Jackie Kennedy led a strict, private life after the tragic assassination of her late husband and former president John Fitzgerald Kennedy, she then remarried businessman Aristotle Onassis who greatly enlarged Jackie’s jewelry collection. In a way due to Jackie Kennedy’s reserved public appearance and concern with privacy, she became a person of interest. She was inadvertently thrust into the limelight after her passing in 1994. The Sotheby’s Auction of the Kennedy’s estate was a raving success, two years later, an attribute to Jackie’s popularity.

Jackie Kennedy enjoyed jewelry pieces by French and American jewelers; she had an affinity to jewelry by French born jewelers Charles Arpels and Alfred Van Clef. Due to her First lady status, she was required to choose her jewelry accessories carefully. She met with many striking, intimidating forces, from world leaders to musicians and artists. Jackie Kennedy paid fine attention to detail and made some very distinct jewelry choices. Her signature pieces include her triple-strand pearl necklace designed by American jeweler Kennedy Jay Lane, her lovely “berry brooch” by French jewelry Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co, Jackie’s coined signature ‘Jackie’s bracelets’ gold and enamel bracelets by Kenneth Jay Lane, and her gold and white enamel “banana” earrings. Kennedy’s estate sold for a total of $34.5 million, while her estate was projected to only make a $4.6 million sale.

Bezel – The metal around a stone that keeps it in place, e.g. sterling silver bezel.
Bezel set – Stone kept in place by the use of prongs.
Cut – The type of shape the gem is ‘cut’ into. The cut is either faceted or non-faceted, e.g. cabochon cut. Here’s a brief guide to cuts, more to come later. Cut is graded into excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor cuts.

• Brilliant Cut– It’s a facet cut that ensures that when light reflects, it gives a unique burst of brightness, almost like radiating fire.
  
• Cabochon– A stone that is flat at the bottom, but round on top; smooth without facets like a pebble
  
• Fancy Cut– Several possible shapes, such as kite-shaped, lozenge shaped, triangular.
  
• Mixed Cut– Usually rounded in outline, cut as brilliants with pavilions step-cut. Rubies and sapphires are the easiest to shape into a mixed cut.
  
• Step Cut – Step cuts come in a variation of shapes; oval, square, octagons, baguettes, and general table cuts. The step cut is also known at the ‘emerald cut’. This cut intensifies the hue of a color.
  

Carat – A measurement of gem weight.
Clarity – Gemstone grading; a lower amount of clarity signifies stones for of inclusions and less pleasing to look at.

Cavities –Formed during initial gem growth stages, inclusions filled with liquid, gasses, or solids.
Faceted – Jeweler cut sides, the polished planes of a gemstone.
Gauntlet – A bracelet that is oval and firmly set, with an opening in the back.
Gem – polished, cut precious stone used in jewelry.
Gem shape – Somewhat like a cut, but referring to the shape of the stone. E.g. pear cut, trillion cut, and cushion cut.
Gemstone – Semiprecious or precious stone polished and cut to use as a gem.
Inclusions – Internal flaws or blemishes; often associated with clarity. Inclusions are also used to identify types of stones. Inclusions are divided into three categories, cavities, solids, and growth phenomena.
Growth Phenomena – Hollow cavities fill by iron components; examples: solid crystals, naturally occurring glass.
Jewels – Polished and cut precious stone; gem.
Karats – Measurement of gold weight.
Marcasites –Crystalline pyrites cut/shaped to look like diamonds, popular kind of jewelry from the 1700s to the 1800s until in the 1900s marcasites were cut from class and metal.
Metal – Sterling silver, silver toned, silver plating, yellow gold, white gold
Ring Size – Ring gauge in circumference, varies by country.
Treatment – Done to change the shade, hue, or variance of a stone. Different treatments include oiling, heating, irradiation, dying, bleaching, coating, impregnation, filing, lasering, etc.