The Etruscans prized it as highly as gold. In Greek mythology, it was the tears of Apollo's daughters, solidified when they cried for their dead brother Phaeton. The Greeks considered the internal fossils and impurities gifts of the Gods. They called it "elektron" since it acquires a strong electric charge when rubbed with fur. Our word for "electricity" derived from it. To the Romans a single piece was worth more than a slave. Roman peasants used it to cure diseases of the neck and head. In the New World, the Maya burned it as incense to treat a variety of ailments. From Central America to the Far East, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, cultures have used it as a powerful medicine and as a medium for exquisite jewelry and works of fine art.
       Amber is found in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, and the Dominican Republic. It is a fossilized resin that fell from gigantic prehistoric trees 40 billion years ago. It rolled down mountain hills, collecting flora and fauna on its way.
       Today, Amber retains much of its magic and all of its appeal. It is highly prized in jewelry for its beautiful colors, individual variations, luster, lightweight and warm touch. Many Amber pieces have "fossil inclusions." These rare, perfectly preserved insects and vegetable fossils have provided scientists with invaluable information, and are a ceaseless wonder to the collector.
       Amber is symbolic of many things -matrimony, the tenth wedding anniversary, an alternative birthstone for November, worn as a talisman to dispel soreness of the throat, to protect the wearer against the perils of war, and simply as a good luck charm.