When a majority of the people are asked, they classify this mineral among other gemstones. However, you need to know that this isn’t entirely true. How so? Well, this material hails from a tree resin that fossilized over millions of years inside the earth, where it matured. Today, this stone, like most minerals is extracted from rocks, but it is also collected onshore when it washes up. It has had multiple uses since ancient times such as perfumery and medicine. It also acts as a natural stone jewellery, which you can find at the number 1 website.
The types You’ll Find
Now you see, this stone has several classifications. They are mainly based on their origin, which includes the Dominican Republic and the Baltic region. This mineral mainly occurs in these areas, but it can also be found in other regions, albeit in small amounts.
Dominican
First, there’s one that hails from the Dominica Republic. It is aged between 25 and 40 million years, and it appears in various tones of yellow. However, you can also find it in varieties of green and blue, which can only be found in the Dominican region. This type also tends to have plants and insects trapped inside.
Baltic
Next, there’s the Baltic variety, which is over 40 million years old and that makes it quite valuable. This type occurs in light to dark tones of yellow, and it can be opaque or transparent. However, the opaque variety of this type of stone can also occur in white.
What Makes it So Special?
You can easily through the yellowish colour that this is a special gemstone, especially since it’s mostly used in jewellery. The first thing that makes it so special is that it is very old, and that makes it to possess immense energy. In fact, there are some people who believe that it comes with stored wisdom of the earth. And that’s probably why it has been used since ancient times.
As if that’s not enough, the amber stone has a warm yellow tone, which is not only attractive but also brings about feelings of calmness. Besides, the other color tones are also attractive enough to be included in jewellery.
You will also find some unique pieces that have small insects or plants trapped inside. Apart from improving the aesthetics of these gemstones, many believe that these insects or plants have some powerful magical qualities.
Actually, in Asian culture, the gem is called the soul of the tiger. It was a symbol of courage. So, a majority of the people would go on long journeys with these pieces for protection.
Intriguingly, it was also used for medicinal purposes, including treating headaches, issues with digestion, jaundice, and bleeding teeth. In fact, there are those who use it for litho therapy.
But wait, there’s more. Others believe that the gem has numerous mystical properties. They include:
- Attracting good luck
- Balancing emotions
- Clearing the mind
- Eliminating anxiety and fears
- Dissolving negative energies
- An avenue for developing wisdom and patience
Why do people use it?
By now, you’re probably wondering why so many people use the mineral. Thing is, it has plenty of benefits, and it’s also very beautiful when used in jewellery. However, styling it into jewellery is not a walk in the park, and that’s why others use it as part of an ornament.
Overall, people use it because it contains warm protective energies. When you wear it, you will notice that it deflects negative energies from you. It is believed that amber stone will surround you with strong positive energy. The stone easily compares to green aventurine, which is thought to bring good luck and success.
Additionally, people will use this gem when they’re suffering from depression. The positive energies that emanate from the stone will help to stabilize your emotions. Moreover, the warm colour and energies remind you that your life is precious and there’s a lot to look forward to. It gives you a confident outlook about life.
Besides the positive energies, you can also use this gem for healing. The healing properties of the stone are made possible by the electromagnetic qualities of these stones. That’s why people from ancient cultures have used it for healing properties.
Nowadays, you’ll find people using it as an alternative to modern medicine. Some use this gem to deal with metabolic issues. The electromagnetic qualities make it a good stimulant for metabolism. Furthermore, there are others who use the stone to treat allergies. Particularly, allergies associated with respiratory issues.
And that’s just one side of the story. Today, people also use it to alleviate the pain of those who suffer from joint and ligament pains, as well as those suffering from arthritis. Some people have also used this gem to try and deal with female infertility and impotence alike.
Turns out, there are others who associate the precious gem with wealth accumulation. They refer to it as the stone of manifestation. It is believed to be a powerful stone that will help you to increase your income and your other forms of wealth.
However, it’s important for you to know that the accumulation of wealth doesn’t only refer to money. It can also help you to make use of your skills and talents to help you gain more wealth.
What to look for in this gem
Frankly, the colourful crystals are quite lovely. However, you should not just focus on the colour to decide the jewellery you want. You need to consider other quality factors to make sure you buy an item that will bring out your personality.
· Colour
When it comes to its quality factor, colour is one of the details you need to be specific about. A lot of people mostly know of yellow and orange shades of this gem. However, this gem comes in other tones, including white, green, blue, brown, and golden. Now, the brown tone is more valuable than the golden shade, which is more valuable than the yellow tone.
You will also find some with blueish and greenish colours, which when attractive are quite valuable. But the colour of this gem may change over time because of oxidation. And the green colour can be obtained through treatment with heat and pressure. The colour can also be modified through dyeing.
· Cut
Another thing that distinguishes quality stone from sub-standard is the cut. Usually, this gem is polished to feature a free-form shape, which has to follow the original shape. After the cut has been made, it then gets set into jewellery. Alternatively, it can be drilled and strung.
Various cutting styles for such gemstones include free-form, cabochons, beads, and faceted. Although, faceted style is very unusual.
· Clarity
Before you settle for a specific jewellery, you need to understand about clarity. Normally, a transparent amber stone will fetch a higher value compared to the one that’s cloudy. But by now, you know that there’s a variety of the gem with plant or insect residues. Such inclusions improve the value of these gems.
If you find a cloudy stone, it can be treated through heating in canola oil to enhance its clarity. But such a stone will have sun spangles, which are crack-like marks.
· Carat weight
Most gems that can be carved into jewellery stones tend to be heavy. However, this is not the case with this mineral. The gen tends to have a lower density compared to saltwater, and this quality makes it feel light. As a result, large pieces can be fitted into jewellery, and you’d still feel comfortable.
How to identify fake product
This mineral has a resinous luster, plus it’s also lightweight. Because of these qualities some malicious individuals make fake ones using plastic, glass, copal, and other resins. If you are not careful, you will not distinguish between the original stone and a fake. Why? Some of them look similar to the genuine products.
Fortunately, you can identify the authenticity by touching it with a hot needle. If it’s real, it will produce a sweet, pine-like scent, but this means that you’ll have to damage your stone. The best and harmless way to determine the genuineness of your gem is through scientific methods. They include spectrometry and IR-spectroscopy.
Beware! Seeing pieces of plats and insects trapped inside doesn’t guarantee that the gem is genuine. Some sellers can insert them when making the fakes; hence, the necessity for the tests.