Amber has been used in jewelry and other decorative items for many years, with some examples of artefacts containing the gem having been found dating right back to the Stone Age.

Amber held a position of value to many ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians, Etruscans and Greeks among others. Many of these civilizations held their own legends telling of the origins of the stone. Most of these legends revolved around a connection between amber and the sun, most probably because of the startling golden colour of the gem.

Amber remained relatively popular into the Middle Ages, when clear, colourless forms of amber were considered the best material from which to make rosary beads. The tradition of inclusion in jewelry has also continued through the centuries, being particularly popular in the late Victorian period.

Amber in the Movies

Although amber has never seen the same popularity as many other gemstones, an appearance in the movie Jurassic Park has helped the beautiful golden colored gem experience somewhat of a surge in popularity.

Unlike many other gemstones which are formed from chemicals in the earth, amber is actually formed from fossilized tree resin. As the inclusion in the movie Jurassic Park may suggest, this fossilization occurred millions of years ago, creating a stone with is both ancient and valuable. Most amber dates back from between 25 and 50 million years ago.

The role of amber in the movie was in preserving the DNA of mosquitoes from the time of the dinosaurs. This is probably the reason that examples of amber containing trapped insects have seen a particularly high surge in demand.

The use in Jurassic Park as a source of dinosaur DNA is not scientifically realistic, since the dinosaurs actually died out around 65 million years ago, with no examples of amber this old ever having been found. Despite this, amber has helped scientists to reconstruct life on earth between 25 and 50 million years ago, showcasing examples of the types of insects which were around back then.

Now, many have also come to recognize the rarity and value which may be attached aesthetically, financially and historically to such rare items.

Mining of Amber

Most amber available today comes from either the Baltic States or the Dominican Republic. There has particularly been growth in the amount of amber on the market from the Baltic States since the break-up of the Soviet Union. The largest mine is currently found in Russia itself, but there are also mines in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, with some amber also occasionally washing up on the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Amber from the Dominican Republic is generally younger than that found in these countries, but is more likely to contain trapped insects. Prices from either country can range from $20 for a small piece to over $40,000.