Alface - This word is used to describe a pale green color in tourmaline.
Appraisal - Value placed on a stone in money terms by an appraiser.
Bi-colored - A stone with two colors.
Body color - The color of a gemstone as caused by transmitted light as opposed to reflected light.
Brilliancy - The amount of light the eye views from the stone as a result of the facets and gridle.
Bubble veils - Inclusions that appear as bubbles but are actually small crystalline inclusions.
Cabochon cut - Gemstone with a smooth dome top and no facets. The underneath of the stone may or may not be polished.
Carat - A standard weight for weighing gemstones.
Cat's eye - A cabochon cut stone with lines across the top of the stone.
Clarity - This term is used to describe whether the stone has inclusions and how bad the inclusions are.
Cobbing - Mining term to clear away or remove parts before getting to the actual stone.
Cloud-like Inclusions - A small group of inclusions that make up a cloud effect.
Crown - The part of the faceted stone above the gridle.
Cut - Going from rough to finished stone, whether it be pear, round, marquise etc.
Eye-clean - A stone without flaws or inclusions.
Fire - This term can relate to the term "play of color" How many colors are displayed in your stone.
Flawless - A perfect stone.
Flaws - A stone with blemishes and foreign matter.
Gemstones - Any precious stone that can be cut or polished to be used in a piece of jewelry.
Gridle - The part of the stone with the greatest diameter. You may have a 1-cart stone and your neighbor may have a 1-cart stone, her stone may appear larger because the majority of her stone is on the top while yours may be set inside the setting.
Hue - A name of a color, orange, yellow or pink. You may have a stone that displays mixed color properties such as pink in Tanzanite or Amethyst.
Mineral - A class of many substances that may be natural but have inorganic material or chemical composition.
Opaque stones - Stones that transmit no light.
Pavilion - The portion of the stones that is underneath the gridle or table.
Saturation - A single colored stone free from any mixture of colors.
Synthetic - Stone containing artificial or lab created properties.
Table - The flat portion of the top of the stone.
