STERLING SILVER: Also known as "Standard Silver," sterling silver is silver alloyed with other metals to increase the hardness and durability. Generally, sterling is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals. Some sterling silver jewelry is plated with 14kt-18kt gold and referred to as "vermeil," or "gold over sterling."

AMETHYST: A natural variety of quartz, amethyst ranges in color from deep purple to pale lavender, and even to warm greens. Amethyst has been used during meditation to provide a sense of spiritual balance. Amethyst is the birthstone of February.

SYNTHETIC SAPPHIRE: A gemstone that is created in a laboratory to mimic the actual properties of a natural sapphire. Commonly known as "created sapphire," it features the same deep color and transparent sparkle, but is significantly more affordable than a sapphire found in nature.

CUSHION: A gemstone that features a rounded square shape. The facet arrangement can be either a type of modified brilliant cut or a checkerboard pattern.