(Fossil resin)

Millions of years ago, there used to exist large coniferous forests. Giant trees would secrete a resin that, put under optimal environmental conditions for thousands of years, fossilised into amber.

Due to its organic origin, amber often contains particles of pollen, vegetable matter, and even some tiny insects that got trapped in the once fragrant and sticky resin.

Amber's main characteristics are its light weight (which is the reason why it may sometimes float on salty water), and its low thermal conductivity, which makes it seem warm at the touch. When burnt, it gives off a strong smell, similar to that of incense. Therefore its name: "AL ANBAR", which in Arabic means "perfume, odour".

Amber was the material involved in the first discoveries made in the field of electrical energy, because it has the power of acquiring an electric charge by friction. The Greek name for amber is "Elektron".

The Etruscans started keeping amber jewels in their tombs as soon as the 6^th c. BC. They imported this gemstone from the faraway Baltic Sea along the "Amber Road", as did the Greek. The Amber Road was an ancient trade route used by the Romans to exchange some goods for amber.

The traditional amber-producing countries lie, as we have mentioned, near the Baltic Sea, and there is a major trade market in Poland. Amber from this area was used in the construction of the "Amber Room" in 1717, which was given as a present to Tsar Peter the Great. The Amber Room was put down to pieces by Nazi Germany in 1941, and knowledge of its whereabouts was lost.  

Santo Domingo also has large amber resources, and very interesting specimens have been found in Alava (Spain), although these are not for sale.

Amber may be found in a wide range of very distant latitudes worldwide and date back to different periods of history. This is why amber specimens may contain a variety of vegetable and animal matter and are therefore valuable "records" that allow us to further our knowledge in fields such as paleozoology and paleobotanics.

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park made amber famous as study material. This fantasy film used the idea that blood could be removed from the gut of a mosquito that had fed on a dinosaur or other animals and that had been preserved in amber. The DNA chain might then be extracted from this blood sample to recreate dinosaurs in a lab. Apparently, this idea remains pure fantasy, since the DNA chain undergoes natural decay and only very small fragments are left.

Amber is said to have healing powers and to prevent heart diseases. It has also been stated that, when in contact with the skin, amber produces "positive feelings" which help you relax, favour inner bliss, and reduce anxiety. In a dream, giving or receiving amber means you are in for an unexpected financial gain or that you are about to recover something you lost. Amber is the gem of the sun.