Exciting sterling silver fashion jewelry

Ear Cuff: A wide decorative ring with a gap designed to be pinched onto the ear without need for piercing. Ear cuffs may be pinched onto any part of the ear, not just the earlobe.

Earring: Jewelry worn on the earlobe.

Earring back: A disk or bead that fits over an earring post and holds the earring securely in place, like a catch.

Earring jacket: A small piece of jewelry with a hole pierced in the center designed to be held onto the ear with a stud earring.

Edwardian: Refers to the period during the reign of Edward VII of England (1901-1910), but the style has it's beginnings during the final years of Victoria's reign, and continued until shortly before World War I when the more geometric influences later to be called Art Deco began to make headway. In jewelry, this period was characterized by delicate filigree in white gold and platinum, with diamonds and pearls predominating, and colored stones used less frequently, producing a light, monochromatic look. Delicate bows, swags, and garland effects were used in necklace and brooches. Both dog collars, and long fringed necklaces were also "in", being popularized by the graceful, long-necked Queen Alexandra.

Egyptian Revival: Jewelry that evokes the feeling of ancient Egypt in its use of styles, symbols, and motifs. It was popular in the 19th century when archaeological finds in Egypt were making headlines and filling museums with artifacts.

Electroplated: Jewelry that has been coated with gold through the process of Electroplating. The gold plating eventually wears away.

Electroplating: The process of covering a base metal with a thin film of gold by setting it in a chemical solution through which an electric current flows to coat it with precious metal.

Electrotype: Electroplating applied to a mold. The gold is then peeled away from the mold producing a cast object made of pure gold.

Electrum: An alloy of gold and silver that occurs naturally.

Element: A substance that cannot be broken down into different kinds of matter. For example, water is composed of the elements oxygen and hydrogen.

Emerald: A rich green gemstone of the beryl family. Fine emeralds are among the most valuable gemstones. Emeralds are created when chromium combines with various impurities. Unlike most gemstones, inclusions, (called “jardin,” the French word for garden), are quite common in emeralds, so they lower the value much less than with other precious stones such a diamonds. As a remedy to lessen the appearance of common flaws, emeralds may be oiled or dyed. The most highly prized emeralds are mined in Columbia. A valuable emerald will be a bright, vividly colored green. Those with a slight blue cast to the bright green are actually the most valuable color. Many emeralds seen in jewelry are of relatively low quality. If an emerald appears to be very fine, it may actually be a synthetic. There are several types of synthetic emeralds on the market, and some of them are challenging to identify, even for a trained gemologist. Emeralds have long been regarded as a symbol of fertility, rebirth and springtime. They were believed to protect the wearer from the perils of long journeys. Emerald is the birthstone for May.

Emerald cut: (Also referred to as "table-cut" or "step-cut"). A rectangular or square shaped cut with chamfered corners and stepped facets, typically parallel to the girdle. This cut is also used for precious stones other than emeralds.

En Tremblant: A moveable, trembling effect generally achieved through the use of coiled springs of metal mounted to the brooch fitting, often found in antique brooches or hair ornaments.

Enamel: Colored, opaque glassy material fused onto metal, pottery or glass. In its simplest terms, all enamel is produced by fusing colored powdered glass to metal to produce a vitreous or glass-like, decorative surface. See Enameling.

Enameling: A decorative technique in which a vitreous pigment of metallic oxide is mixed with finely powdered glass is applied to the surface of a metal--normally bronze, copper, silver or gold. This glass composition adheres to the metal through fusion under very high temperatures. The color of the enamel and its degree of transparency depend on the metal oxides that exist in the glass and the temperature at which the glass melts and coheres to the surface. Popular during the mid-Victorian period was a solid black, blue, or white enamel used to fill engraved designs. See Arts and Crafts, champlevé, cloisonné, faberge, filigree enamel, guilloche, and plique-a-jour.

Engagement Ring: A ring set with a gemstone, (usually a diamond), that is traditionally given to a woman by a man to signify their intention to be married.

Engrave: To decorate metal by gouging a design with graver's tools; embellishing metal or other material with patterns using a stamping tool or drill. This was a popular technique in mid-Victorian jewelry. The resulting depressions were often filled with colored Enamel in a technique called champlevé. Also refers to inscribing a dedication or monogram to identify a piece. Stamped pieces can be designed to imitate hand engraving. Under magnification, the design is much more sharp in a hand engraved piece, with subtle irregularities.

Engraving: Any pattern design or mark that is cut into a piece of jewelry with a special engraver's tool; The process of cutting or carving lines into a surface.

Enhanced: Nearly all gemstones available today have been enhanced to bring out their best color or to strengthen them. For example, an accepted industry practice in the polishing process for sapphires involves heating the stones to bring out their color. This process simply extends what nature began, since it is heat and pressure that give gemstones their color in the first place.

Epidote: A silicate of alumina, lime, and oxide of iron, or manganese. It is commonly of a yellowish green (pistachio) color.

Essex crystal: See Reverse Crystal jewelry.

Essonite: (Also called "Cinnamon stone") A brown or yellowish-brown variety of garnet.

Estate Jewelry: The term does not necessarily refer to jewelry that has come from an estate, but simply jewelry that has been previously owned.

Etched: Very faintly carved decoration scratched onto the surface of a piece.

Eterna Gold: A trademarked name for a type of 14k gold that is more durable, more luminous and more resistant to tarnishing than other 14k gold products

Eternity Ring: A ring set with a continuous line of gemstones.

Etruscan Revival: Like Egyptian revival, which drew inspiration from the archaeological digs in Egypt, Etruscan revival was a popular style of jewelry in the 19th century that drew its inspiration from the archeological discoveries at Herculaneum and Pompeii. See Granulation

Etui: French for "case", an etui is a small, usually ornamental, case for holding articles such as needles, scissors, tweezers, and other articles of toilet or of daily use.

Euclase: A silicate of alumina and glucina occuring as light green, transparent crystals with a brilliant clinodiagonal cleavage. Named after the Greek word "euklas", in French "euclase", meaning "to break", because it is so brittle.

European Cut: A style of diamond cutting popular from approximately 1890 to the 1930s typified by a round girdle, a smaller table in relation to the diameter of the stone, and a large culet. The large culet appears to create a hole at the bottom of the diamond when viewed from the top, since the large culet lets light escape instead of reflecting back to the viewer.

European wire: A means of attaching an earring to a pierced earlobe with a curved wire which passes through the earlobe and clasps shut.

Excellent Condition: A piece of jewelry in Excellent condition will show reasonable evidence of wear, and have developed a fine patina. See condition.

Export: To carry, send, or transport a commodity abroad for trade or sale.

Extender Chain: A chain which may be attached to another chain in order to increase the length.

Eye Agate: An agate that when cut at the right angle reveals a series of concentric rings resembling an eye. Unlike other agates which are categorized by their color, this agate is distinguished by the pattern. Eye agates come in a large variety of colors.

Eyepin: A type of finding, an eyepin is simply a long piece of wire with a loop, or "eye", at one end, resembling a needle with an extra-large eye. Beads are strung along the wire to settle on the loop so that they don't fall off the other end. The long end is then crimped or attached to another finding, such as an ear hook.