Grading Amber
Shades of Amber Color
Dominican Amber viewed on a white background in daylight, The shades of amber can have blue and green color. Finding Blue AAA with brown is extremely rare, which makes the blue darker and more intense.
Although consumers are most familiar with yellow and golden amber, the gem can be white, yellow, and orange to reddish brown. Reddish amber is more valuable than golden amber, which is more valuable than yellow amber. Rarely, strong fluorescence can give amber a bluish or greenish appearance, which when attractive can be highly valuable. Oxidation might cause the material to change color over time. Choosing a color is personal choice although when it comes to Blue amber color grading is very important. Dominican Blue amber comes is numerous shades of blue, the more extreme the blue the higher there price.
Colors of Dominican Amber
Clarity Grade
Transparent amber is more valuable than cloudy material. An interesting plant or animal inclusion adds to the value of an amber specimen. Dominican Republic has the clearest amber in the world, Grading the clarity is quite a task.
100% Clarity is very rare, the larger the specimen the more difficult it is to find.
AAA- No Inclusions 5% of all amber in the world is AAA clarity.
AAB- Total Opaque even color through the Amber. This Amber is found in Sumatra and the Baltic.
AA- Inclusion up-to 15% of the Amber
A- Inclusion up-to 15% of the Amber. It Includes smoke dots and vegetation.
B- Heavy Included 16% to 35% of the Amber.
C- Inclusion cover 36% to 60% of the Amber.
D- Extremely Included 61% to 99% of the Amber.
E- Solid. Mostly found in Sumatra.
Cut
Amber is commonly polished into a free-form shape that follows the original shape of the rough. It might then be set into jewelry or drilled for stringing. Cutting styles for amber include beads, cabochons, and free-form polished pieces. Amber might be faceted, but this is rare.
Weight
Amber has a lower relative density than salt water so it can feel very light, even in large sizes. This makes it possible to use fairly large sizes in amber jewelry. Amber is mostly sold by the gram.
Sample Of Grade
The first Letters is the shade of the Amber
Second Letters is the Clarity of the Amber
Third Letters is the Color (Hue of the Amber)
If there is a “X” in the front it means the Amber is raw, semi polished, or entirely polished.
SAMPLE Bead or Cabochon – DY/AAA/AA (Shade/Clarity/Color)
SAMPLE Raw, Semi-polished or Polished – XDY/AAA/AA (Raw Shade/Clarity/Color)
