Glossary

The exciting thing about jewelry today is that there are almost limitless options as to the types of materials, designs, styles, shapes, colors and so much more than a person has to choose from in order to create her own style. To enable you to fully appreciate everything we have to offer, a little jewelry education.

Precious metals – Naturally occurring elements that have been mined around the world since the beginning of time, precious metals are divided into three categories of gold, platinum and solver. These metals are scarce, making them valuable throughout the world.

Gold – It has been used, bought, sold and coveted for thousands of years. It has been used to create jewelry, art and religious articles. It in unique in color and can be mixed with other metals, making it still one of the most popular metals for jewelry to this day.

*Gold is generally marked 18K, 14K, or 10K, with the K standing for karat, the system used to describe the percentage of pure gold an item contains. The higher the karat number, the higher the percentage of gold in your gold jewelry.

*Gold is often used as a coating onto a less expensive metal, reducing the item’s cost.

Gold Filled Jewelry – Gold filled items will have markings that indicate the amount and type of gold used for the layer. These items tend to use a thicker layer of gold to provide long lasting durability.

Gold Plated Jewelry – This type of jewelry tends to have a thinner layer of gold than in gold filled jewelry, to keep the item light for everyday wear.

Gold Vermeil – A piece of sterling silver jewelry layered with gold providing long life gold jewelry with the richness and gleam of real 14 karat gold that will last a lifetime.

Platinum – An extremely durable metal, platinum has been used since the 1880s to make fine jewelry. It is both strong and dense, making it a favored metal to hold diamonds. In fact, jewelers prefer platinum over gold for complex designs, with an inlay of many small stones. Platinum is often mixed with other metals.

Silver – A very popular metal with women of all ages, silver can be used for the very casual to the very formal. Plain silver 925 is inexpensive and often used for fashion jewelry. Silver is another metal that will be found is many designers’ offerings this year – especially silver and gemstones.

Natural Pearls – These beads form when mother-of-pearl surrounds and builds layers around an object that is inserted into a shell by nature or humans.

Cultured Pearls – While cultured pears do grow inside a living organism, they do not begin as accidental intruders into the shell. Instead, mother-of-pearl beads or other shapes are placed in a mollusk and over time, they become coated with nacre.

Mother-of-Pearl – The common name for iridescent nacre, a blend of minerals secreted by oysters and other mollusks and deposited inside their shells. This nacre coats and protects their bodies from parasites and foreign objects.

Natural Gemstone – A gemstone found in nature without assistance from humans.

Synthetic Gemstone – A gemstone created by humans in a lab. These stones mimic the structure of natural stones.

Organic Jewelry – Items made from once living organisms or were produced by living organisms.

Rhinestones – Colorless or colored artificial gemstones created to simulate diamonds and other gems. They can be made of glass or paste, although rhinestones are cut from quartz crystal. These gemstones have a fused, metallic backing that reflects the light and gives the stones fire.

Stacked Bangles – Very popular this year are the stacked bangle bracelets. While the choice of wear of the bracelet can be as unique as the individual, stacking multiple, thin bracelets is a popular look.

Shoulder-dusting earrings – In what seems like a blast from the past, earrings dusting across the top of the shoulder appear to be back in fashion. These earrings tend to be light in material, but can take on a multitude of looks, colors and shapes.

Briolette – What appears to be the hottest new gem trend is this antique gemstone cut. A briolette is a drop cut which is faceted all the way around, much like a crystal from a chandelier. Popular makes are diamonds and colored gemstones. The most popular styles are delicate and lacy, with briolette dangling from fine chain in white metal. These romantic necklaces and earrings should be worn with simple, streamlined clothing.