The Germans called amber by the name of 'Bernstein', due to the sweet smell it emitted when burnt. Since amber gave off static electricity when it was rubbed, the Greeks called it 'Elektron'. In the local markets of India, amber is often called as 'Kerba'.
In the Western Hemisphere, there are rich deposits of amber found in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the state of 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.
However, the most important source of Amber still remains the Baltic area. Rich deposits of amber are found particularly in Königsberg, which was previously in East Prussia, and now 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 other amber stones. There are numerous small deposits of amber found in the USA.
The largest mine in the Baltic region is in Russia, west of Kaliningrad. 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. Other amber sources include Myanmar (formerly Burma), Lebanon, Sicily, Mexico, Romania, Germany, and Canada.
Aftim Acra mined amber in the moountains of Lebanon and he has a large collection of amber pieces that contain over 700 different insects, moths, termites, caterpillars, midges, spiders and pseudo-scorpions. More than 1,000 extinct species of insects have been identified in amber.
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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 runnig his own jewelry store he owns and manages the site on gemstones, diamonds and jewelry industry. Click here to know more about amber gemstone or visit http://www.gehnabazaar.com
