AMBER
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Amber can be up to 300 million years old. At that time, it was liquid resin from ancient trees. Over the course of millions of years it turned to a hard material. So Amber is not really a stone. Nevertheless, it is one of the most popular gemstones. Since the beginning of history humans used it for jewellery and art. Amber is also one of the oldest commodities in the world. It was used as a means of paying, just like gold. Some objects found in the Mediterranean and in Egypt, are more than 6,000 years old.
Baltic amber originated about 50 - 70 million years ago, during the age of mammalian development. By contrast, the blue amber from the Dominican Republic is still relatively young. Its age is estimated at around 35 million years
Amber can be up to 300 million years old. At that time, it was liquid resin from ancient trees. Over the course of millions of years it turned to a hard material. So Amber is not really a stone. Nevertheless, it is one of the most popular gemstones. Since the beginning of history humans used it for jewellery and art. Amber is also one of the oldest commodities in the world. It was used as a means of paying, just like gold. Some objects found in the Mediterranean and in Egypt, are more than 6,000 years old.
Baltic amber originated about 50 - 70 million years ago, during the age of mammalian development. By contrast, the blue amber from the Dominican Republic is still relatively young. Its age is estimated at around 35 million years
Amber beads were found in Ferns, Co Wexford. They probably came from the Baltic region. A few years ago, a pupil from Lithuania brought me a piece of amber that he had found on the beach near his home in Lithunia. He told me that they were found all over the beach.