Baltic Amber & Ruby Hoop Earrings

2” long, 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.

Named for it’s red color, Ruby was not recognized as belonging to the corundum species until about 1800. Up til then red spinel and red garnet were also designated as ‘ruby’. Since the red color varies so much within each individual deposit, it is not possible to tell the source area just from the color so the designations “Burma ruby” & “Siam ruby” refer more to quality than origin. Rubies are the hardest minerals after diamonds but it can be very brittle when being shaped for jewelry. Inclusions are common and are not necessarily indicative of a lower quality, but rather shows the difference between a natural and synthetic stone and the type of inclusions can indicate the source area. Deposits have been found in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, India, Brazil, and the United States. In European lore in the Middle Ages, Ruby was believed to convey good health, resolve disagreements, and remove negative thoughts and was long revered as a stone of royalty.