Product Information
At Dragonflies, amber is one of our favourite stones. The stones that you wear are literally millions of years old, each holding within them a snapshot of time. A second of history captured and worn around your neck – how much more of a statement can you want around your neck? As we love it so much, we thought we’d tell you how it was made, different variations and a quick guide to rooting out the real gems from the fakes.
Background Information
Amber is full of inclusion – droplets of water, vegetation and insects that were living during the time that the resin escaped from the plant and captured those unlucky enough to be in its path. As the resin solidifies and hardens, it traps the unwitting insect inside. It is preserved for all to see through fossilisation, much like the dinosaur remains we have today.
The amber used in jewellery is mostly from Poland and the Baltic area, as this is where the finest examples and quality are found. Indeed, Baltic Amber, or succinite, is the only amber that is recognised to be gemstones by the International Amber Association.
Amber is millions of years old, but it isn’t a hard stone like a diamond, and would rank at about a 5th as hard as one. Therefore you should take care never to bang or rub it against other objects as this could damage, chip or corrode your amber. Baltic amber requires very little care to keep it in good condition. It is usually set in silver, and it is normally this that needs cleaning the most. If it lacks shine, you could rub with a little olive oil, or wash in warm water and dry with a soft cloth. You should never clean amber set in silver as we suggest in our “How To’s: Cleaning Silver” as this will damage the setting and potentially ruin your jewellery.
Unsurprisingly, there are many different colours of amber – there are thousands of different trees, don’t forget!
· Cognac – this is the most well known and prolific of the ambers, and is widely used in jewellery
· Green – my personal favourite, green amber is eye-catching and bright, usually full of interesting inclusions
· Butterscotch – this is a creamy yellow opaque colour, and it is the oldest of the amber range
· Cherry – this is a dark, rich amber with a hint of burgundy colouring, and it oozes with tantalising history and colour
· Lemon – this is a very light variation, and is usually clear of inclusions
· Blue – this colour is rare and is usually found in the Dominican Republic, Mexico or South America. Although it is called blue, it’s more of a smoky grey. This is also the most open to forging and is often painted blue on the back to give it a better colour
Amber: Real or Fake?
Amber is an organic fossilized resin. It is light in weight and has taken over a million years to become a true amber. It is important to realise that there are many imitations produced using plastic, Bakelite, synthetics or glass. It is also possible to come across an immature piece of amber, which is not yet the age that ‘true’ amber would be.
One of my favourite pastimes is wandering the beach, right after a storm , or when the tide is going out. There you can find me in a classic deerstalker hat with a giant magnifying glass combing the beach for pieces of amber, or even shark’s teeth (note to parents – this is a surprisingly great day out!). So I’ve found several orange stones, their colours ranging from burnt umber to a creamy yellow – any of these could be an unpolished piece of amber. How can I tell the sediment from the amber?
First off, as mentioned already, amber is light. If any of your stones or pieces of jewellery feel too heavy, then it’s most likely either glass or stone. Amber and plastic are light and both slightly warm to the touch, so it’s easy to distinguish it from glass or just a plain stone.
So now you’re left with either amber or plastic.
But did you know that if you rubbed amber, it will be electro-statically charged? It won’t zap you, but it’s charged enough to collect dust.
The reason why amber is found after storms and is prevalent on beaches is because it’s so light it floats in seawater – but only seawater. If you’re amber hunting, this is a great way to test whether your amber-coloured stone is amber or not, as you’re right by the sea! Just grab a bucket of water and chuck the suspected stone in. If it floats – huzzah! If it sinks... at least you’ve found a nice coloured stone.
Amber also sounds different to a stone, if knocked on your teeth. Don’t ask me how I know this. A rap of a stone on your teeth is a sharp tap, whereas amber is more of a dull thud.
So there you have it! Hopefully by now you’ll know if you’ve found amber or if you’ve just found a rock, or you’re now confident that your piece of jewellery is true amber.
