Amber Gemstone

Color

May be seen in yellow, orange and brown colours and rarely as blue and green.
Impurities and organic substances cause colours in amber.
Green and blue ambers are so perceived due to strong fluorescence in some amber from the Dominican Republic

Clarity

Amber often possess gas bubbles which vary in size and quantity within each piece. In the space between the bubbles, the resin is clear
The bubble inclusions actually interfere with the passage of light through the amber, resulting in the dilution and variation of color and opaqueness. For example, there are so many bubbles in milky amber, when examined under the microscope, it resembles sea foam – thus causing the solid milky color.

Cut

Most amber is fashioned as cabochons or rounded or free-form beads, and are rarely faceted

Treatment

Heating in oil causes some cloudy amber to clarify, or to produce darker amber colours
Amber is sometimes dyed to add a darker tone to lighter materials
Two factors that affect the color of amber is air and the actual tree source

Care

While rings using amber are used, the user must take special care
Avoid rough handling, heat and chemicals for all amber
They are soft, occasionally brittle, and porous enough to be attacked by acids
Cleaning may be performed using a dampened cloth or a moistened soft bristle toothbrush
Strong colours in amber are considered collector items, as is any amber containing unusual insects. Entomologists seeking to understand a bygone world often collect these amber samples for further study.