The garnet is a collective appellation that is used to describe more than ten jewelry stones that share a similar crystalline structure. The word "garnet" is typically associated with a red stone, but this is true only for the two most common members of the garnet group: the porope and almandine "carbuncle stones" and the almandine. Like their relatives (for example, green tsavorite and brown-yellow exonite), these have good hardness and high refraction. Garnets can be found on every continent.

Precious stones are non-metallic materials characterized by the beauty and transparency of their colors, their hardness and/or their rarity. In the past, it was common practice to distinguish between precious stones (which are particularly clear and hard) and semi-precious stones (which are non-transparent, less resistant and less valuable). This distinction, however, makes little sense, so the terms "gemstone" and "jewelry stone" have become more common in modern usage. The weight of a gemstone is measured by carat (0.2 grams). Precious stones are found in rocks and golds. Transparent gemstones are often cut into faceted shapes (e.g. "brilliant cut") to accentuate their inherent play of light. Translucent and matte gemstones are usually cut into a smooth dome shape (cabochon).

Gemology is the science of precious stones. The German language has two allies for this specialty: "Gemmologie" and "Edelsteinkunde". Despite the name, people who are active in this discipline are dedicated to the identification and technical processing of precious stones and the study of methods that can be used to distinguish between natural precious stones on the one hand, and synthetic or imitation stones on the other.

The abbreviation GIA refers to the Gemmological Institute of America, which is based in Carlsbad, California. The institute is recognized worldwide as an authority in the field of gemology and classification of diamonds. The GIA is also active in science, research and teaching. As an educational institution, it offers highly respected gemological training. Founded in 1931, this non-commercial organization operates branches all over the world. GIA is headquartered in Vicenza, Italy and London, England.

Gold is one of the first metals used by mankind. Humans have been fascinated by gold since time immemorial. The metal has a bright yellow color, is immune to rust and is extraordinarily ductile and malleable. The name "gold" comes from the old German high word "ghel", which means "shimmering" or "gleaming". The chemical symbol for gold, "Au", comes from the Latin word for this metal, "aurum". Pure gold is very soft: before it can be used in jewelry, it must be mixed with other harder metals to create a harder alloy. The eligibility of other metals also affects the color of the alloy: the addition, for example, of silver gives gold a greenish cast.

The goldsmith profession is a traditional career with a very long history. Already in the third millennium BC, the ancient Egyptians had already begun to cultivate the goldsmith's art: ancient craftsmen worked artfully gold and silver, along with various precious stones and pearls, to create jewelry, tools, vases and other objects. Techniques such as hammering, throwing, chasing, punching, engraving, granulation and glazing have been practiced since ancient times. Nowadays, the profession of goldsmith is an art and a craft that requires an apprenticeship lasting at least three years.

The classification or evaluation of diamonds is known as "graduation". The assessment shall be conducted according to objective, internationally recognised criteria. According to these criteria, diamonds are classified pursuant to their color, clarity (purity), cut and carats (weight). These four criteria are summarised under the abbreviation "the 4 Cs".

The chain of curb connections is placed next to the cable chain as one of the most classic chain forms. A chain of curb links is made by taking a chain with links that are connected in an ordinary way and then twisting it until the links become deformed. Each individual link therefore seems to have been twisted in opposite directions. Finally, most of the chains of curb connections are then flattened so that their connections acquire the characteristicangles.