Green Jade and .47 ct. t.w. Peridot 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.

JADE: Available in many nuances of green, plus black, red, brown and white, jade has been treasured for its beauty and strength since prehistoric times. Prized above all other gemstones in ancient China, jade jewelry continues to captivate with a Far East mystique.

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

CABOCHON: A style of cutting gemstones to achieve a smooth, domed surface with an absence of facets.

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.