The beauty of Amber
Amber is a tree resin that has been fossilized and is usually millions of years old. Amber is formed when certain types of trees such as cedars, redwoods, ancient southern pines, etc produce resin to protect themselves from various things such as disease and insects. Over the course of millions of
years, the resin hardens, then becoming fossilised into amber. It has been commonly used in jewellery for many centuries and has been prized for its beauty.
Amber comes in many different colours such as brown, red, orange, and yellow, and can be either
opaque or translucent. The factors that contribute to the colour of amber depend on what type of
tree it came from, the age of the resin and what conditions it has been exposed to over the years.
There is even a blue variation of amber, however it is rare and very valuable.
The main purpose of amber for the last few centuries has been for jewellery, however it has also been found in decorative objects, and even in ancient tombs and graves. The ancient Greeks and Romans were said to have used the beautiful resin for medicinal purposes many years ago. Amber is
very well known and has been for many years, being mentioned in many famous works, literature,
and more, even including the Bible.
Apart from being beautiful, Amber also has a scientific purpose to it. Amber can be used to provide insights about ecology and environments of the past, and there are many cases where several million-year-old insects, plants, and small animals have been preserved in amber and remain in an almost perfect state inside of the resin.
Baltic amber is one of the most sought after, unique, and considered the highest quality types of amber, with its high concentration of succinic acid. Succinic acid is a natural substance which was believed to have a soothing and calming effect. Baltic amber is most commonly found in the Baltic region of Europe (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia); however, it can also be found in Poland and is very popular in jewellery with many seaside towns commonly having shops designated to selling amber jewellery and decorations. Amber is a beautiful and fascinating material with cultural and historical significance, it is not only used for beauty but also for understanding the world in the past. It makes a beautiful piece of jewellery with countless significance that comes with it. It is a truly exceptional material that holds scientific value with it.