Chrysocolla:  Naturally occurring stone from Arizona and Peru.  With its blend and deep blues and greens, it is sometimes mistaken for Turquoise.  Believed to bring inner strength.  To clean your chrysocolla, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly.  Never clean ultrasonically and never steam clean.

Chrysoprase:  Most valuable of the gemstones from the chalcedony group.  Found in intense spring green which is translucent and called apple green chrysoprase. There is also lemon chrysoprase, also known as citron,  which is a lemony green.  The lighter color is due to a high level of nickel.  Chrysoprase is believed to bring happiness to the wearer.  To clean your chrysoprase, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly.  Never clean ultrasonically and never steam clean.  Moh's scale of hardness:  6.5.

Citrine:  Golden yellow member of the silicon dioxide family of quartz.  A translucent stone.  Worn in ancient times as protection against snake venom.  To clean your citrine, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water.  Ultrasonic cleaning is usually safe.  Never steam clean.  Moh's scale of hardness:  7.

Coin Silver:  90% silver and 10% other metal.

Coral:  Coral was once part of a reef of tentacled skeletal creatures in the sea.  Comes in shades of white, pink to salmon, and orange to red.  Red Mediterranean coral was referred to by the Native Americans as "red gold".  To clean your coral, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly.  Never clean ultrasonically.  Never steam clean.  Moh's scale of hardness: 3 - 4. 

Costume Jewelry:  Not containing precious metals or stones.

Cultured Pearls:  A pearl produced by artificially inducing the formation of a pearl sac.  Cultured pearls are not imitation pearls.  To test if your pearls are real or glass, run them over your teeth. "Real" pearls have a gritty feel and glass pearls are smooth.

Damascene:  Embedding of gold and/or silver into metal base.

Demi-parure:  Two matching pieces of the same design - a set.

Dentelle:  Stone that is formed in a mold and then hand cut.

Diamond:  The hardest known natural material and one of the best known forms of carbon, whose hardness and high dispersion of light make it useful for industrial applications and jewelry.  About 130 million carats (26,000 kg) are mined annually with a total value of nearly USD $9 billion.  The name diamond derives from an ancient Greek word meaning "invincible."  They have been treasured as gemstones since at least 2,500 years ago - and usage in drill bits and engraving tools also dates to early human history.  They are commonly judged by the "four C's": carat, clarity, color, and cut.  Many people also have to consider a "fifth C" when shopping for a diamond: cost!  They are generally mined from volcanic pipes, which are deep in the Earth where the high pressure and temperature enables the formation of the crystals.  Read more about the "four C's" in our "Useful Jewelry Info" link.

Dichroic Glass:  Displays more than one color, creating a fiery irridescence.  Thin layers of metallic oxides are deposited on the glass in a high temperature vacuum furnace.  The resulting color is determined by the individual oxide compositions.

Dumortierite:  (Pronounced due-MORE-te-rite)  An aluminum borate silicate from Brazil.  Also called "blue denim stone".  Said to encourage one to see and accept reality.

Effetre:  Soda lime based "soft glass" with a lower melting temperature than borosilicate or "hard glass".

Embossing:  Ornamentation that is raised in relief from a surface.  Work is done from the front by driving down the background and leaving the design in relief.

Emerald:  Belongs to and is the most valuable member of the beryl family.  Gets its green color from traces of chromium and vanadium.  To clean your emerald, avoid harsh detergents.  Wash with warm, soapy water.  Never clean ultrasonically.  Never steam clean.  Moh's scale of hardness:  7.5.

Emerald Cut:  A square cut with faceted edges.

Engraving:  The ornamentation of metals by means of small hand-pushed or hammer-driven chisels; differs from carving in that depth is suggested by shaded lines.