The Age Old Gem

Amber derives its name from the Middle English word ‘ambre’, from the Medieval Latin word ‘ambra’, and from the Arabic word ‘anbar ambergris’.

Amber – How Was It Made?

Amber is the fossilized resin from ancient forests. This aromatic resin dripped from and oozed down the trees, and filled the internal fissures. During this process it ended up trapping debris such as seeds, leaves, feathers and insects. Through a process of natural polymerization of the original organic compounds the resin got buried and fossilized. The majority of amber that is found today is approximately 30-90 million years old.

Amber – Where Is It Found?

The richest and largest amber deposits are found in the Baltic Sea region. The level of succinic acid contained in the amber is what determines its quality. Amber from the Baltic Sea region contains the highest level of succinic acid, and therefore is considered to be the highest quality amber you can find. » Read more: Amber

Tension settings have become extremely popular over the last couple of years due to the chic, modern look of them. But lately there has been a backlash of individuals who don’t think tension settings quite make the grade for securing the two-month’s salary that sits in them.

Judah Gutwein of Excel Diamonds, an online diamond retailer, says the company does not sell diamond tension settings. A recent thread on diamondvues.com quoted him as saying, “it [the tension setting] will not (and cannot) protect the integrity of your diamond the same way that a 4/6 prong setting will.” Many experts say that this type of ring does not give adequate protection to your diamond, especially if it is bumped or banged against a hard enough surface.

Others in the industry disagree — they say that a tension setting is actually stronger than a prong setting so the stone will actually be more secure. In tension settings, the whole ring holds the stone, doing away with prongs, channels, bezels, or other enclosures. Advocates of tension settings compare a stone being held in place by the ring itself, to a stone being held in place by a claw just a fortieth of an inch thick (in prong settings). » Read more: No Tension Over These Settings