A shellfish with a soft body and a single oval shell lined with mother-of-pearl.

Sulphuric acid is commonly used to remove fine scale and borax from jewelry. Let your jeweler handle this kind of liquid!

At some point on our lives the knuckles of our fingers get larger than the inside part where your ring sits. We work with many different companies which offer adjustable ring shanks, i.e. they open over the knuckle and close on the finger.

Agate is a hard stone with striped or clouded coloring.

Alexandrite is the color changing variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Discovered in 1831 at Tokowaya in the Urals, the alexandrite is emerald green in daylight but dark red in artificial light. It occurs in acid rocks or where they are in contact with micas or dolomitic marbles and in alluvium.

The best alexandrites come from the Ural mountains in Russia, however, large stones are also found in Ceylon, together with cat´s eye, and yellowish-green and pale green-yellow chrysoberyl. Some other sources are Africa and Brazil and Sri Lanka. A good quality Russian alexandrite can be more valuable than a sapphire.

Amber is an amorphous organic material consisting of fossilized tree resin. Read more about amber.

Amethyst is a variety of the quartz mineral that is violet or purple in color. Birthstone for February, Pisces, it is a great looking, cost effective stone for any design. Read more about amethysts.

Most anklets are made from regular necklace chain and can be made to your request.

We have unique styles and many ways of sizing your older bands.

Most "antique rings" are not really antique, but styled on older fashions of the time, i.e. Victorian jewelry. Training in old style jewelry techniques with all metals is a great plus when working on old classics or new replicas. Please call or email us with your questions on this subject.

We do not appraisals on jewelry. In the Washington /DC/VA area we suggest you call Martin Fuller & Associates at 703-442-6690.

A baguette is the name of a gem cut in the shape of a narrow rectangle.

Most bracelets are factory (production) made. Check out your local jeweler for options. We can make and repair precious metal bracelets and watch bands.

A brooch is a pin with a clasp that is worn as an ornament.

Carnelian is semi-transparent to translucent yellow-orange to orange red, brownish red or brownish orange cryptocrystalline quartz. A great material for men's signet rings or classic crest engraved rings. We use stone engravers that have been trained in styles dating back over 300 years. Most stones are sent to Germany for engraving.

Citrine is a variety of quartz. The birthstone for November, Scorpio, it is a great looking cost effective stone for any design requiring a gold to yellow stone. Read more about citrine.

An organic natural material, coral is a hard stony substance that is made up of the skeletons of many tiny sea creatures. It ranges in color from white, pink, reddish, or yellowish, to a deep red. Read more about coral.

Cubic Zirconium is a man-made material with a cubic crystal system. Most often, it is used as a diamond submitted. If you want to wear a real tiara to a ball but your insurance company will not let you, let us make an exact coy in precious metal but set with cubic zirconium. It's not a joke, it's been done!

Most earrings are factory (production) made. Check with your local jeweler, but remember us for those individual items that you do not see everywhere. Contact us for diamond studs.