Amber

Amber is an organic gem - a fossilised natural plant resin consisting of a mixture of organic compounds.

Occurring in a number of colours from yellow to brown, tones of red and white and sometimes shades of green and blue, Amber has a tendency to darken with age to a deeper brown or reddish hue.

By virtue of its composition, Amber produces a distinctive odour when touched with a hot needle. This odour contrasts with the acrid odours produced by plastics and with the pine resin odour of natural, non-fossil resins.
Notable pieces of Amber are those that often contain small insects or spiders, but inclusions may also simply be plant debris or bubbles.

Amber is found in a number of locations. Yellow, golden and brown Amber often comes from the Baltic Sea area, while deep cherry red to dark brown may be from Myanmar. Romania tends to produce Amber that is mostly a clear pale yellow but which often features extensive internal crazing (due to pressure from the Earth’s movement), and Dominican Amber, which is a transparent golden yellow colour and contains many inclusions, can be found in the Dominican Republic.

View Amber Jewellery at Astley Clarke