About Amber
Baltic amber is one of the world’s oldest organic gem materials, dating back between 15 and 130 million years. It is mined in Europe near the Baltic Sea, and has been a popular choice for jewellery for thousands of years.
Its chemical composition includes 79 percent carbon, 10.5 percent hydrogen and 10.5 percent oxygen. It is a complex resin with many components, including volatile terpenes, sesquiterpenes, soluble organic acids and non-soluble polyethers.
Amber is found throughout the world, but the best quality is located along the Baltic Sea coast in the Baltic region of Russia. This amber has been coveted and traded since ancient times, with pieces making their way from Northern Europe to the Black Sea by way of a trade route called the Amber Road.
Today, amber is still sought after for its beauty and unique properties. It is an extremely durable material, which can withstand extreme weather conditions, and is also a good conductor of electricity.
There are many varieties of amber on the market, and each has its own unique qualities. For instance, some types of amber are translucent and are often spotted with’sun spangles’ which are air bubbles that have been heated to a certain temperature.
Other types of amber are coloured, and can range from creamy white to dark yellow, orange or even reddish-brown. This is a very desirable feature, and the colours can be oxidised to darken or concentrate them in different ways.
Despite its age, amber is very malleable and can be easily shaped into jewellery. Because it has a lower melting point than most gems, care must be taken to ensure that amber is not damaged during the jewelry making process.
The beautiful natural colour of amber is a result of its unique chemical composition. It varies between bright yellow and deep brownish-orange depending on its location.
In addition to its beautiful natural color, amber has been used in art for centuries. It was once a very prestigious gemstone, and was even used to decorate a famous room in the Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg in the 18th century.
It is often said to have healing powers, and it can be worn to protect you against negative energy. The triboelectric nature of amber also makes it a popular material for bracelets, earrings and pendants.
Unlike some other gemstones, amber is not brittle and will not break or crack when rubbed, although it may be broken into shards. In some cases, the shards can be quite large and can even chip the stone.
There are also many variations in amber, and some are more expensive than others. For example, some of the finest amber comes from the Baltic Sea, and is coloured by a variety of organic compounds including beeswax, lichens, moss, algae and seeds.
Some ambers have a variety of inclusions, such as water bubbles, gas bubbles and even pieces of bark. These inclusions can tell the story of the amber’s life and are a unique feature. Amber Sea