Dark colored pearls grown in black-lipped oysters. Because of their rarity in nature, most Tahitian pearls are now cultured.

A fairly new gemstone discovered in Tanzania in 1967. Tanzanite is known for its bluish-purple hues and is December's newest birthstone as well as the traditional gift for the 24th wedding anniversary.

Tanzanite is an extraordinary gemstone. It occurs in only one place worldwide. Its blue, surrounded by a fine hint of purple, is a wonderful color

Also known as pear-shaped, a teardrop-shaped stone features a rounded bottom edge that comes to a point at the top.

A paint medium made by mixing colour pigments with egg, much used until the development of oil paint.

A stone is held on either side by the metal setting, as if it was floating in the air. Unlike other settings, the tension setting exposes almost the entire stone.

A mixture of fine clay and fine-grained white sand with crushed pottery first slowly air-dried and then baked in a kiln to the hardness of stone; much used in statues, figures, etc.

A three-piece (or trio) set is a bridal set (engagement ring and her wedding band) with a matching wedding band for him.

Normally a rounded 6 pronged setting with thin prongs which flare out from the base. Introduced by Tiffany and Co. in 1886. Often used for large diamond solitaires today.

A piece of bridal jewellery usually worn on the head, with a pendant hanging on the forehead. Also known as tikka or maangtika.

Term for a colour lightened with white. Also, in a mixture of colours, the tint is the dominant colour.

A metal bar on one end of the chain fits through a small metal ring on the opposite end. When flat, the bar cannot fit back through the ring, securing the ends together.

A circular painting or sculpture, from the Italian word for ‘round’.

This clasp has a V-shaped piece of metal that securely fits into a box on the opposite end of the chain.

A semiprecious gemstone that can be found in the colors blue, brown, yellow and pink. Other colors of topaz can be created through enhancements like heat treatment.

The trunk of a statue deprived of head and limbs.

The ability of a stone to resist pressure from impact.

Tourmaline occurs in more colors or combination of colors than any other gemstone. It is heat resistant, extremely durable and the traditional gift for the 8th wedding anniversary.

In oils, the movement of one paint layer over another.

A type of cut in which the stone has three distinct sides.

A painting, usually an altarpiece, consisting of three hinged parts, the outer two folding over the middle section.

A semiprecious gemstone of bluish-green color that is made of a copper and aluminum compound with high water content. Turquoise is named after Turkey, where it was thought to have been discovered.