baltic amber
turquoise necklace with amber & turquoise cross
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| composition | a form of tree resin exuded as a protective mechanism against disease and insect infestation that has hardened and been preserved in the earth's crust over a period of millions of years |
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| name source | from the French ambre,which is from the Arabic anbar |
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| other accepted names | sea-stone (from the Finnish merikivi), succinite |
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| historical aliases | "the Jurassic Gem," lynx stone, "tears of the gods," "gold of the North," scoopstone, "sea gold," "hardened honey" |
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| folkloric aliases | the "hygienic stone," "the golden gem of the ages" |
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| color | predominant tones are yellows, but may extend to red, brown, blue and green |
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| color source | natural color of hardened tree resin |
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| significant sources | the Baltic, Dominican Republic |
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| MOH scale | 2 to 2.5, but can vary from 1.5 |
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| care and treatment | Very soft, amber can be easily scratched. Store amber jewelry separately from your other jewelry, especially from post earrings and anything with sharp edges. |
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