!44: What the Buyer Needs to Know About Amber Jewelry

!±8± What the Buyer Needs to Know About Amber Jewelry

A prison to some living things and a precious stone to others, amber is indeed a fossilized resin. While some consider it a gemstone, others think that it cannot be called a precious stone because it isn't of mineral provenience. However discussed this issue might be no argument can stop people from wearing amber jewelry. Part of the amber charm consists mainly in the fact that it immortalizes something inside it. It acts like a cryogenic pod, keeping the insects body in great shape because it doesn't allow the bodies to decay. Some pieces of amber jewelry have prehistoric organic matter captured in their resin adding mystery and charm to the wonderfully colored jewels.

Amber jewelry has become a common thing for all people nowadays, but for a long period of time only nobility could afford it. Because it was thought it had miraculous powers their price was very high. In time, more and more people could afford to purchase amber jewelry. Today things are a little bit different. Anyone can afford amber jewelry, but the prices go from a few dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on what the buyer is looking for.

The first thing one has to decide when purchasing amber jewelry is the wanted metal for that specific piece. If it is crafted in silver the jewel can be cheaper, but if gold or platinum are used, the price can raise because these metals are more expensive. Then there is the problem of the stone. Amber stones don't come only in the yellow-brown color. They can be yellow, red or even blue and green, but the most expensive and valuable are the transparent, clear ones. Although the brown normal stones won't cost too much, the green ones are more expensive. The green amber isn't different in any way compared to the brown one. The only thing that differentiates the green stones is that they're harder to find than the brown ones.

Amber is a lot softer than any other precious stone which makes it easier to shape by jewelers. The price is influenced by the amber shape also. A stone in its original shape is cheaper, but if you want a special design the price will rise. It's almost impossible to wear amber jewelry with a big stone on it, especially if that jewel is a pin, a pair of earrings or cufflinks. Sometimes amber has a piece of tree bark or a small insect trapped in it. A long time ago, wearing amber jewelry with something imprisoned in it was considered disgraceful and those types of stone weren't used. Now they're valuable and the insect or object that is trapped inside it makes a huge difference. When making amber jewelry, the jewelers try to make the inclusion as visible as possible. This makes the jewel more valuable.

Another important aspect in amber jewelry is the provenience of the stone. Jewelry with stones from the Baltic area knows a wider and more rapid spreading than other. The stones from that area are the most common, because this is the largest excavation site were amber was found. Stones from the Dominican area are also very common. They're a little bit softer than the ones found in the Baltic area. This is the place were the blue and smoky green stones originate from.

Jewelry can usually last hundreds of years. Amber jewelry is no exception and it can be a great inheritance for the generations to come. There is only one thing you should do: keep them in perfect storage conditions. Because the stone is very soft it's easier to scratch or chip than other precious stones, like diamonds. So, you should keep your ambler jewelry wrapped in a soft cloth. Each piece of jewelry has to be wrapped in a different cloth because, if you put them together, they might rub one against another and get their shiny surface destroyed. The stone itself has to be stored in similar conditions, away from the metal of the chain (in case it's a pendant).

mber jewelry has to be protected from the sun and from any heat sources which will damage the gem. For cleaning purposes, amber jewelry has to be rubbed only with a soft flannel cloth and with water. Rubbing the stone with olive oil and whipping any remains from its surface will give back that extra sparkle to the piece of amber jewelry you posses. One should never use hot water, steam cleaners or any type of soap and detergent to clean amber jewelry. If that happens, there is a high risk to destroy a beautiful jewel.

In the past amber was thought to have curative proprieties and was administered internally as a powder. To keep alive the traditions and beliefs people wore amber jewelry in the aching area. These superstitions may actually be true because of the energy the stone acquires. It is said that it can heal minor illnesses like throat ache, or head ache. So, if you have a soar throat you should try wearing a necklace and it's possible the pain will go away.