AMBER GEMSTONE & JEWELRY

In recent times , the popularity of amber increased significantly due to the film Jurassic Park, where dinosaur DNA extracted from a mosquito trapped in amber in the film.

Amber occurs in a range of different colors. As well as the usual yellow-orange-brown that is associated with the color "amber", amber gemstone itself can range from a whitish color through a pale lemon yellow, to brown and almost black. Other more uncommon colors include red amber (sometimes known as "cherry amber"), green amber, and even blue amber, which is rare and highly sought after.

Much of the highle sought amber is transparent, in contrast to the very common cloudy amber and opaque amber. Opaque amber contains numerous minute bubbles. This kind of amber is known as "bony amber".

The two main sources of amber on the market today are the Baltic states and the Dominican Republic. Amber from the former is older, and thus preferred on the market, but that obtained from the latter is more likely to have insect inclusions.