Amber (C,H,O) is fossilized resin, principally from extinct coniferous trees. As resin from trees dried 40-60 million years ago, sometimes insects became trapped within the sticky substance and were thus fossilized with it. The largest source of amber has been the Baltic coast for several thousand years. Amber has long been valued for jewelry, partly due to its light weight and warmth to the touch.


The word "electricity" is derived from the Greek name for amber, electrum. This is because amber can acquire an electric charge when rubbed, a property first described in 600 BC. The single largest use of amber was the creation of the "Amber Room" in Catherine the Great's palace in Russia, a room completely lined and decorated with cut amber.


Metaphysically Known For: Light, warmth, solar energies, clarification, healing