Rings & Jewellery
Wedding Ring Glossary: 60 Terms Explained Without the Sales Jargon
·The Wedding Ring Blog Editorial Team
Jewellery terminology can make a simple purchase sound needlessly technical. This glossary translates the terms you are most likely to meet when buying wedding and engagement rings.
- Alloy
- A mixture of metals. Most gold wedding rings are gold alloyed with other metals to change colour or working properties.
- Assay Office
- An authorised office that tests and hallmarks precious-metal items in the UK.
- Bezel setting
- A rim of metal that surrounds some or all of a gemstone’s edge.
- Brushed finish
- A directional, low-reflection surface texture created with fine abrasive finishing.
- Carat / karat (gold)
- A measure of gold purity. In the UK “carat” is common; 24ct represents pure gold in the traditional scale.
- Carat (gem weight)
- A unit of gemstone weight. It is unrelated to gold carat despite the same word.
- Channel setting
- Stones held between two parallel metal walls without individual visible prongs between every stone.
- Comfort fit
- A general term for a ring with a rounded or eased inner surface. Exact geometry varies by maker.
- Court profile
- A band rounded on both the outside and inside.
- D-shape
- A band with a rounded exterior and flatter inner face.
- Depth
- The thickness of the ring from its inner surface to its outer surface.
- Eternity ring
- A ring with repeating gemstones across part or all of the circumference.
- Fineness
- Precious-metal content expressed in parts per thousand, such as 750 for 18ct gold.
- Flat court
- A flatter exterior paired with a more rounded comfort-fit interior.
- Flush setting
- A stone set into the metal so its surface sits close to the ring surface.
- Gallery
- The structural area beneath and around a centre-stone setting.
- Hallmark
- An independently applied set of marks verifying precious-metal fineness and identifying the sponsor and assay office.
- Hammered finish
- An intentionally irregular faceted surface created by hammering or tools that mimic the effect.
- Milgrain
- A line of tiny beaded metal detail, often used on vintage-inspired jewellery.
- Palladium
- A naturally white platinum-group precious metal used in jewellery.
- Patina
- The surface character that develops through wear, particularly discussed with platinum.
- Pavé
- Small stones set closely together so the surface appears paved with gemstones.
- Profile
- The cross-sectional shape of a ring band.
- Prong / claw
- A small metal projection that grips a gemstone.
- Rhodium plating
- A bright white surface coating commonly used on white-gold jewellery.
- Satin finish
- A soft, low-lustre finish. Exact texture varies by jeweller.
- Shank
- The band portion of a ring that circles the finger.
- Sponsor’s mark
- The registered UK hallmark component identifying who submitted the item for hallmarking.
- Stack
- Two or more rings worn together on the same finger.
- Toi et moi
- A two-stone ring style whose French name means “you and me”.
- Width
- The measurement across the band when looking down at the finger, usually given in millimetres.
Use the Wedding Ring Guide to move from terminology into practical buying decisions.
