Baltic Amber & Freshwater Pearl Earrings

1.75" long, top drill Amber, 5mm Freshwater Pearl, sterling silver wire and ear wires.

Amber is a natural material made up of fossilized tree resin. It varies in color from yellow to brown to red and is often transparent with plant or insect inclusions. Baltic Amber, which is usually considered to be the finest, was formed from the resins of coniferous trees 30 to 60 million years ago but younger Ambers exist and are known to come from the Dominican Republic. Amber can be ignited by a match and smells like incense and when rubbed with a cloth it becomes electrically charged and can attract small particles. The largest deposit in the world is in Kaliningrad, Russia and only 15% of what is mined is suitable for jewelry. There are also large reserves on the seabed of the Baltic. After heavy storms it is common for Amber have washed up on shore or to be found in shallow waters.

Pearls come in many colors, usually depending on mollusk and water that it grew in, and are usually found in oysters. They are built up mother-of-pearl (calcium carbonate) and though the beads used in jewelry are typically small, they are extraordinarily compact which makes it very hard to crush them.