What exactly is sterling silver jewelry (or 925 sterling silver)?
Silver, even that has been fully work-hardened, gradually recrystallizes and softens at room temperature. To maintain hardness, other metals are added to form alloys that are harder, stronger, and less susceptible to scratching and marring. The best-known copper-silver alloy is sterling, which is 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper (hence the name 925 sterling silver).

What is gold filled jewelry (GF)?
Gold filled is a process of pressure bonding a thin layer of gold to a base metal core (usually brass). Gold filled (unlike gold plating) has an actual layer of gold, giving it more value and making it tarnish-resistant.

What is vermeil?
Vermeil or vermeille (pronounced either ver-meel' or ver-MAY') is gold-plating process developed in France in the mid-1700s. Early-day vermeil involved the use of mercury. Modern-day vermeil is produced by a safe electrolytic process. The inside core is sterling silver and the outside is a coating of gold. Gold plate adheres OK, but not perfectly to silver. Where the plating has not bonded, the silver will tarnish underneath the plating. On the gold-plated surface, this will appear as dark, blotchy spots. The gold-plate will darken over time, and will eventually wear off. On highly decorated surfaces such as Bali beads, the irregular darkening adds an antique effect to the piece. If you are mixing vermeil and gold-filled pieces together, remember that the vermeil will darken, but the gold-filled will not

What is enamel charm?
Enamel charm is created by applying powdered glass, colored with oxides, to a base metal (sterling silver or gold) under high temperatures to melt the glass and fuse it to the metal surface. The vivid colors of enamel charms make them very popular in making charm bracelets

What is mother-of-pearl (MOP)?
Mother-of-pearl is the lining of a shell. It is usually the same color, composition and quality as the pearls that were produced by the particular mollusk. Mother-of-pearl is often used in sterling silver jewelry because of its regal and sophisticated look.

What are Bali beads? What's the difference between Bali silver and sterling silver?
Strictly speaking, Bali beads are silver beads produced in Bali, Indonesia. These beads are handmade (not cast) with unique design and intricate detail. Because of its popularity, more countries are now producing this type of beads. Therefore, the term 'Bali beads' is now generally referring to 'Bali-style beads'. Bali Silver usually has less than 92.5% silver content hence cannot be designated as Sterling. When buying Bali beads, one should always look for handmade Bali beads (vs. the cheap cast ones). Handmade Bali beads are far more superior in quality, giving more value to your jewelry.

What is Swarovski Crystal "AB"?
Swarovski crystal offers a wide range of colors and special coatings. Special coatings are bonded chemically to the outer surface of the Swarovski crystals for a more brilliant effect. The special effect and special coating of the beads are permanent. Aurora Borealis, better known as "AB", is one of the more popular Swarovski crystal coatings that gives off a rainbow-like effect.

What is CZ (Cubic Zirconia)?
CZ looks very similar to diamond and usually hard to distinguish the difference with the naked eye. CZ has many characteristics like diamond but at a fraction of the cost. CZ is slightly less brilliance (liveliness and sparkle) than diamonds, while having more fire (flashes of rainbow colors). CZ has a scientific hardness rating of 8.5 (vs. Diamond 10) on the Mohs' scale, hence can scratch glass (hardness 6~7). CZ is about 75% heavier than diamond and comes in variety of colors. High Quality CZ is machine cut to exacting tolerances that duplicates the diamond-cutting process. Main sources of CZ are United States, Switzerland, Thailand and China.