Cubic zirconia or cz jewelry is a popular and affordable alternative to diamond jewelry. Lab-created cz's exhibit brilliant fire and are perfect. Unlike diamonds, they are completely clear with no inclusions. Available in a range of stunning colors, cz jewelry is a gorgeous collectible.

Gorgeous amethyst, the birthstone for February, makes for popular and often affordable jewelry. While some collect only amethyst jewelry, others collect jewelry made with purple gemstones; amethyst is considered the beauty barometer against which all other purple stones are measured.

After the war, the massive, geometrical jewelry of the 1940s was replaced by nature-inspired designs. Precious stones returned with a vengeance as did scrollwork and curved mounts. In 1948, Cartier produced the first fully three-dimensional panther brooch, commissioned by the Duchess of Windsor.

Turquoise is the centerpiece of many of our jewelry collections. It's been around since about 200 B.C., originally used to make solid turquoise beads, carvings and inlaid mosaics by Native Americans. It's use in jewelry, especially paired with sterling silver has been popular since about 1880.

Brilliant Earth Diamonds dedicates 5% of its profits to directly benefit local African communities who have been harmed by the diamond trade. The online store sells diamonds exclusively from Canadian mines that are guaranteed wholly free from violence and human rights abuses.

Hematite is a lovely charcoal gray to black stone polished to an incredible shine for jewelry with timeless appeal. It is also one of the major healing stones. With its diverse qualities and possessing multiple "powers," hematite is wonderful for cool, contemporary jewelry designs.

Handy reference to common gemstone and jewelry terms, this glossary covers terms from N to Z and includes the different types of "pearls", "refractive index" and "Pleochroism" among others

From "GIA" to "mine cut" diamonds and "mother-of-pearl", our glossary describes a variety of jewelry and gemstone terms from G to M.

From the term "depth" to "French Jet", our glossary takes the guesswork out of jewelry and gemstone terminology.

Within the voluminous world of gemstones are those mercurial species which exhibit color change when viewed in different light sources. For us gemstone jewelry collectors, this fascinating optical phenomenon makes these gemstones highly attractive.