topic Re: Amber in Jewelry

Amber

equss — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:01:54 GMT

The amber pieces were not shown for very long but they did look like they had a glow. I know nothing about how amber is graded, but Judith mentioned it is very high quality. Will it look like basic amber or might it be as rich looking as on the screen? Anyone know much about amber?? Thanks so much.

Re: Amber

MizKringle — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:45:33 GMT

I like amber but don't know as much about it as I do other stones. I know there are different shades, and larger sizes can get expensive. I know some vendors on other channels are now starting to use "compressed" amber to get the look for less money. In general, the quality of Judith's stones is much higher than other vendors overall, so my guess is that she has been very selective about the quality of amber that she put into her pieces. I've been looking for a new amber ring for years, and I ordered hers right away.

Re: Amber

equss — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:58:50 GMT

thank you Mskringle~

Re: Amber

MizKringle — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 01:04:34 GMT

You are welcome. Amber is a softer stone, so you need to be a little careful with it. No cleaning products, etc. But I've never had any trouble with my amber pieces.

ETA: Amber is very lightweight. I believe it will float in water. Sometimes people complain that it seems like plastic. But I don't feel that way at all. I think it's beautiful. They're just used to harder gemstones.

Re: Amber

stevieb — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 01:19:40 GMT

I don't care for amber but did think the ring was quite pretty. Didn't purchase it because I don't want amber in my collection, but it was a pretty piece, prettier than most amber I've seen before.

Re: Amber

Sakuya — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 01:26:53 GMT

I thought baltic amber was the ""good"" stuff and is the darker richer amber color that Judith was showing.

Re: Amber

MizKringle — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 01:52:01 GMT

Baltic amber comes in different colors. Some of the more common colors are golden yellow, honey, and cherry. You can usually see into amber and see bubbles and sometimes parts of critters. But some amber comes in a milky version which you can't see into at all - and that also comes in shades. Some Baltic amber is also green, but that's pretty rare. The pieces I've seen have shades of olive and forest green.

Re: Amber

Sakuya — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 01:55:24 GMT

I thought the green amber was dyed.

Re: Amber

MizKringle — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 02:12:13 GMT

The green amber from the Baltic is natural and not dyed. I don't have any green amber at all, but you can get some from the Caribbean too and I think that is supposed to be natural too - but maybe they treat some of it. I wouldn't be surprised if the shades of green differed based on place of origin.

Re: Amber

librisfb — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 03:07:23 GMT

Thanks for the info mskringle. I put the ring on check hold because I thought it was stunning but I wasn't sure if this was something 'really' good. (I've never had amber before and don't know a lot about it.) Sounds like this one is worth getting home to take a look. Thanks again.

Re: Amber

MizKringle — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 03:16:54 GMT

You're welcome. I hope you like it.

Re: Amber

Sakuya — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 05:27:49 GMT

On 2/2/2014 mskringle said:
The green amber from the Baltic is natural and not dyed. I don't have any green amber at all, but you can get some from the Caribbean too and I think that is supposed to be natural too - but maybe they treat some of it. I wouldn't be surprised if the shades of green differed based on place of origin.

Okay thanks!

Re: Amber

Susan Louise — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 06:00:52 GMT

Did anyone else find it odd that they rushed through the amber pieces segment/presentation?

I ordered the amber pendant...always wanted an amber piece of jewelry. I just think it's so cool that it's between 25-50 million years old!

Re: Amber

MizKringle — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 06:22:39 GMT

I was hoping they'd show it on a model, and was surprised they didn't.

Re: Amber

sugarflake — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 06:25:55 GMT

On 2/2/2014 mskringle said:
You are welcome. Amber is a softer stone, so you need to be a little careful with it. No cleaning products, etc. But I've never had any trouble with my amber pieces.

ETA: Amber is very lightweight. I believe it will float in water. Sometimes people complain that it seems like plastic. But I don't feel that way at all. I think it's beautiful. They're just used to harder gemstones.

Amber is not a stone but sap from a tree. The best amber comes from Poland. I have collected amber for 30 yrs. It comes in a cherry color, a honey color , a yellow even a pale almost white yellow and very dark root beer. They mold it into shapes. Its very light. The way to determine if its real is to rub it together if it is beads and if a ring, earrings or bracelet set in metal is to stick a hot needle into it and if real will reveal a pine tree odor.

Re: Amber

sugarflake — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 06:33:56 GMT

There is also some pressed amber out there which is compressed from scraps. I stay away from that.

Re: Amber

ennui1 — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 06:58:31 GMT

On 2/2/2014 mskringle said:
You are welcome. Amber is a softer stone, so you need to be a little careful with it. No cleaning products, etc. But I've never had any trouble with my amber pieces.

If you get it hot, it will melt. Don't clean it in hot water.

Re: Amber

MizKringle — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 07:15:58 GMT

sugarflake - I agree that amber is not a stone but is tree sap. I was not being precise in my terms. I also have amber in many different colors, including the milky variety. Some of mine is newer, but I also have a few pieces from my mother.

Re: Amber

MizKringle — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 07:17:52 GMT

On 2/2/2014 ennui1 said:
On 2/2/2014 mskringle said:
You are welcome. Amber is a softer stone, so you need to be a little careful with it. No cleaning products, etc. But I've never had any trouble with my amber pieces.

If you get it hot, it will melt. Don't clean it in hot water.

Good point. No ultrasonic cleaners. Just a soft damp cloth as needed.

Re: Amber

Kachina624 — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 07:21:04 GMT

Usually the most valuable amber is that contains debris, especially intact insects. If it's perfectly clear, it's not considered to be of much value. A piece containing a whole insect could be worth thousands of dollars. It's hard to find those piece anymore but I used to see them.