18KT: Karat (abbreviated kt or K) is a unit that indicates the purity of gold in the metal. 18kt is 75% gold. In Europe, 18K yellow gold is most favored and used in jewelry.

YELLOW GOLD: Gold is a precious metal with a natural yellow color. It is quite soft and often alloyed with other metals to increase its strength. The purity of the metal is indicated by a unit called a "karat," with 24kt having the highest percentage of natural gold.

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."

REVOLVER: A safety that conceals the point of a pin and keeps it in place with a revolving lever mechanism.

FIXED: A bale that is worked into the actual design of a pendant. Typically seen in slide pendants.

TOPAZ: Available in a stunning selection of shades, the topaz's sky blue hue is one of the most popular colors for jewelry designs. Once thought to offer protection, today topaz is favored for its durability and affordability. Yellow topaz is the birthstone for November while blue topaz is for December.

QUARTZ: From the icy shimmer of rock crystal quartz to the delicate pink of rose quartz to the moody hues of smoky quartz, this gemstone offers something for everyone. Quartz, found in endless colors and varieties, is a popular choice for bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings.

CITRINE: A member of the quartz family, citrine symbolizes cheerfulness and prosperity. Its name is derived from the French word citron meaning lemon. This sunny stone comes in colors from lemon yellow to amber brown, with its coloring agent attributed to iron. Citrine is the birthstone for November.

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.

GARNET: the birthstone of January. One glance at the deep red seeds nestled inside of a pomegranate explains why the word "garnet" comes from the Latin word "granatus," meaning "grain" or "seed." This name was given to the garnet because of its close resemblance to the succulent seed.

PERIDOT: the birthstone of the month of August, peridot is only found in one color: green. Historians are now convinced that some, if not all, of the emeralds that Cleopatra was famous for wearing were not actually emeralds but deep green peridot stones from Egypt.