History and
Lore
Amber has helped paleontologists
reconstruct life on earth in its primal phases. More than
1000 extinct species of insects have been identified in
amber, which formed from tree resin millions of years ago.
In addition to its role as a time capsule, amber has been
valued for its beauty since the Stone Age, when it was used
in some of the earliest adornments.
Quality, Value
&Availability
The colors of amber include white,
yellow, gold, orange and brown, rarely blue, green and red.
Transparent amber is preferred in the
United States and cloudy amber is preferred in Europe.
Some amber has a blue sheen in daylight
caused by blue luminescence.
Amber is popular in beads and cabochons
and can also be carved.
Sources
The two main sources of Amber on the
market today are the Baltic States and the Dominican
Republic.
Amber from the Baltic States is older
and therefore preferred on the market, but amber from the
Dominican Republic is more likely to have insect inclusions.
The largest mine in the Baltic region
is in Russia, west of Kaliningrad. Baltic amber is also
found in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Germany and
occasionally washed up on the shores of the Baltic Sea in
Denmark and Norway.
Other amber sources include Myanmar
(formerly Burma), Lebanon, Sicily, Mexico, Romania and
Canada.
Routine
Enhancements
Cloudy Amber can be heated in oil to
clarify it. Sometimes heat can create attractive disc-like
fractures called sun spangles. Heat can also darken color.
Care &
Cleaning
Amber is a soft gem, with a hardness of
2 to 2.5 on the Mohs scale. Store it away from other jewelry
to avoid scratches.
Never expose amber to heat or
chemicals, including hair spray and perfume and do not clean
it in an ultrasonic cleaner.
To clean amber, wipe with a soft moist
cloth.
