperfection in a gemstone that can reduce the value of the stone.

Floating Necklace / Invisible Necklace - A necklace that gives the impression that the beads are floating by using an almost invisible string .

Gemstone / Precious Stones - This is a mineral which after cutting and polishing can be used to make jewelry.  A few organic materials such as amber, jet, coral and pearls are also considered gemstones as well.

Gold - A precious metal (atomic number 79 if you need to know!) that is used to make jewellery. The purity of gold jewellery is measured in karats but because of the softness of pure (24k) gold, it is usually alloyed with base metals to alter its hardness, ductility, melting point and colour.

Gypsy Ring - A ring with a recessed stone; also known as a 'star setting'.

Hairpin - a long pin or device used to hold a person's hair in place. These can be made of various materials and can be plain or decorative.

Hallmark - The official mark or marks that are made into metal that indicates the fineness of the metal, the manufacturer and sometimes the year that it was made.

Hoop Earrings - These are circular earrings that look like rings.

Huggy / Huggie Earrings - A popular style of earring in which the setting actually 'hugs' the earlobe (see picture right)

Jade - This is a semi-precious ornamental stone ,often green in colour, that is used in jewellery.

Karat (Kt) - A measure of the fineness of gold. 24 karat gold is pure gold. 18 karat gold is 18/24 gold (about 75%). 14 karat gold is about 58% gold. 12 karat gold is exactly half gold. 10 karat gold is about 43.5% gold.

Lead Crystal - High quality glass that contains at least 10% lead oxide. When cut and polished they can resemble rock crystals.

Leaf - Extremely thin pieces of metal that can be applied to surfaces. Gold Leaf is often 0.0001 mm thick meaning that 1sq metre of gold leaf can be made of only 2 grams of gold.

Locket - A type of a pendant that can open up. Lockets can hold photos, hair or other precious objects.

Luster / Lustre - A stone's luster is the way it relects light - its sparkle, sheen or brightness.

Matinee Necklace - A pearl necklace normally 22"-23" long that should sit at the top of cleavage.

Medallion - A type of pendant that is worn around the neck on a necklace. They often resemble a large coin and may be a medal or fashion accessory.

Medallion Ring - Similar to a Sovereign Ring but instead of a coin the ring is mounted with a symbolic medallion e.g. St George or Football team design.

Mother of Pearl / Nacre - The iridescent (colours change when viewed from different angles) coating found on the inside of oyster and other shells. It is used in jewellery and buttons.

Mourning Jewellery - Black jet or enamel brooches, necklaces, lockets and rings that are worn when mourning the loss of a loved one.

Necklace - A peice of jewellery worn around the neck.

Opal - Semi-precious stones that are luminous and iridescent (colours change when viewed from different angles). They can be numerous colours, with red and black being the most rare.

Opera Necklace - A pearl necklace that measures 30" to 36" in length and should sit at the breastbone.

Pearl - A hard, rounded object produced within the soft tissue of oysters and some other shelled mollusks. The finest quality Natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones with there cost dertermined by luster, colour, size, lack of surface flaw and symmetry. Freshwater Pearl farming is now common and these are used to produce inexpensive jewellery.

Pendant - A hanging ornament, generally attached to a necklace or an earring.

Pin / Brooch - An ornament that can be pinned to a garment.

Platinum - A heavy and strong precious metal that is white/grey in colour and is often used in jewellery.

Princess Necklace - A pearl neckless that is between a chocker and Matinee necklace and should measure 18" long.

Promise Ring - Often a pre-engagement ring, usually with a relatively small stone. Partners or friends can also exchange promise rings to indicate their commitment to their relationship/friendship.

Quartz - This is the second most common mineral in the Earth's crust. It is a crystalline mineral and comes in many varieties and colours including Jasper (red/brown), Amethyst (purple) and Rose quartz (pink).

Rhinestones / Diamante - Highly reflective glass made to imitate gemstones. Originally rhinestones were quartz stones (rock crystal) obtained from the Rhine river, which were cut to resemble gemstones. The best rhinestones today are made of highly reflective leaded glass which is faceted and polished.

Ring - A band of ornimental jewellery worn around the finger. They can be worn on all fingers by men or women and are made from various material, including metal, plastic, wood, glass and bone.

Ring Size - A method to make sure a ring fits on your finger. See the details above for more information.

Ruby - A type of precious stone normally pink to blood red in colour. They are extremely hard (only diamonds are harder) and are priced in a similar way to diamonds - colour, cut, clarity, and carat weight. Currently the the record price paid at auction for a single stone was $5,860,000 for a 38.12 carat cabochon-cut ruby.

Sapphire - A precious gemstone similar to a ruby. They are often blue, but do come in a variety of other colours.

Signet Ring - A ring that bears the coat of arms or initials of the wearer.

Silver - A fine, silver-white precious metal that is often used in jewellery. It is often alloyed with other metals, for example Sterling Silver (used in a lot of jewellery) is 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper to make the material harder.

Sleeper -  An earring, originally designed to be worn at night to keep the hole in a pierced ear open. Later small hoops were often used for this purpose, so this term is sometimes used to describe a small hoop earring.

Solitaire - A ring set with a single stone, normally a diamond.

Sovereign Ring - A ring mounted with a gold sovereign or half sovereign (either genuine or repo). It is quite common for the coin to be replaced with medal or other similarly shaped coin but with a different degsign (e.g. St George) - see Medallion Ring.

Sterling Silver - Silver that is 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper to make the material harder. This is commonly used in jewellery design.

Stud Earrings - These fix straight onto the side of the ear to give impression that the earring is floating on the side of the ear.

Tennis Bracelet - The name given to a flexible in-line thin diamond bracelet that features a symmetrical pattern of diamonds. The name is said to come from Tennis player Chris Evert who dropped her bracelet while playing in the US Open.

Tie Pin / Bar / Clip - An accessory that clips a tie to the fold in a shirt to ensure that it hangs straight. These can be plain or decorative.

Tiffany Mount / Setting - A ring with a set of six prongs that hold a gemstone in place on a simple circular band. It is the most common setting for a diamond solitaire engagement ring. This design was introduced by Tiffany & Co. and shows off the diamond (see picture right).

Titanium - Normally used in aircraft production this metal is gaining popularity in jewellery as it is hard, light weight, corrosion resistant and hypoallergenic (meaning you don't get a rash if you have sensitive skin).

Toe Ring - As the name suggest a ring that is worn on the toe. These are commonly worn on the second toe of either foot.