Black amber jewellery is coveted since it is so rare, and in fact, what is termed natural black amber is not really black at all but a deep brown or maybe even red or very dark blue. Some retailers may loosely use the phrase black amber jewellery to describe pieces created with lignite coal, which is not amber at all, while others may use regular colored amber that has been heat treated, which will appear black.
What is Black Amber? Is it really Amber?
Although some deep amber colors may appear black, and others are blackened by being heated in an autoclave to be made black and there are varieties of amber that have absorbed soil to look black, and a variety that is fossilized wood, there really is no naturally occurring pure black amber. But putting the technical categories aside and judging amber by its appearance, there is a lot of beautiful and finely crafted black amber jewellery available around the world. And if it is heat treated amber and not lignite coal or fossilized wood, then it is still genuine amber, albeit with a help from man to darken its appearance.
Genuine Silver Amber Earrings and Jewellery
Since amber is an affordable gemstone it is usually set into silver designs to keep the jewellery as inexpensive as possible. Amber beads may be strung with silk thread and amber pendants are often threaded onto thin strips of leather, but bracelets, rings and earrings are almost exclusively designed with sterling silver finding, attached to silver chain or set in solid sterling silver mountings. You'll find that in general black jewelry is about the same price as regular amber creations so it certainly isn't going to break the bank, even for a particularly nice piece. Expect to pay about $22 to $25 for pair of basic silver amber earrings, while $50 ought to buy you something rather special. If you can find a specialist amber retailer in your local area that will be your best bet for finding quality designs. Other than that there are plenty of shops on the Internet who can supply what you need.