(More than just) 50 shades of orange

When thinking about amber, people most likely envision an orange or yellow stone. And while these are the most common colours of amber, there are actually many more! Amber comes in a variety of shades (from red, white to even blue) and may also differ in the degree of transparency.

These differences occur as a result of diverse factors that influenced the process of amber creation. The environment, water, soil, tree type or even inclusions “trapped” within the resin, contribute profoundly to the colour palette of this gemstone.

Up until now, over 250 different varieties and 7 main colours of amber have been identified.

Among them we can distinguish: / Main colours include:

Yellow:

Yellow amber constitutes 70% of all natural deposits and can be found in the Baltic region, where it is praised for its high quality. The exact shade of the resin depends on the number of gas bubbles found within the amber – the higher the number of bubbles, the lighter the shade.

Orange:

Whiskey-coloured amber is the most common shade right after yellow amber. This category includes transparent cognac gems as well as opaque orange stones. Cognac amber is very popular among jewellers due to its light transmission.

White:

One of the most appreciated and rare colours. It accounts for less than 2% of all amber found in nature. What is more, it is quite difficult to find stones that are completely pure as the majority of them contain impurities. However, even white amber with impurities is praised for its multicolour swirls which create unique organic patterns.

Green:

This very popular shade only accounts for app. 2% of all natural amber. The lighter greens or yellow- green shades tend to be less expensive while the stones in deeper green are extremely rare and therefore cost more. It is worth mentioning that in the past people believed that green amber brings immortality and good luck.

Red:

This shade is often referred to as “cherry amber” and is rarely natural (only one in every two hundred amber stones is red). In most cases, it is created by exposing other colours of amber to very high temperatures. Based on archaeological findings, long ago red amber was recognized as one of the most expensive gems.

Blue:

This shade of amber is considered to be the rarest and highly valued. Only about 0.2% of amber comes in this colour and usually, it is a small portion of a larger chunk in a different colour. What’s fascinating, blue amber may turn into a very bright blue shade when exposed to fluorescent lights! The largest deposits of blue amber can be found in the Dominican Republic.

Black:

Roughly 15% of all the gems that are found naturally are black. A darker shade forms when the not- fully-fossilized resin is mixed with soil, debris, or other residuals. In fact, if you hold black amber up to any light source, you’ll notice that it’s actually an entirely different colour (usually brown or dark red). This property leads people to question whether or not this colour should be included in the classification.

Regardless of colour, amber is an excellent addition to any jewellery box. Each piece comes with a unique story and no two stones are exactly identical. A piece of jewellery made from any shade of amber is exquisite and can truly reflect your individuality!