Metals

14Kt Gold

14kt gold is the solid gold standard in the United States. It contains 14 parts pure gold and 10 parts non gold metal, making it 58.3% pure gold.

19.25Kt Gold

19.25kt gold is the gold standard in some parts of Europe, including Portugal. It contains 19.25 parts pure gold and 4.75 parts non-gold metal, making it 80.2% pure gold. High karat gold is generally more yellow than lower karatages, and is also softer.

22Kt Gold Plated Sterling

22Kt Gold Plated Sterling is a Sterling Silver base product electroplated with 22kt gold plating. Electroplating coats the base product with an extremely thin layer of gold. 22Kt Gold Plated Sterling items have the yellow brilliance of high karat gold at a fraction of the cost; yet, the product is of much higher quality than plated base metals since the 22Kt Gold Plated Sterling base is Sterling Silver. Electroplated items are not lifetime products, the metal coating will wear off eventually depending on how often the product is worn and how well it is cared for.

Aventurine

Glass containing opaque sparkling particles of foreign material usually copper or chromic oxide

Bali Beads

"Bali" style beads use designs that are not actually exclusive to Bali. These designs are hundreds of years old and have appeared throughout the middle east and Asia. The word Bali started being used to describe the style because tourists commonly bought silver jewelry items while vacationing on Bali beaches.

Gold-Filled

Gold-filled is a United States layered gold product that is gaining popularity throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. It is a quality material that is common in all types of jewelry. The product is easy to care for and will maintain its golden shine for a lifetime.

Gold-filled is constructed in two or three layers. The core metal is jewelers’ brass. A gold alloy is then bonded to one or both surfaces of the brass core with heat and pressure. The bonded raw material is then sold as sheet or wire to jewelry manufacturers for use in designs.

Gold-filled is legally required to contain 5% or 1/20 gold by weight. This 5% is then described by the karatage of the gold alloy. Most gold-filled is 12kt or 14kt gold-filled. It is most accurately labeled with the karatage, the "/" symbol, and then 20 to reflect this construction. Products are identified as 14/20 Gold-filled or 12/20 Gold-Filled; alternatively, 14kt Gold-Filled or 12kt Gold-Filled are also acceptable.
 

Lampwork

Lampwork beads are handmade by skilled artisans who work molten glass around a wire or mandrel to shape and add color and design components. Since they are handmade, each bead is a unique work of art. Variance in size, color and shape should be expected in lampworked items.

Liquid silver (and Liquid Gold)

Liquid silver is the phrase used to describe small tubular beads that are commonly strung together on multi-strand necklaces to give a very soft look, like cascading water; hence the name "liquid silver." The original use of the product was in Southwestern and American Indian jewelry designs in combination with turquoise, coral, and fetish beads. Liquid silver is commonly sold by the ounce to make it easier to price necklaces made using this technique by weight. However, today's designers also use liquid silver beads individually as design components or crimps in countless ways.

Pewter

Pewter is a high quality, low cost alternative to precious metals. Our manufacturer uses gold, rhodium (silver colored) and copper plating to achieve the various color effects available on our pewter line. The color descriptions of these products pertain to the metal plating applied over the pewter base. Jewelry pewter must be at least 90% tin with the remaining content consisting of typical pewter components such as antimony or copper. Our pewter is 92% tin and 8% antimony in accordance with FTC requirements. The pewter alloy used in our items with a "P" prefix have NO LEAD CONTENT.

Rhinestone

Rhinestones are synthetic jewels made from either glass, or higher quality crystal. Rhinestones are usually chatons with no hole and a foil back to increase reflectivity.

Smartbeads

Smartbeads appear like any plain or corrugated round from the outside. However, their unique design allows them to slide into place on most stringing materials and stay in position. They can be used to hold other beads in place, or alone to create illusion necklaces and interesting spacing patterns.

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver (.925) metal. This standard is used to assure consistent quality among sterling products. Silver that is not described as "sterling" or ".925" has less pure silver content and will often be darker in color and less shiny. Sterling is 92.5% pure instead of 100% pure in order to achieve the requisite hardness and stability to resist wear and tear, and hold its shape.  

Trade Beads

Trade beads are made using designs that are hundreds of years old and originate from European regions. These beads were used as currency for trade between nations and colonies. "Antique" trade beads are extremely expensive (and rare) and originate from this period. However, many newly manufactured trade beads are fraudulently sold as antiques around the world. If a price looks too good to be true, it is, don't be fooled.

Venetian Glass

The term "Venetian glass" is used to describe three distinct things as described in detail below: Raw material glass made in Venice, glass beads/art using designs originating from Venice, or glass beads/art made of Venetian glass in Venice. Venetian glass refers to glass and glass cane manufactured in the region of Venice, Italy, one of the cradles of world glass making. Venetian glass is some of the finest glass available in the entire world. Frequently, manufacturers from other renowned glass bead-making regions buy Venetian glass as a raw material. These beads are accurately described by stating where they were manufactured and using what type of glass material, in this case "Venetian."

Beads made in these other regions may also use Venetian trade bead designs that are very old and not the property of any particular manufacturer. The word "Venetian" is not protected like the word "champagne," for example. Again, these beads are most accurately described by disclosing the origin of the bead and stating that it is in a Venetian "style."

Beads made from Venetian glass in Venice are typically described as Venetian Glass beads made in Italy. These beads frequently originate form an island off of Venice called Murano where many glass factories and artisans reside. A few manufacturers also operate on the Venice mainland. Venetian glass beads made in Italy are some of the most beautiful beads in the world. Glass artisans in Venice often come from generations of glass working talent and have unparalleled skills in beadmaking. The quality of Venetian glass and the originality of the work are why these beads are priced at such a premium.

Vermeil

An industry product may be described or marked as "vermeil" if it consists of a base of sterling silver coated or plated on all significant surfaces with gold, or gold alloy of not less than 10 karat fineness, that is of substantial thickness and a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to two and one half (2 1/2) microns (or approximately 100/l,000,000ths of an inch) of fine gold.