Gold and jewellery glossary

Metal and price

Gold karat expresses purity in parts of 24; millesimal fineness uses parts of 1,000. Fine-metal equivalent is the pure-metal content. Making charges pay for production; a premium is the amount above reference metal value. Bid and ask must be read from the buyer’s or seller’s perspective.

Stones and setting

A gemstone carat weighs 0.2 g. Total carat weight includes all listed stones and differs from the main stone’s weight. Shape describes outline; cut concerns workmanship and proportions. Laboratory-grown identifies origin; a simulant is a different material resembling the gem.

Construction and documentation

A setting holds a stone. Hollow describes construction; plated means a surface layer. A hallmark is useful information but not proof on its own. When a term is ambiguous, ask for a precise written description or an appropriate report.