Jewelry and 3D rendering glossary
Plain-English definitions of the jewelry, gemstone, CAD and rendering terms you meet every day.
3
A
Alpha channel
An extra channel in an image file that stores the transparency of each pixel.
RenderingAmbient occlusion
A shading effect that darkens areas where surrounding geometry blocks ambient light, such as creases and contact points.
RenderingAspect ratio
The proportional relationship between an image's width and height, written as width:height.
B
Bezel setting
A setting in which a thin rim of metal surrounds the stone's girdle and holds it in place.
RenderingBloom
A post-processing effect that makes very bright areas of an image glow softly into nearby pixels.
CAD and 3DBoolean operation
A CAD operation that combines, subtracts or intersects solid shapes to create a new shape.
GemstonesBrilliance
The white light reflected back to the viewer from inside a gemstone, which makes it look bright.
C
Cabochon
A gemstone shaped and polished into a smooth, rounded dome with no facets.
GemstonesCarat
The unit of weight for gemstones, where one carat equals 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams.
SettingsCathedral setting
A ring setting in which arched shoulders rise from the band to support and lift the centre stone's head.
SettingsChannel setting
A setting in which a row of stones sits in a groove between two parallel metal walls.
RenderingContact shadow
The soft shadow directly underneath an object where it touches or nearly touches a surface.
GemstonesCrown
The upper part of a faceted gemstone, from the girdle up to the table.
GemstonesCubic zirconia
A synthetic, colourless crystal of zirconium dioxide used as an inexpensive diamond simulant.
GemstonesCulet
The small facet or point at the bottom tip of a gemstone's pavilion.
D
Depth of field
The range of distance in an image that appears acceptably sharp, controlled by aperture, focal length and distance.
RenderingDispersion
The splitting of white light into spectral colours because a material bends each wavelength by a different amount.
RenderingDPI
Dots per inch, the print density of an image, used with pixel dimensions to work out the physical print size.
E
F
G
Gallery
The part of a ring under the head and setting, visible from the side, often decorated with rails, openwork or hidden stones.
GemstonesGirdle
The narrow band around the widest part of a faceted gemstone, separating the crown from the pavilion.
CAD and 3DglTF
An open 3D file format from the Khronos Group designed for efficient delivery of scenes and models, with GLB as its binary version.
H
Hallmark
An official mark stamped on precious metal jewelry to certify its purity, often with the maker and the testing office.
SettingsHalo setting
A setting in which a ring of small stones surrounds a larger centre stone.
RenderingHDRI
A high dynamic range panoramic image used to light a 3D scene and provide its reflections.
I
K
L
M
Mangalsutra
A sacred necklace of black beads and gold, tied by the groom around the bride's neck in many Hindu wedding traditions.
CAD and 3DMesh
A 3D shape described by vertices connected into polygons, usually triangles or quads.
RenderingMetalness
A PBR material property that tells the renderer whether a surface behaves like a metal (1) or a non-metal (0).
SettingsMicro pavé
A form of pavé using very small stones, set under magnification so the metal beads almost disappear.
GemstonesMoissanite
A gemstone made of silicon carbide, used as a diamond alternative, with a higher refractive index and more fire than diamond.
N
P
Path tracing
A form of ray tracing that averages many randomly sampled light paths per pixel to simulate lighting physically.
SettingsPavé setting
A setting where many small stones are set close together and held by tiny beads or prongs, covering the metal surface.
GemstonesPavilion
The lower part of a faceted gemstone, from the girdle down to the culet.
RenderingPBR
A rendering approach that describes materials with physically meaningful values so they react to light realistically.
MetalsPlatinum
A dense, naturally white precious metal used in fine jewelry, usually as 95% or 90% pure alloys.
CAD and 3DPolygon count
The number of polygons, usually triangles, in a 3D model, which affects file size and how fast it renders.
SettingsProng setting
A setting that holds a gemstone with small metal claws, usually four or six, gripping the stone at its girdle.
R
Ray tracing
A rendering technique that traces the paths of light rays through a scene to calculate reflections, refraction and shadows.
RenderingRender engine
The software that calculates final images from a 3D scene's geometry, materials, lights and camera.
MetalsRhodium plating
A thin electroplated layer of rhodium that gives white gold and silver a bright, cool white finish.
MetalsRose gold
A gold alloy with a high share of copper that gives it a pink to reddish colour.
RenderingRoughness
A material property that controls how sharp or blurry reflections are, from mirror polished to fully matte.
S
Scintillation
The flashes of light and the pattern of light and dark areas seen in a gemstone when it, the light or the viewer moves.
JewelryShank
The band of a ring, the part that goes around the finger below the head or setting.
JewelrySolitaire
A ring or pendant set with a single main gemstone.
CAD and 3DSTL file
A widely used 3D printing format that stores only triangle geometry, without colours, materials or layers.
T
Table
The largest, flat facet on the top of a faceted gemstone.
RenderingTone mapping
The process of converting a rendered image's high dynamic range into the limited range a display can show.
RenderingTurntable
A rotating platform, or its 3D equivalent, that spins a product to show it from every side, usually as a 360° video.