Amber is one of the most beautiful natural forming compounds in the world. Many people categorize it as a precious stone, while it is in fact fossilized resin. Amber is a byproduct of flora (trees, usually coniferous) that has hardened over 360 to one million years. "Amber is like a time capsule made and placed in the earth by nature herself," said David Federman, author of the Consumer Guide to Colored Gemstones. "It has helped paleontologists reconstruct life on earth in its primal phases. More than 1,000 extinct species of insects have been identified in amber."
The hues tend to be from yellowish honey to a gentle brown with gold in it to a dark brown. A lot of the amber used in commercial jewelry is actually reconstituted which makes it harder and less prone to scratching. The floatation test is recommended to determine if a piece is natural amber or man-made. Make a saturated solution of regular table salt and water and place the piece of amber in this mixture. If it floats, it is amber. If it sinks it is man-made (some natural copals will also sink and you would need to make more scientific tests to make a determination).
The two main sources of amber on the market today are the Baltic States and the Dominican Republic. Other amber sources include Myanmar (formerly Burma), Lebanon, Sicily, Mexico, Romania, Germany, and Canada. Nicknamed the “happy stone”, legend says that amber is believed to bring about a care free, sunny disposition, promote good luck and success, and dissolves oppositions.
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