Amber

Information About Amber:

Amber is the hardened fossilized resin of pine trees, and is generally between 20 million to 40 million years old. It is found primarily in the Baltic area, but can also be found in most of Europe, as far north as Norway, Denmark, and the east coast of England.

Interesting note: Amber often contains inclusions of bugs such as mosquitoes. This is considered desirable!

COMMON GEM COLORS: Usually a golden honey color, but can also be brown, red, green.

HARDNESS ON MOH'S SCALE: Usually 2 to 2.5, but can sometimes be softer.

SHAPES FOR CUTTING: Due to its softness, it is not generally considered to be suitable for faceting. Amber is usually carved to bead or various cabochon shapes, and is quite often left in natural or tumbled chip shapes to string as beads. As it melts at a very low temperature, it is sometimes molded to desired shape.