Amber stones are not gemstones, but they are fossilized tree resins. In the past, amber jewelry was very expensive and unaffordable for many people to the extent that purchasing and wearing it was limited to nobility and those who are extremely wealthy. It was sold at high prices because it was believed to have unique and supernatural powers, but over time amber jewelry has become more and more affordable for almost all people regardless of their financial situation or even their position in the society. Although the amber jewelry is affordable in our time, the prices still vary according to the metals that are used for creating it. There are amber jewelry pieces which are made through using silver while there are other pieces which are crafted through using gold or platinum. Silver amber jewelry pieces are more affordable than those which are crafted from platinum or gold which are more precious and expensive.
Amber stones are available in different colors such as blue, red, black, yellow, yellow-brown which is considered to be the most common and there is also the green color. The price of the amber jewelry is also determined by the clarity of the stones as the clearer and more transparent they are, the higher the price will be. Although the brown or yellow-brown amber stones are the most common colors, they are not the most expensive and what are ranked as the most expensive amber stones are the green amber stones and this is not because they are the clearest but it is because they are the rarest as they are hard to be found.
Amber stones are different from other types of precious stones as they are softer which makes it easy for the jewelers to create amber stones in different creative shapes without exerting a huge effort. You have to know that those amber stones which are crafted in special designs are more expensive than those amber stones in their original shape. Sometimes, you may find that there are some amber stones which have an insect or any other object that is trapped inside them and this was considered in the past as a flaw and bad feature that decreases the value of the amber stones to the extent that they were not used. Now, this is completely different as those amber stones that have trapped objects are highly required and are considered to be valuable to the extent that the jewelers include these objects in the amber stones and try to make them clear for the customers.
Most of the common amber stones are brought from the Baltic area and there are also other amber stones which come from the Dominican area and are known to be softer than those of the Baltic area. You have to store your amber jewelry away from heat sources and in a good place to be kept from being scratched or chipped as it is softer than other types of precious stones. Do not store your amber jewelry pieces in the same place in order not to rub against each other and instead of that you will need to wrap each piece of amber jewelry in a soft cloth for protecting its shiny surface from being destroyed. For the necklaces, you have to keep the pendants away from the chain in order not to be harmed.
Note: All what you need for cleaning your amber jewelry is to rub it with water and a soft flannel cloth. Do not ever try to use hot water, detergents, soap or even steam cleaners for cleaning your amber jewelry. In order to make the amber stones sparkle, rub them with olive oil.
Fake or genuine
In order to know whether the amber stone that you have is genuine or fake, rub it for several seconds with a soft cloth and after that try to use the stone for picking up a small scrap of paper. The scrap of paper will stick or at least move if the stone is genuine and nothing will happen if the stone is made of plastic or copal.
Amber stones were used as medicines in different cultures and they are still thought to have healing properties and can cure the minor illnesses from which we suffer such as headache and sore throat. So, why do not you purchase amber jewelry and keep it with you for protection?