Glossary

This is a list of some of the terms and abbreviations used.

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Mabe pearl

An assembled pearl created by filling a hollow blister and then applying a mother-of-pearl back to complete the pearl.

Maltese cross

A Maltese cross has four broad arms of equal length, sometimes having a V-shaped notch cut out of the ends.

Marquise

An oval shape gemstone cut with pointed ends.

Matte

A non-shiny, frosted surface.

Melee

Diamonds up to .20 carats in size.

Mesh

A chain which is fabric-like and woven of fine wire.

Metallic

A shiny, lustrous appearance.

Mineral

A mineral is a inorganic substance formed by geological processes. Minerals typically have a crystalline structure of atoms and they can be classified by their crystal shape, or by their atomic content.

Mixed cut

A cut in which the facets above and below the girdle are styled in different ways

Moh’s scale

The measure of a mineral's hardness in relation to other minerals, based on it's ability to resist scratching. The scale goes from 1 to 10 where diamonds are a 10 and talc is a one. Most colored gemstones fall in the 6 to 9 range on the scale.

Moonstone

Moonstone is a variety of orthoclase feldspar and typically show a hazy bluish glow quite like the moon. This stone is commonly found in cabachon cuts.

Multicolored

Used to describe a single crystal made of different colored parts.

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