I am sure that this extremely beautiful and also very popular gemstone does not ask for an introduction, as most people know and love it. Some praise it so much that they use its name for their daughters and lovers describe the adorable tresses of eyes of their sweethearts as being amber-like. All in all, used as a name, as a noun or as an adjective, the word 'amber' deriving from the very gemstone will always bear a positive connotation and constitute a praise to the person or thing it is used in correlation with.

With so many myths surrounding the amber, it would really be impossible no to want to have at least one piece of jewelry that embeds the Stone Age gem that entrapped inside it insects and also buries deep down inside the tears of Phaeton, son of Helios, God of the Sun... And in order to place this exquisite gem that is not actually a stone in mythology even more, I am going to share with you a little secret: its name comes from the Greek 'elector' that is closely connected to the God of the Sun, known as the Elector or the Awakener.

History. Amber seems to be as old or even older than the Earth itself... it has always been praised for its wonderful dark-honey color and shades and used for ornamental purposes. But this is not all about it, because it is way more than a mere gem. It has helped paleontologists and historians over time to reconstruct life in the ancient ages... and it really is a 'time capsule', as David Federman, author of the Consumer Guide to Colored Gemstones stated: "Amber is like a time capsule made and placed in the earth by nature herself". "It has helped paleontologists reconstruct life on earth in its primal phases. More than 1,000 extinct species of insects have been identified in amber".

Composition/Formation. Even though highly treasured and fought for since ancient times due to its popularity in the jewelry industry, amber is not an actual gemstone, as it does not have its hardness. In fact, it is fossilized pine tree resin which, in terms of physical properties, melts at below 200 degrees Celsius and forms the 'amber oil', also leaving an 'amber resin'. Furthermore, it is also likely to be soluble in chloroform, ether and alcohol.

Variety. The most common variety of amber is known as genuine amber and it includes the natural Baltic amber - coming from the Baltic region, which is the larger extraction deposit in the world - and the pressed amber, which is obtained from small pieces and rejects that are melted together at high pressure. The main areas from which the Baltic amber is extracted are: Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia, and sometimes it is also to be found in Denmark, Norway and England.

There is also the black amber, which is actually a jet, the bony amber that is more opaque than the regular one and the blue amber, found mainly in the Dominican Republic. Given the fact that amber bulks are almost never pure, containing impurities and being heterogeneous, experts have also obtained synthetic, honey-clear, homogeneous amber. However, the most extensive and strong demand is for natural amber, which has insects and plants enclosed into it - ever since the Jurassic Park movie.

Uses. Having such a beautiful color and being often considered 'the juice' or 'the tears' of the sun, especially when at sunrise or dawn, amber is mainly used for ornamental purposes, in a wide range of jewelry. It may also be used for decoration objects if you want to turn your home or office into a stylish place. Our ancestors used this idea, too, as amber artefacts dating from Stone Age have been found in Germany and Denmark.

Lore and therapy. I would like to start my presentation on the lore and therapeutic abilities of amber by citing the same Mr. Federman, who said: "Stone Age man imbued amber with supernatural properties and used it to wear and to worship. Amber took on great value and significance to, among others, the Assyrians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians and Greeks. It never completely went out of vogue since the Stone Age. Between 1895 and 1900, one million kilograms of Baltic amber were produced for jewelry."

The conclusion is very simple - amber is highly praised by mankind and, therefore, has been attributed with healing and mind and soul soothing abilities ever since centuries ago. It has been widely worn as a talisman and protective omen by our ancestors and still is. Besides being a lucky charm, it is also known for being extensively used in magic rituals. Nowadays, it is used in gemstone and color therapy due to its intense color and positive energy it is said to enclose.