Sterling Silver which is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper and is often referred to as .925 silver. The copper is added to make the silver stronger and more durable without changing its color.

Copper which is one of the oldest metals in use. I love its warm color, either highly polished or with a dark patina. Copper is easy to shape and a joy to work with.

Brass which is an alloy of copper and zinc. I use red brass (also known as jeweler's bronze) which is 85% copper and 15% zinc. Red brass has a color similar to 14kt gold.

Bronze which is an alloy of 92% copper and 8% tin. Its color is just a bit warmer than red brass. While bronze is a little stiffer to work with than copper or brass, I love the color.

Gold fill which is made by bonding karat gold to a base metal, usually brass, using a combination of heat and pressure. By law, to be called gold-filled at least 20% of the metal by weight must be karat gold and the karat weight of the gold cannot be lower than 10kt. The gold-filled wire I use is 20% 12kt or 14kt gold bonded to red brass. Gold filling is much more durable than gold plating.

Practical jokes abound on April 1st. Being surprised by a plastic spider is one thing. However, being surprised by an ersatz gem is another.

When they come out of the ground gemstones very seldom look like they do in a finished piece of jewelry. At the very least they are cut and polished. The majority, however, are enhanced in some way to bring out their beauty, deepen their color, or make them look like another, usually more expensive or in-demand stone. These enhancements aren't a bad thing if you know about them.

Heat treatment has been around for centuries; since someone discovered applying high heat to a bland gem turned it into a fantastic gem. For example, heat changes the color of pale amethyst to yellow and the stone can then be sold as citrine. Heating aquamarine removes the green undertones, producing a bluer more deeply colored stone.

Another way of changing a gemstone's color is by treating it with radiation (irradiation). Most blue topaz has been irradiated. Smoky quartz is irradiated to create its color. There are government standards in place to ensure there is little residual radiation before the stones are sold.

Many gemstones, such as lapis, serpentine, coral and pearls are dyed either to improve their color or create unique colors not found in nature. Stones may also be dyed so they look like other more expensive gemstones. A good example is dying magnesite blue/green, which gives the look of turquoise at a much lower price. There is nothing wrong with dying gemstones if you are aware of it.

​One of the oldest treatments is oiling or waxing a gem. Porous stones such as emeralds and turquoise are routinely oiled or waxed to improve their color, luster and clarity.

Earrings have been one of the principle forms of jewelry throughout history. They serve as symbols of cultural or tribal identity, markers of age, rank or marital status, or provide protective powers.

​Among the oldest earrings are crescent-shaped gold hoops worn by Sumerian women in 2500 BC. Around 1000 BC earrings started to be embellished with clusters of beads, twisted wire and pendants.

Then in the first century AD, the Romans introduced a new earring style: a disk or pendant mounted on a S hook. These styles became more lavish with the addition of colored stones and pearls.

Around 330, the center of influence moved from Rome to Byzantium (Constantinople) and earring styles changed again. Favored styles included hoops with multiple pearl pendants hung on chains and crescent-shaped earrings of gold filigree.

Between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries in Europe, earrings all but disappeared as hair and clothing styles covered the ear. However, by the late seventeenth century earrings once again became an essential element of dress. Earrings during this period were so heavy they had small rings attached so the wearer could tie them to her hair and take some of the weight off her ears. These heavy styles disappeared by the end of the eighteenth century as fashions became simpler.

Throughout the nineteenth century, designs ranged from long drop earrings to small single-stone and cluster earrings. Cameos and jewelry made of cut steel, seed pearls, coral and jet were popular. With the opening of the South African diamond fields in the 1860's and the introduction of better cutting and polishing methods, diamond solitaires became the most fashionable earrings.

It is easy to see how today's earring styles are firmly rooted in those of the past. Studs, chandeliers, drops and hoops are timeless.