Is green amber a “real” form of amber?
Natural green amber is very pale yellow green – almost clear. Generally it contains many inclusions of plant debris and earth sediments – so much so that it is sometimes referred to as “earth amber”. It doesn’t look anything like the green amber found on the market today. The deep color of modern green amber is created by applying a jeweler’s paste to the back of the specimen and heat treating it. Sometimes it is simply heated and set with a silver backing. This might sound like cheating, but this type of green amber is in fact accepted by the Amber Association in Poland. Treatment is a common practice among gemologists and is used to bring out the color and shine of many other gemstones, such as peridot, citrine, and turquoise.
