Amber is technically an organic, not a gemstone. It is the fossilized sap of prehistoric trees that grew over fifty million years ago. Amber is most commonly available in a golden orange yellow; but green, white, black, red and violet amber are also naturally occuring. Amber occasionally holds insects or plant materials that were trapped inside of it millions of years ago. Any irregularities in a piece of amber add considerably to its interest and value.
Amber
was known and prized throughout the ancient world. During the Mycenaean era,
the ancient city of Troy had control of trade routes to the Baltic Sea, and
in consequence, had become rich by controlling all exports of amber into the
ancient world. Historically, the event that was mytholigized and rhapsodized
as the Trojan War was probably a war to gain control over the amber trade.
Amber has a hardness of 2 and a specific gravity of 1.08. Amber is found in the Baltic Sea region and throughout Scandinavia.