Amber
Amber is the fossilized resin of ancient trees, chemically altered under enormous heat and pressure underground. Amber is one of the five "life gems" derived from living things. (Pearl, Jet, Coral, and Ammolite are the others.) Occasionally, insects and even tiny frogs that were trapped in the tree's sticky resin are found perfectly preserved in amber. Then amber's mysterious powers are amplified.
A gem of life, amber opens the spirit to recollections of past lives and ancient, forgotten wisdom. It enhances intuition, including the ability to detect the hidden secrets and motives of others. Amber is therefore a powerfully protective gem for those who listen to their feelings about people and situations.
The Ancient Greek word for amber was "elektron," from which our modern word "electron" for the negatively-charged subatomic particle is derived. When rubbed with fur, or the hair on one's body, amber acquires a negative charge. Amber draws negative energies from the body, and absorbs negative energies before they can enter the body.
When muscles are sore from exercise, rubbing them with amber will provide relief. Amber worn around the throat wards against and hastens the curing of upper respiratory infections.
The Baltic sea area is the world's biggest source of amber. Merchants there like to claim that amber must be at least 60 million years old in order to be fully "cooked" and powerful. Naturally, their amber is over 60 million years old! They refer to anything younger as "copal" and claim it is inferior to "true" amber.
But amber found in the State of New Jersey is up to 90 million years old. In truth, amber is found all over the world -- there have been trees all over the world for millions of years!
The Dominican Republic produces a striking green-gold amber, and the extremely rare and precious blue color. Mexican amber, especially from the State of Chiapas, is highly prized for its bronze-green color. The tropical island of Borneo yields amber that ranges from honey-gold to chocolate brown in a single fist-sized specimen. Other significant amber sources include Burma, Sicily, and Romania.
Amber is associated with the Sun and the element Fire. It is especially effective on Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Amber is not one of the modern birth stones chosen by the American jewelry trade. But astrologers consider amber the lucky stone of the signs Leo, Virgo, and Gemini.