Cultured pearls are formed by oysters in an almost identical fashion, except that man surgically implants the irritant - a small piece of polished shell - in the oyster, rather than leaving it to chance. The process from then on is the same as with natural pearls.

Gold is a remarkable, precious metal, with an unparalleled combination of chemical and physical properties. The only yellow metal, its name comes from the Old English word for yellow, 'geolu'. As the only metal that forms no oxide film on its surface in air at normal temperatures means that it will never rust or tarnish.

Sterling silver is a white, highly reflective precious metal composed of 925 parts of pure silver and 75 parts alloy, usually copper. Copper provides the silver with sufficient hardness and wearing qualities, as pure silver is sometimes considered too soft to be used or worn everyday. Sterling silver is used in a wide variety of jewelry for a beautiful polished look.