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All NimbusArts pieces are handmade using only the finest natural materials. Below is a reference list of materials that are frequently used.
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Agate
A type of chalcedony quartz found in a variety of colors and patterns, frequently with varying color layers.
Alexandrite
A stone that changes color or appears to change color as the source of light changes.
Amber
Fossilized resin of conifer trees. Colors range from honey through yellow to reddish brown.
Amethyst
Transparent variety of crystallized quartz, typically ranges from deep purple to pale violet in color.
Andalusite
A transparent mineral originally found in the Spanish provence of Andalusia. Color is ranges from a pale champagne pink to deeper brown. It is mined in Brazil & Sri Lanka.
Apatite
A mineral found in many types of rock but most gem quality material is associated with pegmatites. Typical gemstone color ranges from bright aqua to deep peacock.
Aquamarine
A pale to bright blue semiprecious stone in the beryl family.
Aventurine
Transluscent greenish quartz mineral, internally granular. Often mistaken for jade, another stone of a green color.
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Baguette
Small stones which are rectangular-shaped and faceted.
Bail
A metal finding that is folded closed, from which a pendant, watch, stone, etc., may be hung from a chain or cord.
Base metal
Any non-precious metal.
Beryl
A light colored mineral that when transparent and dark green is called emerald, and when blue in color, aquamarine.
Briolette
A teardrop shaped gemstone, usually faceted.
Biwa Pearl
In the beginning of the freshwater pearl industry, this term referred to all freshwater pearls as they all came from Lake Biwa in Japan. As the popularity of fresh-water pearls grew, this term began to be used for all freshwater pearls, regardless of where they were grown. Today, a Biwa Pearl refers to a specific style of long, flat freshwater pearl, which is also known as a "stick" pearl.
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Carnelian
A type of translucent or semi-opaque quartz that ranges from bright orange to deep red and brown. Once believed to benefit the wearer's health and love life. Most carnelian comes from Brazil, India, Siberia, and Germany.
Chalcedony
Refers to various types of colored quartz that are formed not of one single crystal (like amethyst and other transparent varieties) but finely grained microcrystals. Usually has a milky translucent appearance and varieties include carnelian, chrysoprase, agate, cat's eye, and jasper. Colors range the whole spectrum.
Citrine
A quartz variety that ranges from brilliant yellow to deeper oranges and browns.
Chrysoprase
A variety of chalcedony that is apple-green in color.
Coral
The skeletal remains of marine animals, and has a range in color from red, pink, and salmon.
Corundum
A gem mineral of crystallized aluminum and oxygen. Ruby and sapphire are the most valuable corundum.
Cultured Pearl
Created through a painstaking process of mimicking the natural pearl process in live mollusks. A pearl is formed as a result of implanting a piece of mantle from a mollusk into another host mollusk.
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Emerald
A green beryl and one of the most valuable of all gemstones.
European Wire
A curved wire that passes through the earlobe of a pierced ear and clasps shut.
Extender Chain
A chain that may be attached to another in order to provide a longer length.
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Freshwater Pearl
An irregularly shaped pearl formed naturally by a mussel living in a lake or river.
Fine Silver
Silver that is 99.5-100% pure.
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Garnet
A family of crystals whose name is derived from their resemblance to red pomegranate seeds. A semi-precious stone, usually a reddish-brown color; can range from true red to violet- or blackish red but can often be semi-opaque.
Genuine Pearl
A smooth, round growth formed naturally within the shell of a mollusk due to an irritant; used as a gem.
Gold
A heavy, yellow, metallic element used for coins and jewelry since prehistoric times.
Gold Filled
A more durable option than gold plating, gold filled items are not actually filled, but are made of base metal (usually brass or copper) covered by sheets of gold in a mechanical bonding process. To be called gold filled, 1/20th of the weight of the piece must come from gold.
Gold Plated
A thin coating of electroplated or mechanically plated gold on top of a base metal.
Grossular Garnet
A variety of garnet ranging in color from deep cognac brown to pale yellow and rich green.
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Hessonite
A variety of garnet that is amber or brown in color.
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Iolite
A mineral used as a gemstone and appears as deep purple-blue, light blue-gray, and yellow-white.
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Jade
An ornamental gemstone, typically greenish in color.
Jadeite
A variety of jade that is rarer than the other varieties of nephrite. It is hard and translucent and comes in many colors such as orange, pink, yellow, brown, blue, violet, and black.
Jasper
A semi-opaque to opaque rose quartz that is usually yellowish, reddish, or brown. The U.S. and Brazil are the most common sources. Jasper was once believed to have curative powers.
Jet
Organic in origin which was formed from the remains of wood immersed in stagnant water millions of years ago then compacted by the pressure of burial.
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Karat
A measure, from 1 to 24, used to indicate how much of a piece of jewelry is gold content and how much an alloy.
Kyanite
This crystal is a cut stone that is pale to deep blue or white, gray, or green.
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Labradorite
Typically a light semi-transparent gray with nicer stones having brilliant iridescence ranging from intense electric blue to icy green and silver.
Lapis Lazuli
A semi-precious opaque stone of an azure blue color.
Lariat
An open-ended, long strand necklace. Sometimes looped into a knot or used with a slide so that the two ends hang free.
Lever Back
An earring with a unique back that delicately bends and latches behind the ear. This is an old-fashioned design that has come back in style
Lobster Claw Clasp
A clasp used for necklaces and bracelets that features an elongated hook (like a lobster claw). It contains a spring mechanism and can be opened to catch the ring from the other end of the chain.
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Mabe
A Japanese term for half-sphere cultured pearls, which are cultured against the shell so that only half a cultured pearl is formed.
Malachite
A mineral that is characterized in appearance by bands of light and dark green.
Mandarin Garnet
A variety of garnet that is a deep orange in color and was discovered in Africa in 1991.
Morganite
A variety of beryl that is pink. Named after J.P. Morgan. Found in California, Brazil, and Madagascar.
Moonstone
A translucent stone that is usually white in color with a strong bluish iridescence. When the iridescence includes other colors in addition to blue it is frequently called Rainbow Moonstone.
Mother-of-pearl
A hard, iridescent substance that forms on the inside layer of a pearl-bearing mollusk.
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Nacre
A shiny, iridescent substance made from the lining of mollusk shells or fish scales. The enamel-like coating that makes up a pearl.
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Opal
A non-crystalline, iridescent silica.
Oval
An oval cut bead, usually faceted.
Oxidation
Metal blackened by a reaction with oxygen. The appearance is accomplished by chemical means to give an antique or aged look.
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Pearl
A smooth, round growth formed naturally within the shell of a mollusk due to an irritant and used as a gem.
Pendant
An ornament suspended from a single chain.
Peridot
A transparent gem that is olive green in color.
Post
A pin-like finding attached to an earring. It passes through the pierced earlobe, and may be held in place by a back.
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Quartz
A crystalline mineral used for gems, usually colorless and transparent.
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Rhodolite
A variety of pyrope garnet ranging in color from rose-red to pale violet.
Rhodonite
Named after the Greek word for pink, it is a reddish-pink color with thin veins or patches of gray to black. Found in the former Soviet Union, the U.S., India, and Australia.
Rhodochrosite
Derives its pink color from Manganese. Rhodocrosite occurs in veins associated with Manganese, Copper, Silver, and lead deposits.
Ribbed
A textured effect consisting of ridges.
Rondelle
A round bead shaped in a disc or flattened ring. Usually faceted.
Rose quartz
Delicate pink quartz with a somewhat milky appearance. Popular for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and other gift occasions.
Ruby
A highly precious and valued red corundum whose color is obtained from chromium oxide. Rubies symbolize beauty, charity, love, passion, power, and royalty.
Rutilated quartz
A variety of quartz with inclusions of rutile crystals, which are minerals that sometimes appear in a needle-like fashion in a reddish-brown to red and sometimes yellowish appearance.
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Sapphire
A highly valued and precious stone and a member of the corundum group. Most commonly seen in blue.
Satin finish
A matte finish achieved by sandblasting, brushing with a stiff wire brush, or chemically altering a high shine surface. Satin finish has a soft, pearl-like luster instead of a bright polish.
Smoky quartz
Quartz that's brownish-gray in color with a smoky appearance. Sometimes misleadingly called smoky topaz, which is incorrect since the mineral variety is quartz and not topaz. Smoky topaz
see SMOKY QUARTZ
Sodalite
Whose name reflects its sodium content, is found in all shades of blue and is a major constituent of the rock lapis lazuli.
Spinel
A gemstone found in a wide range of colors, the most valuable resembling ruby red.
Sterling silver
Silver that is at least 92.5 percent pure with 7.5 parts of another metal, usually copper, to make the piece harder.
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Tanzanite
A deep blue-violet variety of zoisite.
Toggle clasp
A fastener consisting of a ring on one end of a necklace or bracelet and a short bar on the other end. The bar is slid through the ring and sits across it so it does not slide or pull.
Topaz
A transparent gem, the most precious type is wine-yellow in color. It also may be found in other colors, such as white, blue, brown, orange, and pink.
Tourmaline
A crystalline mineral that is used as a gemstone. It typically comes in a variety of colors, the most common of which is black.
Tsavorite
A transparent, emerald green variety of garnet.
Turquoise
Semi-precious stone which is greenish-blue in color.
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Vasonite/Vesuvianite
A transparent rich olive green found on Mt. Vesuvius. Color ranges from a bright green similar to peridot to a deeper olive green.
Vermeil
A heavy gold electroplate over sterling silver.
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Y Necklace
This style gets its name from its shape which features its own delicate dangle forming a Y-shape around the neck. It is usually 16 to 18 inches in length.
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