Amber is resin that seeped out of trees millions of years ago and became rigid over time. Amber is yellowish to deep orange or orange-brown in color and is hard enough to be polished for use in jewelry. Amber can be opaque or clear and it sometimes contains plants, seeds, insects and other items that became trapped as the gooey sap flowed from trees.

Two ways to tell the genuine amber and the plastic imitation

1. The genuine amber floats in salt water, while the plastics sink. ?But please note if the amber jewelry is with metal cannot float.

2. Touch a hot needle onto the substance's surface. If the odor is pine-like, it should be amber as plastics and other human-made compounds will produce a chemical-like odor.

The Copal and the Blue Amber

Copal is the immature amber. If it is left on the tree for a few million more years, the copal will be the amber. Actually, copal is aromatic and has traditionally been used as incense. Blue amber is found in the Dominican Republic, a rare coloration. It doesn't actually appear to be blue in all types of light. According to experts, the blue shading is caused by fluorescence.