• Amber is fossilized tree resin and may contain organic matter.amber image by Maxim Petrichuk from Fotolia.com
  
  Amber is an organic stone or crystal made of hardened, fossilized tree resin and may contain organic material or air bubbles. Amber is most often a yellow, orange or brown color, but it may also be white, blue, green, black or violet. According to the Semi-precious Stones website, amber is most often found near ancient seabeds.
  
  

Physical Properties

• Amber is a relatively soft stone with a hardness of .20 to 2.5. It has electromagnetic properties and can draw dust and other fine particles. Amber is warm to the touch and has a smooth, silky feel. The purest amber is found around the Baltic Sea and is the most prized. Amber deposits are also found in the Dominican Republic, and these deposits are more likely to contain encapsulated pieces of organic material. The organic material captured in the amber may contain whole insects, small animals or plant tissue. This organic material is at least tens of thousands of years old.
  
  

Economic Properties

• Amber has been prized by many civilizations since the Stone Ages and considered very valuable. According to Fine Jewelry Designs, amber jewelry and beads over 8,000 years old have been discovered in northern European grave sites. According to David Federnan with the International Colored Gemstone Association, amber figurines in ancient Rome were more valuable than a healthy, human slave. Amber was valued in many ancient cultures including the Egyptians, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Etruscans, and Greeks. Amber has also been discovered in Egyptian mummies. Amber continues to be valued in the 21st century, and natural amber jewelry is the most common use. Some crystal practitioners believe that amber can bring success and wealth to the possessor.
  
  

Physical Healing Properties

• According to the Peaceful Minds website, Native Americans and Asians wore amber as a healing stone. Wiccans and Shamans also wore the stone because they believed it offered protection and enhancement of their healing abilities. According to Emily's Gems, physicians in ancient cultures prescribed amber for heart problems, arthritis, headaches, and many additional ailments. Fine Jewelry Designs reports that amber was burned during childbirth to cleanse the air and that some ancients believed that amber could improve eyesight if the possessor gazed into it. Although amber's healing properties have not been validated by any scientific study, some crystal practitioners believe that amber's electromagnetic properties have the ability to draw disease from the body through detoxification and can relieve physical pain by drawing out the negative energy.
  
  

Emotional and Mental Health Properties

• According to Fine Jewelry Designs, some cultures believed that amber could attract love because it was soft, warm to the touch and electromagnetic. Crystal lore claims that amber calms nerves, strengthens confidence, helps to recover memories, and that it can ease eccentric behavior and anxiety.