AMBER
Specifications
Mineral Class: Resin (not a mineral)
Crystal System: Amorphous
Hardness: 2 - 2.5
Luster: Resinous
Diaphaneity: Transparent
Colors: Yellow, Brown, Orange-Red
Symbolizes: Preservation
Source: Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, Myanmar, Romania, Russia, and UK
Amber has been made famous in pop-culture for preserving mosquitos whose blood contained dinosaur DNA that allowed the dinosaurs to be cloned. Pop culture aside, Amber is not a stone, but actually fossilized tree resin. It has been observed as far back as 8000 BC in ancient neolithic grave sites, following its discovery in the 4th Century BC by Theophrastus. Amber occasionally contains animal, plant, and other materials as inclusions. Amber is closely tied to preservation and therefore has been a representation of youth.
Much like our ancient ancestors, Amber has been appreciated and used for a variety of purposes. It has been found in various decorative items throughout history. Due to the nature of how it is formed, Amber is found in a number of locations. Variations of Amber include: Amber presented near Pyrite, which will be bluish in color, Black Amber, which will show as jet black, and Bony Amber, which occurs when the fossil is formed with numerous air pockets in it. Most commonly, it occurs in red, yellow, and brown shades depending on the type of tree, density of the Amber, and other external factors. Other shades vary as far as a pale white-yellow to even green. These cooler tones are the rarest and most sought after. Amber has been made into jewelry for thousands of years and is still very popular today.