Turquoise Drop Earrings with White Zircon Accents 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."

WIRE: sometimes called "shepherd's hooks" or "fishhooks," earwires are a thin, hook-shaped earring backs. They thread onto the ear and can sometimes be squeezed into place or held on with a rubber clutch.

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.

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

ZIRCON: Gem-quality zircon is a transparent crystal from the mineral zirconium silicate. It comes in a variety of colors, most popularly blue and colorless. Contrary to common belief, zircon is not Cubic Zirconia; it is a naturally occurring gemstone with different properties.