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A Guide to Amber

STERLING SILVER & FASHION JEWELLERY

Since pre-historic times Amber, also known as Succinite or Bernstein, has been used in jewellery and other artifacts and is still highly regarded today.

A popular misconception is that Amber is formed from tree sap, when in fact it is actually a resin, secreted in pockets of tree cells, which then fossilizes over time. During the fossilization process, tiny pieces of plants and insects are caught up in the resin and then preserved. This is known as organic inclusion and can only be found in Amber. 

It is this which makes Amber not only of interest to jewelry makers but botanists, paleontologists and geologists too. When one considers that much of the Amber we have today is around 50 million years old, we are presented with a natural time capsule, giving us a window on the past.

Amber is warm to the touch and varies in colour from yellow through to brown, but mostly we tend to think of it as being deep yellow or warm orange.

Deposits of Amber are mostly found in the Baltic region although some can be found in Japan, Canada and the Dominican Republic.

Care should be taken with Amber jewellery as it can be affected by perfume, alcohol and caustic solutions. It can also be ignited, giving off an aroma of incense, although this is not to be recommended!

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