4.50 ct. t.w. Citrine and Turquoise Drop Earrings in 18kt Gold Over Sterling

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."

POST/CLUTCH: An earring with a post insert and a slide-on clutch backing to hold it in place.

STABILIZED TURQUOISE: Stabilized turquoise is natural turquoise that has been treated with a clear epoxy, resin, or hardening agent in order to protect the stone's color and prevent it from fracturing.

OVAL: An elliptical shape that resembles an egg.

CHECKERBOARD: A technique that creates a contrast of dark and light when light hits the pattern of square or diamond-shaped facets.

PEAR: Similar to the outline of a pear fruit, this is a round shape that comes to a point on one side.

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.