A variation of the word "carat", (used to describe the weight
of a gemstone), "karat", with a "k" is used to describe
the purity of gold. Gold is often alloyed with silver, copper, and/or
other metals to improve its strength and durability. Products made from
gold are marked to show how much actual gold is contained in the product.
Items marked 24K are 100% pure gold. Items marked 18K or 750 have 750
parts gold out of 1000, or 75% pure gold. Items marked 14K or 585 have
585 parts out of 1000, or 58.5% pure gold. Much of the jewelry manufactured
before the 20th century do not have these marks and must be tested to
Karatclad is a trademark for a very thick gold electroplating process;
this type of plating is about 14 times thicker than standard electroplating.
A costume jewelry company formed in 1940, Kaufman (the comedian Andy Kaufman's
parents) and Ruderman, Inc, New York, NY. The Karu pin above is paste
(glass stones) and enamel on gold-plated metal.
A keeper ring is a ring which is used alongside another, more valuable
ring to keep it securely on the finger.
See Bow Guard.
A jewelry-making technique from Korea where 24k gold foil is fused to
A keystone is a stone cut the shape of a keystone in an arch. Keystones
are usually step cut. The costume jewelry manufacturer Schreiner uses
keystones in many of its pieces.
The king cut is a modification of the brilliant cut which is used for
large diamonds. This cut has 86 facets.
Anne Klein (1923-1974) was an influential and popular American fashion
designer. Anne Klein jewelry and buttons have been manufactured by the
Swank Inc. since 1981. Anne Klein's logo is a lion's head on a square
An extremely thin wire holding a gemstone making it appear to float.
A knot is a flaw (a mineral inclusion) in a gemstone (usually a diamond)
that is ar the surface of a gem after polishing. The know is a small raised
bump on the finished gemstone.
The Koh-i-Nur (meaning "Mountain of Light") is one of the largest-known
diamonds. It was found in India and belonged to the first Indian Rajahs
of Malwa (in the 1300s). The gem made its way to Persia in the 1500s (taken
as a spoil of war by the Mogul Sultan Babur). At some point it was returned
to Indiabut was taken by the East India Company and presented to Queen
Victoria of England in 1850. Tge gem was later cut and set into a brooch
and later into the State Crown of the United Kingdom. The Koh-i-Nur is
part of the crown jewels of England and is kept in the Tower of London,
Opals from the Koroit mines in Australia. These are the hardest of the
boulder opal types and often referred to as "Koroit picture opals"
because of the patterns.
Kramer was a high-quality costume jewelry company founded by Louis Kramer
in 1943. He was then joined by his brothers Harry and Morris. Some of
their pieces are marked 'Kramer,' others are marked, 'Kramer of New York.'
Kramer made jewelry for the Dior company during the 1950's. Kramer went
out of business in the 1970's. The fish pin above is by Kramer.
Kunzite is a transparent pink, light pink, or light purple gemstone that
resembles roze quartz. It is a variety of the mineral spodumene. Kunzite
can fade after prolonged exposure to light. Kunzite is also called "evening
stone," because of its propensity to fade in bright light. The original
color of some kunzite stones can be restored or even intensified by irradiation.
It is usually used as a large stone and is easily chipped; small stones
of kunzite are difficult to cut. Kunzite is often used in pendants. Kunzite
has a hardness of 6-7 and a specific gravity of 3.1 - 3.2. Kunzite was
first found in 1902 in Pala, California, USA, and is named for the gemologist
George F. Kunz. Kunzite's chemical composition is LiAlSi2O6
Kyanite is a deep sapphire blue, green, gray, or white gemstone. The color
is not always uniform; it can be blotchy or in streaks. The cystals are
crystals are transparent to translucent. Kyanite has a hardness of 4.5
to 6.5; the hardness varies depending on which way it is scratched (this
happens because kyanite consists of long, thin crystals). It has a specific
gravity of 3.58. Kyanite is found in Brazil, Burma, Kenya, Europe, India,
Australia, Kenya, and the USA. Kyanite's chemical composition is Al2SiO5;
it is composed of andalusite and sillimanite.