Tree resin turned to stone, sometimes with something still inside it.
The aesthetic
Amber is fossilised tree resin, tens of millions of years old, ranging from pale honey through orange to a deep cherry red and occasionally green or blue in certain light. It is warm to the touch, light enough to float in salt water, and will hold a static charge when rubbed, which is where the word electricity comes from. Inclusions of insects, seeds and air bubbles are common and are the surest sign it is genuine.
The dynamic
Amber is one of the oldest protective materials in continuous use, associated with warmth, drawing out what is stagnant, and with the long patience of something that took an age to form.
Some variations
- baltic amber
- dominican blue amber
- burmite
- amber with inclusions
- butterscotch amber