Amber is a fossilized plant resin. Its color, ranging from bright yellow to brown, has always been a subject of inspiration. Occasionally, plant debris or insects are trapped and preserved in resin, adding to the fascination that surrounds amber. Today, amber is almost always issued from the Baltic Sea (one of the best known deposits), but also from the Dominican Republic, Sicily, Romania, Burma, Canada, China, the United States, Japan and Mexico. A little bit of history: Amber has been decorating ornaments and crafts pieces since prehistoric times. The Baltic amber, also known as the "Gold of the North", was the first precious material known to man. The Roman Emperor Nero burned amber from the Baltic Sea as a perfume during the circus games.

Chips are small uneven pieces of materials, pierced to make beads. These materials can be gemstones, cat’s eye seashells, coral, amber or glass.

Gems are minerals (like diamonds) or organic (like pearls, amber and coral) material used in jewelry, and silverware. Some crystalline aggregate like the lapis-lazuli or even some stones such as marble-onyx are also called gems. For matter to be considered a gem, it must be attractive and solid enough to withstand constant manipulations. Other matters such as ivory, jet carbon, glass and fossils are at times considered gems. Synthetic stones are not considered to be gems.

They used to be known as semi-precious stone, however, this appellation was revoked because it was considered pejorative. Gemstones (also fine gem or gem) are translucent or transparent (topaz, quartz, opal, etc.). The following stones are classified as gems: amber, aquamarine, amethyst, citrine, rock crystal, cordierite, garnet, peridot, tanzanite, topaz, tourmaline and zircon. There are also ornamental stones such as lapis lazuli and turquoise, which are often mistaken as gemstones. This term generally designates opaque colored stones or stones of a lesser value. The reconstituted stones are manufactured by a process that reduces useless stones to a powder, the powder is then mixed with glue. Thus making a complete stone. Dyes can be added to give a certain uniformity to the stone's appearance. The term stabilized means that a natural stone, such as turquoise, was too porous and has been dipped in a resin bath, or into another protective lacquer, to solidify. In France, the only stones said to be precious are diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies. Around the world, this term refers to any gem of great value.

A jewelry piece is a body decoration, an ornament that can enhance one's outfit, display one’s personality, wealth or social status. There are several types of jewelry: necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, brooches, etc. The use of embellishments to accessorize clothing is as old as wearing garments themselves. The first jewels were made of natural and organic materials such as wood, bone and amber. They were roughly carved or sculpted. With the advancement of civilization, the use of fancier materials becomes more popular everyday. Metals, precious or not, become the main components. The stones are cut with more elegance and precision, and sculpted jewels becomes works of art. Over time, glass and more technological and synthetic materials such as plastic, resin, rubber and synthetic stones created in laboratories are becoming commonplace in the creation of jewelry. There are two categories of jewelry: Fancy jewelry is made of the finest materials by a jeweler. The resulting pieces are usually unique or available in limited quantities. These are high quality jewelry. Fashion jewelry, handmade jewelry, also called custom jewelry, differ from fancy jewelry as it is not necessarily made of precious metals and gemstones. All materials can be used to make a piece of fashion jewelry. This type of jewelry can be handmade or produced on an industrial scale. The creation of fashion jewelry is often the object of creative leisure, although many also derive an income.