Cochise College Student Papers in Geology
Geology Home Page physical geology historical geology planetary gems
Roger Weller, geology instructor
wellerr@cochise.edu
Amber
by Amber Partington
Physical Geology
Spring 2007
The
Many Colors of Amber
When
people think of amber, they think of those yellowish rocks from Jurassic Park
that contain insects inside them. Most people don't want to know more about
amber and cannot imagine the beauty that it truly contains. Amber can be found
naturally in so many different colors and shades. Some of these colors even
change depending on the light that is shining on the petrified sap. Among the
colors amber can be found in there is, in order of commonness from the greatest
to least, there is yellow, black, green, white, red, and blue. There are many
colors to choose from in amber. However, colored amber is rare and comes at a
higher price than the more common yellow amber. Most amber is translucent, but
some is transparent. In fact, the clear amber is the most valuable type.
photo by
R.Weller/Cochise College
Clear
amber makes up only about one in every ten amber specimens. It can be found in
the same colors as translucent amber, but its price is always higher if is is
transparent. The piece above is thirty-six grams and it's price is $94.00 at
the Amberizon Jewelery Shop. Usually, people want the transparent amber for
their jewelry and collections. In clear amber, any insects, or whatever is
trapped inside the stone can be easily seen. The one above has no insects
inside of it, but some even have plants or feathers inside. There are
occasionally even small animals such as snails or lizards trapped inside of the
fossil, but that is very rare and very expensive.
photo by
R.Weller/Cochise College
Yellow
and brownish amber pieces are found around the world. They make up more than
two-thirds of the amber found in the world. The original place it amber was
found was in the Baltic Sea area, and this area is still the best market for
amber both in quality and quantity. However, wherever old fossilized trees can
be found, amber may be found as well. There has even been amber found in
several states in the USA.
photo by
R.Weller/Cochise College
Black
amber accounts for about fifteen percent of the amber found. However, it is not
actually pure fossilized tree resin. It has been mixed with the remains of the
tree from which it came or other plant matter. That does not make it any less
appetizing. When the specimen is made up entirely of carbonized coal, so there
is little difference between jet and black amber. Consequently jet is sometimes
called black amber and visa versa. When black amber is held up to the light,
it will usually be another color. The back-light shines through the amber and a
different color will show. This color is usually a dark red, blue, or brown.
It is criticized that the black amber is not truly black because of this
property and some people deny that black amber even exists. In my opinion, it
is only more beautiful because of it's ability to show a different color in the
light. The cost of black amber is slightly more expensive than the common
amber, but there is also not much of a demand for it.
photo by
R.Weller/Cochise College
Green
amber is very popular. It only accounts for about two percent of the amber, but
there is plenty of it found in the to supply the world. The Dominican Republic
is known for the best specimens of green amber. The one in the picture is for
sale at Amberica West for four hundred and eighty-nine dollars. It weighs
almost fifty-seven grams. The cost goes up as the shade of green, or any other
color, deepens in the rock. Lighter amber, or yellow-green amber is less
expensive. The stone pictured is a very deep green. That is rare to find, but
you can see why it is so valued. Green amber can also be treated by heating it
and it will become even more beautiful as it becomes more transparent. Also,
the green will show better when it is set in silver.
http://www.ambericawest.com/green.htm
White
amber is not talked about very much, and many people who know about green and
blue amber still will not know about it. White amber accounts for about one to
two percent of the world's supply. It is sometimes described as bony because of
it's milky color, and it is sometimes three dollars per gram. The interesting
thing about white amber is that it usually has streaks and mixes of other colors
in it. It is will even have some transparent amber through it sometimes, and
with each new color intrusion, the beauty of the amber is shown.
photo by R.Weller/Cochise College
The
second most rare amber is red amber. Only about one in every two hundred amber
specimens are red. The color is very authentic and can be very deep. When
people buy red amber, they buy it for the color and not for the insects that are
found in some amber. This amber is very expensive per gram, and the one in the
picture above is worth more than the average red amber. It is very unique. Red
amber is beautiful, but my personal favorite is blue amber.
photo by R.Weller/Cochise College
Blue
amber is the rarest of all the colors of amber. It is captivating to anyone who
beholds it. However, blue amber is fairly new to the gem industry. It must be
caught in the right light, or it will look like every other piece of
yellow-brown amber. A fascinating property of blue amber is the color that it
will change when a fluorescent light is shown on it. It will be a dazzling
bright blue because the fluorescents inside it will react to the light.
However, the same rock will look yellow or brownish when a white light source,
such as the natural sunlight, shines from behind it. That is why blue amber is
my favorite. It will change colors, and they are all beautiful. Blue amber is
almost completely found in the Dominican Republic.
http://www.ambericawest.com/blue.htm
Amber can no longer be thought of as simply the yellow-brownish color that we have come to associate it with. Amber can be almost any shade of the rainbow, naturally or enhanced. It is a beautiful gem, and will adorn any jewelry scheme, no matter which color you choose. All of the colors of amber have their own beauty.
References:
1.
http://www.truebalticamber.com
2. http://www.lariamber.com/ambercabs.html
3.
http://www.ambericawest.com/green.html
4.
http://www.ambergallery.lt/english/muziejus-spalvos.htm
5.
http://www.ambarazul.com/trueblue.html
6.
http://rayerminerals.homestead.com/Profile.html