What is amber?  Amber is a  fossilized tree sap that often has bugs, and other plants trapped inside it that give it a unique look.  Amber can range in color from yellow to orange, and can be transparent or translucent.  How do you know if you have real amber.  Amber can float on salt water due to it’s low specific gravity,  and it will be fluorescent under Ultra Violet light.   Also look for inclusions and bugs inside, as this is a good way to tell as well. 

The care and cleaning of Amber.  Amber is a soft gem (2 to 2.5 on the Mohs scale). Store it seprately from other jewelry to avoid scratches.  Clean it by wiping with a soft moist cloth.  Never expose amber to heat or chemicals, including hair spray and perfume and do not clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner.

What is said about wearing amber?  One birthstone for Taurus is Amber.  It is said that the wearer of this stone will have a pure body, and that their digestive and the endocrine systems (thyroids) are going to work properly and better when you are the wearer of Amber jewelry.   Some lore eveals that the wearer of an amber ring will not suffer from fatigue or overly stressful times in their life.  Amber is known to fight depression and to give additional mental energy to face the tasks of life.  Much amber lore is thought to be true since amber does have a magnetic property that seems to back up its traditional lore.  Amber was first written about by Homer in 700 B.C. in his epic “The Odyssey”.  He describes ” a golden chain of exquisite workmanship strung with amber beads that gleamed like the sun:.  Amber is known by many names… Tiger’s Soul,  Petrified Light,  Sun Tears, Sea Gold, Electron, Captured Sunshine, Hardened Honey, Succinum, Freja’s Tears, Tears of the Heliades, Sun Stone, Sacred Stone,  and Gold of the North. 

What are your experiences with amber jewelry?