What Is That Part Called? A Plain-English Guide

Plain words for the parts

Jewelry repair has its own vocabulary and almost nobody explains it to the person paying the bill. Shank. Bail. Jump ring. Terminal. Re-tipping. Rhodium. None of it is complicated once someone tells you what the word means.

This page is that. It is here so that when you are standing at a repair counter — ours or anyone else's — you know what is being described, what is being charged for, and whether it is the thing your piece actually needs. A customer who understands the job asks better questions, and we would rather have that conversation than the other kind.

• The parts — what each piece of a ring, chain or earring is called.
• The repairs — what each job actually involves.
• The metals — what the stamps mean and what they do not.
• Written plainly, with no trade shorthand.

And if a word is still not clear, ask us at the counter.

You do not need to know any of this

Point at the broken bit and we will sort it out. But people search for the name of the part, and end up on pages that explain nothing, so here it is properly.

Chains and necklaces

• Bail — the loop on a pendant that the chain passes through.
• Jump ring — the small open ring joining a clasp to a chain. The single most common failure in all of jewelry.
• Lobster claw — the spring-loaded clasp shaped like a claw, with a lever.
• Spring ring — the round clasp with a tiny sliding tab. Fiddly behind your own neck.
• Toggle — a bar that drops through a ring.
• End cap — the piece soldered to the end of a mesh or herringbone chain to hold it together.
• Safety chain — the short backup chain on a bracelet, in case the clasp opens.

Rings

• Shank — the band itself, the part that goes round your finger.
• Head — the part holding the centre stone.
• Prong — the little metal fingers gripping a stone. Re-tipping is rebuilding them when they wear down.
• Bezel — a rim of metal around a stone instead of prongs.
• Sizing beads — two beads inside the shank that stop a ring spinning.
• Comfort fit — a band domed on the inside, which is why it fits differently from a flat one.
• Eternity band — stones the whole way round, which is what makes it hard to resize.

Earrings

• Post — the straight pin through the ear.
• Butterfly back — the standard push-on back with two loops.
• Screw back — a threaded post and back. The fix for earrings that keep disappearing.
• Lever-back — a hinged wire that clicks shut.
• Omega back — the hinged lever on heavier earrings.
• Huggie — a small hoop that sits tight against the lobe.

Watches

• Crown — the knob you pull out to set the time.
• Stem — the shaft between the crown and the movement. When a crown comes off in your hand, this is what broke.
• Crystal — the clear cover over the dial. Glass, acrylic or sapphire.
• Bezel — the ring around the crystal, sometimes rotating.
• Spring bar — the sprung pin holding the band to the case. When a watch falls off a wrist, this is usually why.
• Lug — the horns on the case that the band attaches between.
• Deployant clasp — the folding clasp on a metal bracelet.
• Gasket — the rubber seal keeping water out. Replaced whenever the case is opened.
• Pusher — the buttons on a chronograph.

Metal and finish

• Karat — how much of the alloy is gold. 24k is pure; 14k is 14 parts in 24.
• Rhodium — the bright white plating on white gold. It wears off, and replating is routine.
• Sterling — silver that is 92.5% pure, stamped .925.
• Solder — joining metal with a filler alloy and heat.
• Laser welding — joining metal with a focused beam, so heat stays in one tiny spot and stones can stay in place.

Straight to your question

• What’s gone wrong?
• Metals and stones we work on
• Brands we work on

Questions we get asked

Where we are

Julio's Jewelry, 800 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462 — inside Orland Square Mall. Mon–Thu 10am–8pm · Fri–Sat 10am–9pm · Sun 11am–6pm.

We are inside Orland Square Mall in Orland Park, and customers come to us from right across the south and west suburbs.