What is amber?
Amber is a pretty natural gemstone full of rich history. It tells a story about the ancient civilizations and our environment who coveted it. Have you ever looked a fly sealed in amber? It could be buzzing around dinosaurs many thousands of years ago. Which makes it great to wear amber as jewelry. Through the history of the world, amulets and amber beads were loved by the beautiful and rich. Amber jewelry is a great addition to any outfit. The perfect color of gemstone lends itself to just about any style. But where does amber come from?
Amber is Fossilized Tree Resin
The old, most valuable amber dates back to 30 million to 60 million years ago. Ancient coniferous trees made a resin that would eventually become amber.
Amber Tree Resin
Resin changes into amber through a natural process including light, oxygen, heat, and pressure. As the resin would drip from the tree, it trapped any little plants or insects that touched it. When the resin lastly hardened, you can discover those inclusions perfectly preserved inside. Thanks to amber, over one thousand extinct species of insects are discovered. Amber is further than just a gem. It is a time capsule letting us take a glimpse at what nature was like when dinosaurs walked the Earth.
The Properties of Amber
Because amber is not a stone and a resin, it has few differences from other gems. It’s warm instead of cool to the touch. Amber is lightweight compared to other gemstones. On the Mohs hardness scale, it ranks as a soft stone. To place in perspective, diamond ranks at a ten, whereas amber ranks around a 2.5.
How to Clean Amber
Because of its softness, amber is an extra delicate gem. Amber should only be cleaned with warm water & mild soap. You can also polish it with a soft cloth & olive oil. However, you can discover amber in jewelry stores across the world, the gems themselves discover in a very specific region. So, where does it come from?
Where Does Amber Come From?
If amber is older than it is more precious. Most of the old amber comes from the region around the Baltic Sea and is prized among amber jewelry collectors. Baltic Amber consists of amber coming from countries including Estonia, Poland, Germany, and Latvia. The big creator of amber comes from the Russian outpost city, Kaliningrad. Located between Lithuania & Poland. Several have flocked to the city to mine amber, the same to the California Gold Rush.
Baltic Amber Region
Where does amber come from on the Earth? In this place, amber is frequently mined directly out of the Baltic Sea, where it is deposited over centuries. Few miners utilize a giant vacuum to pull it up and sift it from the water while leaving the surrounding places relatively undisturbed. While Baltic amber is valuing the most, you can mine the gem in other countries. Amber is discovered in Southern California, Mexico, Alaska, and The Dominican Republic. These areas have been exporting amber for several centuries. Amber has a long and interesting history, both mythical & factual.
The Ancient Uses of Amber
Throughout history, several believed that amber has mystical, energetic qualities. Amber is said to promote health, positive energy, protection, good luck, wisdom, and patience. Ancient Romans prized amber. Serval wore amber amulets for protection. Armies were frequently sent to conquer amber creating villages. In Northern Italy women would often wear amber necklaces against their throat. They felt that amber was healing for the thyroid gland.
Ancient Egyptian Amber Ring
Hippocrates, the physician of Ancient Greece, believed in the healing ability of amber. He thought it was helpful in combat of several diseases. Several believe that amber healing properties are extra than ancient. Several believe that amber healing properties are further than ancient tales of wives.
Oils and Other Uses
Baltic amber has succinct acid, a healing oil. In a necklace, when amber beads heat up against warm skin, the oil releases and the body absorb it. Amber oil was also sold and bottled, and still is today.
Carved Chinese Amber Oil
Amber was considered the tears of a tiger breathing it is last breath, In ancient China. To them, owning amber was the high symbol of status and wealth. Artisans would make amber jewelry, decor, and other valuable items. During big festivities, it was customary for the Chinese to burn amber. It was meant to present the wealth of the host and their respect for their guests. China continues to be the hot market in the world for amber today, with genuine Baltic amber in very high demand. It is no wonder the rich used amber to show their prosperity. It is a pretty gem that comes in an array of warm, calming colors.
Amber Comes in A Variety of Hues
The color of amber naturally ranges between hues of brown, gold, orange, and yellow. It is so unique that the name of color derives from the gemstone.
The Amber Color Scale
- Antique Amber: opaque orange
- Blue Amber: brown with hints of blue
- Black Amber: jet black
- Citrine Amber: Transparent light yellow
- Cherry Amber: very dark red
- Green Amber: dark green with hints of brown
- Butterscotch Amber: White and milky
- Honey Amber: Light to dark brown tones
You can discover the best shade of amber to fit your tastes. You can wear it in the form of jewelry with your outfit to look beautiful. If you are looking for some best amber jewelry pieces then you can get them on our site.