Italian Tagliamonte Lapis and Aqua Venetian Glass Sea Life 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."

GLASS: A delicate, translucent to transparent noncrystalline material made by fusing sand with other materials , such as soda and lime, and then cooling it quickly. Glass is used in anything from windows to drinkware. In jewelry, glass is used for ornamentation, to make doublets, and to simulate gemstones.

LEVER: An earring backing with a hook-shaped insert and a hinged leverback to hold it in place.

LAPIS LAZULI: This blue stone is comprised mainly of lazurite, often with white calcite inclusions and metallic pyrite flecks. Known as the stone of friendship and truth, lapis is said to encourage harmony in relationships.

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