Amber

Amber is the first & oldest geological specimen to be used in jewelry. Archeologists digging primitive sites near the Baltic sea have found evidence of Amber jewelry that is approximately 40,000 years old.

Amber & Copal are not minerals, they are organic compounds. However, geological forces do play an important role in forming Copal & Amber. Some 360 million years ago, extinct pine trees oozed thick sticky resins. As these resins flowed, a variety of living & decomposing matter became trapped inside.

Unlike minerals that become included in molten magma flows, these inclusions did not influence the color of Amber. Although, they can influence the value of a specimen.

As this goo hardens, it first becomes Copal. For the Copal to become Amber it will have to fossilize under great pressures. This would happen as the young Mother Earth heaved & churned, burying the ancient Pine Trees. Resins that remained closer to the surface survived as Copal.

Entities that were trapped in the original flow, became perfectly preserved specimens of primal life on Earth. The theory behind the infamous Jurassic Park movies, is that DNA can be extracted from these fossils & used to clone dinosaurs.

Amber has some unique properties. An ethereal oil can be distilled from it, though a good size specimen may only yield minute amounts. When dissolved in oil of turpentine or linseed oil, it creates a premium varnish. Amber-lac or Amber-varnish is extremely hard & imparts a dark rich color to the wood.
Around 600 bc, a Greek named Thales discovered that by rubbing an Amber vigorously, it became electrically charged. The ancient name for Amber was Electron, which is the root word for today’s electricity.

Most Copal & Amber specimens are going to be in the gold to lemon yellow color ranges. Rare occurrences of reds, blues, greens & blackish green have been found. The Dominican Republic is responsible for much of the red & blue Amber on the market.

The oldest Amber specimens come from areas around the Baltic Sea (as do specimens from Ozark Rock Exchange). It is not unusual for chunks to wash up on shore. Many of the primal forests & their resins were buried in clay beneath the younger sea. Violent storm swells break loose the Amber & it is brought ashore on the waves. Amber weighs the same as salt water, therefore it will float to the surface when freed. Burma, Sicily, Romania & Poland are also historic sources of Amber.

Canada, Mexico & Columbia boast some nice Amber finds. Columbia also has some occurrences of Copal, that some dealers have tried to represent as Amber.

A simple, quick test for Copal vs. Amber is to burn a small piece of the specimen. Amber lets off a distinctly pleasant aroma, while Copal is less pleasant & fortunately less potent.

Copal is found in Africa, South America, Australia & Madagascar as well.
Just like its ancient history as a jewelry stone, Amber’s past as a power tool reaches back to man’s earliest memories.

Apollo cried Amber tears after being banished from Olympus. Magicians & Sorcerers used it to enhance their powers. Medieval housewives would burn Amber to remove negativity from their homes. Tribal healers in Native American societies used it in fire ceremonies.

I’ll review the individual energies attributed to Copal & Amber separately. Beginning with the younger, softer Copal.

COPAL
I highly recommend Copal as a beginner’s stone for children. As Amber’s young sister, it’s milder nature should be perfect as a starting tool.

Copal allows you to activate your Crown Chakra to receive from the universe, yet assists you in remaining physically alert.

Use it to remove thought patterns that keep you from beginning a new project. Copal gives physical strength, it will aid you in realizing the full potential of your mind while increasing psychic abilities.

Ancient healers used a ground powder of Copal as an antibiotic. They also used it to communicate with their Spirit Guides for help in diagnosing illnesses.
Copal can help with heart ailments, restore vitality after illness & give you a healthier kidney & bladder.

AMBER
You can use this fossil to heighten your creativity, be more flexible & make your own wishes come true. Many ancient traditions associate Amber with the universal life force, essentially life has been trapped inside.

Like Copal, Amber is excellent at removing self-imposed obstacles, it also imparts a positive attitude that is fueled by self confidence. Amber can initiate a steady flow of money coming to you. In fact it enhances any energies you are attempting to create for attracting something into your life.

It has been used to guard against impotency & promote fertility. Many early Amber carvings were of animals associated with conception, frogs, rabbits or fish.

Amber beads can bring you new friends or protect you from disease. Powders were burned to relieve the pain during childbirth, or the fumes inhaled to stop nosebleeds. Amber will relieve your headache, sore throat, digestive problems or reduce your fever.