Stone(s): Genuine Baltic honey amber, pearl, clear quartz and aquamarine with ebony wood clasp Width (widest section): 2 inches Length: 8 inches Clasp: Toggle Weight: 23.2 grams Stamp/Mark: N/A Serial Number: b20712 Amber, an organic gemstone, is the fossilized resin of prehistoric trees which grew up to 50 million years ago. The stone has been used for jewelry since the time of Christ. The world's finest amber comes from the region around the Baltic sea. Aquamarine, along with emerald, is a gemstone variety of the silicate mineral beryl. Its name meaning "sea water," aquamarine ranges in color from a sea-green to a sky-blue and generally forms large, somewhat clear crystals. In ancient times, aquamarine jewelry was thought to protect sailors. Natural pearls are formed when an foreign object becomes trapped in the shell of an oyster or pearl and the animal surrounds the object with several mineral layers in order to protect its soft tissue. Most pearls sold today are farmed pearls, created by intentionally inserting small mother-of-pearl beads in the oyster's shell. The resulting pearls are harvested up to two years later. Pearls come in a range of pastel colors from cream to blue to pink, and irregularly shaped pearls are often called "baroque" pearls. Mabe pearls are hemispherical cultured pearls grown against the inside shell of an oyster rather than in the mollusk's body. Mabe pearls are typically used in settings such as that conceal their flat backs.
