Amber

Amber is an organic gemstone, forming from the hardened resin of ancient pine trees. The hardening process of Amber is known as polymerization, which fossilizes the resin over many centuries and makes it hard and sturdy. Amber is formed from viscous, sticky resin, and therefore commonly contains inclusions that got stuck in the Amber and remained there when it hardened. These inclusions are usually of insects or plants, with the most well-known being mosquitoes. Amber with well-preserved organisms frozen internally are highly prized.

Amber is used in jewelry as cabochons and beads, and is used mostly for bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. Oval shapes and teardrops are also frequently cut from Amber. It is not commonly faceted into gemstone cuts. Ornamental carvings are occasionally also cut from larger Amber pieces.

The world's largest Amber deposits are near the Baltic Sea in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, in the historical East Prussia. The nearby Baltic countries of Latvia and Lithuania are also important producers of Amber. Northern Poland, around the area of Gdansk, also along the Baltic Sea, is another important producer of Amber. Some of the Baltic Amber is extracted directly from the Baltic Sea, either washing up on shore or picked up from the ocean bed.

The Dominican Republic is another significant source of Amber. The enigmatic Blue Amber variety is mined in Santiago Province. Other sources of Amber are Germany, Italy (Sicily), Burma (Myanmar), Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. (Arkansas and New Jersey).