• Features green amber
• 7/8" x 5/8"
• .925 sterling silver
• Typically ships next business day

Amber

Five Fun Facts You Didn't Know about Amber

• Amber evokes eternal life & youth
• Amber can replace topaz as the birthstone for November
• The oldest and most highly prized amber comes from the area surrounding the Baltic Sea
• Amber also comes from the Dominican Republic
• Amber has been found in graves all around the world

Amber: Roots in the Earth

The allure and beauty of amber is obvious, its charm is unmistakable, and it's been that way for thousands of years. What makes amber different from other precious stones? The answer lies in its organic roots, and when we say roots, we mean it! Amber is one of few gemstones that has organic instead of mineral origins. It reflects the natural beauty of the earth and the trees that created the amber, and each piece has its own formation story, making amber an intensely individual gemstone. Amber comes in a wide variety of colors. Here at Amber Laine, we describe our amber as Green, Cherry, Cognac, Honey, Citrine, or Butterscotch, but all of those colors feature an enchanting array of possible hues. Over 200 different shades have been identified, but each piece consists of unique variations in color – swirls of darker colorings and clouds of microscopic bubbles causing spots of opacity – making each and every piece of amber one-of-a-kind. People have always been attracted to amber because of its warmth, beauty and seemingly magical properties. Read on, and you’ll find yourself immersed in the story of this natural wonder – be careful though, because just like the natural inclusions in our special collection of amber, you may find yourself trapped in a world of amber!

How is Amber formed?

Amber is made from fossilized tree resin. Resin is not the same thing as tree sap! Resin gets secreted by a tree in response to injury as a way of preventing further damage, or perhaps as a result in rapid change in climate or temperature. As the resin oozes down the tree, it picks up bits of plant and animal matter, which, if the conditions are right, will be trapped when the resin fossilizes. Eventually, after a little time passes (a few million years or so), you could find a piece of amber washed ashore that, after being crafted an polished, is ready to be set into a unique piece of amber jewelry. The substance it forms is very light. Because it weighs so little, this natural beauty makes great large amber jewelry pieces. Most amber used today is between 30-90 million years old. Amber deposits have been found that range between 360 and one million years old. The oldest known amber, found on the Isle of Wight, is 120 million years old.

Amber 101: A History

People have valued amber almost since the beginning of history. Amber was made into polished beads discovered in England from as far back as the Paleolithic Era – about 11,000 B.C. – and was one of the first commercial goods to be traded. The Aisti people of eastern and western Baltic region (ancestors of Latvians and Lithuanians) were some of the first amber gatherers. This warm and sunny wonder of nature has been in demand for over 13,000 years! In fact, during the Middle Ages a person could be executed for collecting amber without permission. Greeks and Romans used amber in a variety of ways, including as currency. Lucky for you there are no knights jealously guarding the king's amber collection these days, and you can purchase amber with ease online. Although Baltic amber jewelry is the most common and most highly valued, amber is also found in the Dominican Republic. Bugs in amber jewelry is especially prized.

Uses for Amber

Because amber contains plant and animal inclusions, and is indeed made from plant resin, Amber was thought to be a vessel of eternal life. The gemstone Amber is one of the birthstones listed for the Sun Sign for Taurus. Amber is associated with Leo and Aquarius. It could also replace topaz as November's birthstone. Amber represents the tenth wedding anniversary, symbolizing eternal love and continued fidelity. Amber has been found in Egyptian tombs, where it was probably used as a preservative. Amber has long been thought to have healing powers, and has been used medicinally. Even today, amber teething necklaces are used because they have natural acids and oils that produce a natural analgesic pain reliever when worn against your baby's skin. Amber is believed to be antiseptic, due to the succinic acids. Amber is still commonly used in incense. Even today it is thought that wearing amber jewelry will give the wearer confidence, balance her mood mood, and chase away depression and anxiety.

Could My Amber be Fake?

Amber is usually warm to the touch, floats in salt water, and holds a static charge when rubbed against wool or velvet, creating small sparks and attracting lint. An easy way to test your amber jewelry to see if the amber is real is to float it in salt water. Just dissolve three tablespoons of salt in an eight ounce cup of warm water and drop your amber in: if it sinks, we're sorry, but it's not real! Real amber will float to the top. This test only works on pure amber, though, so if your amber is set in sterling silver or some other heavy material, your results may not be accurate. You can also perform a taste and scent test to tell amber from a plastic replica. Gently clean the amber using warm water and a soft cloth and give it a quick taste and a sniff. Warm amber smells and tastes like woody pine, while plastic gives an unpleasant aroma of chemicals. You can also test amber's conductivity by rubbing it briskly against wool or velvet until it is noticeably warmer to the touch. Place the stone over a tissue lying flat on the surface, the amber stone should attract the tissue – if it is real that is.

Caring for Your Amber

Because amber is brittle and soft, it is vulnerable to chipping and scratching. Avoid wearing your amber jewelry while performing heavy labor or tasks that could put your jewelry in danger of impact. Also avoid storing it with other metals and stones that could scratch it; keep each piece in its own cloth or plastic bag to prevent the amber from getting scratched and the silver from getting tarnished. Hairspray, perfume, and lotions can dull the amber over time, so apply beauty products before donning your jewelry. Amber can also be damaged by chlorine and cleaning products. Take care when polishing amber and silver jewelry not to harm the amber with the polish: consider using a silver polishing cloth instead or polish. Amber melts at high temperatures, so avoid extreme heat. Although it is natural for amber tends to darken over the years, it is important to care for your amber regularly by washing it with warm water – NEVER with soap – and drying it immediately with a soft, lint-free cloth. Amber's luster can be renewed by using a drop of olive oil and buffing with a soft, lint-free cloth.