Amber is prized as a jewelry item because of its gorgeous dark yellow tones, along with its reputed holistic properties as a bringer of good fortune. Although it’s found in many places, the two top areas for high-quality amber are the Baltic region (Estonia, Lativia and Lithuania) and the Dominican Republic. Baltic amber is generally older, having fossilized more than 40 million years ago, so it’s more valuable than Dominican amber, which is slightly younger at 25 to 40 million years of age.

Kristals Cosmetics’ focus on producing both high-quality jewelry and gemstone-infused cosmetic products that leverage the benefits of amber for the skin—especially evening skin tones and helping reduce wrinkles—has given the company some insights into what to look for when buying amber, so we share a few tips below.

#1 Authenticity
Casein, phenolic resin and celluloid are among the fake forms of amber out there. Testing it is tricky, with all kinds of options like rubbing tests that release the characteristic pine resin smell of amber, IR-spectroscopy and hot needles. One thing you can try is shining a UV light on it: real amber glows under UV light but fakes won’t. A simpler way would be to put seven teaspoons of salt in a bowl and fill with water, then add the amber. Fake amber won’t float, but real amber will.

#2 Color
Look for amber that’s a rich yellow shade with medium to strong darkness, though red pieces are also considered valuable.

#3 Clarity
Amber should be clear and you should see the inclusions (insects or bubbles), which make the stone more valuable.

#4 Cut and Shape
Amber is almost never faceted and most often cut en cabochon, which means it was shaped and polished but not faceted. The most common cabochon shape is oval, though you will see amber as stars, hexagons and even heart shapes.

About Kristals Cosmetics
Kristals Cosmetics has unlocked the holistically healing power of gemstones like amber to promote vibrant, radiant skin with a deep range of products, including creams, masks and serums. Kristals Cosmetics complements its gemstone-infused skincare products with leading-edge ingredients designed to pair perfectly with precious gems, including peptides, niacinamide and Vitamin C. In addition, Kristals features a full line of jewelry based on precious and semi-precious gemstones. You can find out more at Kristals.com or visit its other informational sites, like kristalsbeauty.com, kristalscosmetics.blogspot.com or kristalscosmetics.wordpress.com.