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(between 1 and 2 million years). It was first found floating in the Baltic Sea. It was the world’s first gold and was used as currency, marking many of the earliest trading routes. It is extremely lightweight to wear. Huge pieces can be worn without the weight of large stones. Amber is an organic precious gem, like coral, pearls, jet and ivory. Preferably Amber has inclusions, the reverse of what we look for in diamonds. Amber was formed millions of years ago from tree resin. It is fossilized resin. 25 to 125 million years ago special trees produced special, huge flows of resin. Some of this resin went through the complete gem-making process that produced AMBER. Some resins fossilized, but did not make it to the gem stage. There was a critical point in time and conditions that turned the resin into a gem. THREE PREHISTORIC TREES have been identified as producers of resin that resulted in gem amber: in the Baltic Sea regions a Cedar, which may still he found in Northern Africa, Gut does not now produce gem amber, the flowering Agathis whose closet descendant is the Giant Redwood, and in the Dominican Republic, a flowering leguminous tree whose closest living relative is the Royal Poinciana of Florida. There are no conditions present in our world which will produce gem Amber, as far as known. Major land mining areas are the Dominican Republic and Russia. Lesser amounts come from the North Sea and shore, Baltic Sea amid shore amid Polish land mines. All Amber mined in Poland legally is used in their jewelry only. Inclusions occurred when the resins flowed over things in the primitive forest, or insects were drawn to it and got stuck into it or things fell into it. There were various stages of preservation depending on how soon the thing got embalmed or encased. People who love unique, one-of-a-kind collectibles wil1 instantly recognize Amber as a very desirable possession. Rare inclusions add to its value, as they help us learn about our planet before people. Some amber was created during the reign of the dinosaur. |
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