Antique jewelry glossary

Welcome to our extensive antique jewelry glossary with around 1,500 jewelry related entries.If you feel you are missing an explanation, feel free to let us know and we will add it.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z     all

Culet (culette or collet)

The small flat facet at the base of a brilliant, i.e. the lowest facet of the pavilion, parallel with the table. It is made to minimize splintering and is now often omitted, in which case the sharp point at the bottom is called a 'closed culet'. If larger than normal it is called an 'open culet'. The word is sometimes spelt 'culette' or 'collet'.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson