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IF YOU PICK AMBER, YOU SEEK TO BE CALM, COOL, COLLECTED.
♦ OLDEN DAYS MYTHS
People believed amber balanced their moods and helped them think more clearly. It was thought to reduce anxiety, bringing serenity and confidence.
♦ ROCK-SOLID FACTS
Amber isn't actually a mineral. It's the ancient hardened resin, or sap, of living plants such as pine trees. Sometimes leaves, bits of dirt, and even insects such as the wasp at right were trapped in the resin as it solidified, and you can still see them inside. You also can often see tiny bubbles of air trapped inside amber. Amber can be golden, green, or red.
♦ ROCK ON
Amber was one of the earliest trade goods. You can trace an ancient amber trade route from the Baltic Sea, where a lot of amber is found, all the way to Rome. There the amber was carved into jewelry and figurines. It is still highly prized as a gem.
>> BLOODSTONE
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Photographs by Chip Clark (agate); Chip Clark/NMNH/Smithsonian Institution (moonstone, citrine, malachite, lapis lazuli, jade, rose quartz, clear quartz); Layne Kennedy/Corbis (amber); Julie West/Rainbow (bloodstone); Martin Walz (map) |
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