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Parts of a piece of jewelry: ring, earring, necklace and bracelet

· 1 min read · Jewelry

Illustration: Parts of a piece of jewelry: ring, earring, necklace and bracelet

Knowing the parts of a jewel helps to describe it, buy it and repair it.

Side view of a cut stone with table, crown, girdle, pavilion and culet
Parts of a cut stone
Six types of stone setting in side view
Setting types: how each holds the stone

Ring #

  • Head: the part that holds the stone.
  • Prongs or bezel: what fixes the stone (settings).
  • Gallery: the space under the stone.
  • Shoulders: the sides joining head and band.
  • Shank: the band around the finger.
  • Table: the flat top face (in a signet ring).

Earring #

  • Post or hook: what passes through the ear.
  • Back: what holds it (clasps).
  • Front: the visible part.

Necklace and bracelet #

  • Chain or cord.
  • Clasp and extender.
  • Bail: where the chain passes through a pendant.
  • Links and connectors.

Gem #

Table, crown, girdle, pavilion and culet. See types of cut.

Why it matters to know the parts #

Knowing how to name the parts lets you ask for a repair precisely (“a prong needs rebuilding”, “an earring screw is missing”) and understand a sales description. Workshops and shops use this vocabulary.

Parts of a ring head #

The head may be prong, bezel, channel or another type (see types of setting). Under the stone there is often a gallery, a small openwork support that decorates and lets light in.

See also #

This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.