Amber

Amber is fossilized resin, an organic substance.

Amber occurs in a range of different colors. As well as the usual yellow-orange that is associated with the color "amber", amber itself can range from a whitish color through a plae lemon yellow, to brown and almost black. Other more uncommon colors include red amber (sometimes known as "cherry amber"), green amber, and even blue amber, which is rare and highly sought after.

The selective entrapping of insects and other small animals is a fascinating aspect of amber. Large animals are often strong enough to break free of the sticky resin, while small insects such as ants, bees, beetles and mites are usually not strong enough to break free from its hold. Amber dealers search for the coveted insect inclusions in each piece of amber, any unsearched pieces have the possibility of an insect inclusion being present. The presence of insect inclusions will greatly increase the value of the amber piece.

Amber has a rich history being one of the first gems used for amulets and healing. Amber is used as prayer beads by both Christians and Muslims, and is also used in the Wiccan practice. It is believed to be best worn around the neck for a soothing buffering effect. The Greeks believed amber was the petrification of sunrays and the petrified tears of the Gods themselves. They prized amber for the magical properties of electricity when rubbed. The term electricity is derived from the Greek word “elektron”, which is also the Greek word for amber.