Amber is tree resin that has hardened over time. To be called amber, it needs to be at least 1 million years old. Anything less in maturity is known as copal. Amber artifacts have been found back as far as 10,000 BC by archeologists and used ornamentally since that time. In German, amber is referred to as the “burn stone”, or bernstein.
Interestingly enough, the most sauté after-color is red. The majority of the time we see amber in yellow to golden orange, and transparent in appearance. Amber comes primarily from the Baltic Sea region of Europe and near the Baltic shores of Denmark. It is very light weight helping it to float in salt water. Weather, as well as erosion, releases the amber, and it ends up on the beaches. Then people gather and bring it to market.
When treated with heat and oil to improve its appearance and marketability, the side effect can be circular marks, which the trade refers to as sun spangles. Sun spangles often have an attractive look, making the amber piece a little more unique. Heat treatment clarifies the gem, otherwise it would remain cloudy and not as visually attractive.
Amber is a lovely gem that can be big and bold without a heft to the piece, making it easy to wear. See below several pieces of Amber earrings and a necklace from our collection at Provident Jewelry.
I hope you are able to walk away with at least one fact about amber you did not know prior to reading this week’s blog post, and thank you for taking the time. I wish you a good week and until next time, sparkle on!
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