Amber is a fossilized pine tree sap produced by ancient plants that existed 40-50 million years ago. It often has various insects captured inside its body. It is a natural product and not a mineral. Amber is mostly known in its warm, translucent deep yellow form.
Two most important sources of amber found on the market today are the cost of Baltic Sea and the Dominican Republic. Baltic Sea Amber is older and preferred on the market, even though that amber from the Dominican Republic is more likely to have insect inclusions. Prices of amber pieces range from $20 to well over $40,000.
Due to the drop of communist rule in the recent years and fortunately for amber enthusiasts, amber from the Baltic Sea is more widely available on the market than in the past. The largest mine of amber is located in Russia, west of city of Kaliningrad.
Baltic amber is also found in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and occasionally washed up on the shores of the Baltic Sea as far away as Denmark, Norway, or England. Other amber sources include Mexico, Myanmar, Romania, Lebanon, Germany, Sicily and Canada.
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