Amber is a fossilized resin made from a species Pine trees named 'Pinus Succinisera' which grew over 45 years ago. They were primarily found Baltic region the European mainland. is also found in Malaysia, England, Russia, Sicily, Germany, North America, Rumania, Myanmar the Dominican Republic.
The Germans called amber by the name of 'Bernstein', due to the sweet smell it emitted when burnt. The Greeks called it 'Elektron' due to its properties of developing static electricity when rubbed. Amber is known as 'Kerba' in the local markets in India.
There are deposits of amber in the western hemisphere, particularly in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and in New Jersey. An especially rich bed of amber in New Jersey has yielded over 100 previously unknown extinct Cretaceous species dating back as much as 94 million years.
The Baltic area still remains the most important source of amber. Rich deposits of amber are found particularly in Knigsberg, which was previously in East Prussia, and is known as Kaliningrad (which, until recently was a part of USSR).
The variety of amber originating from this area is known as 'Succinite'. It is found here at two sources: from the sea and by mining. The sea amber from this area is easily carried by the sea, and can also be found in all parts of the Baltic coast, even as far away as Norway, Denmark and the east coast of Britain.
Amber found in Sicily, along the Simeto River near Catania is reddish brown, fluorescent, and is known as 'Simetite'. 'Roumanite' is a variety of amber found in Romania, and it can be quite variable in color. Amber found at Gdansk or Danzig is known as 'Gedanite'. This is softer and lighter than most amber stones. There are numerous small deposits of amber found in the USA.
In the Russian Baltic Region, west of Kaliningrad, you can find the largest mine. Baltic amber is found in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia, and occasionally washed up on the shores of the Baltic Sea as far away as Denmark, Norway, and England. Canada, Germany, Romania, Mexico, Sicily, Lebanon, and Myanmar (Burma) are the other places where Amber is found.
The amber was mined in the mountains of Lebanon by Aftim Acra, who has a collection of amber pieces containing 700 insects, including termites, moths, caterpillars, spiders, pseudo-scorpions, and midges. More than 1,000 extinct species of insects have been identified in amber.
Mithun Rao, a gemologist has an obsession for gems and precious stones since more than 10 years. He also shares a passion for music, painting and meditation. Apart from running his own jewelry store he owns and manages the site http://www.gehnabazaar.com . click here to know more about amber gemstone.