The facts
What blue Amber actually is
The species behind blue Amber is fossil Hymenaea resin that fluoresces strongly blue under daylight UV; the body colour itself is honey-brown, Fossilised terpenoid resin containing perylene-type aromatic hydrocarbons; it forms in the amorphous system.
Not a body colour: blue is UV-excited fluorescence from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, visible against a dark background in sunlight is responsible for the colour — and the chromophore, not the name, is what decides whether a colour is stable.
On the instruments it reads a refractive index of 1.539-1.545 and a specific gravity of about 1.04-1.08, with none; conchoidal fracture cleavage.
Where blue Amber comes from
Commercial material comes from Los Cacaos and Palo Quemado, Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic, La Cumbre, Santiago Province, Dominican Republic and Chiapas, Mexico (weaker blue).
Different localities give different colour and different clarity, and the trade prices them differently. We state which one.
How blue Amber is treated
Untreated in the genuine article; the effect cannot be induced. Widely faked with UV-dyed copal or plastic, and with ordinary amber photographed under a UV torch. Sumatran 'blue amber' is younger, softer resin with a similar but weaker effect. No CITES.
We state the treatment on every stone, including when the honest answer is that it cannot be determined. A treatment disclosed is a fact; a treatment discovered later is a refund.
What blue Amber is confused with
Watch for UV-dyed copal, Sumatran blue-fluorescing resin and Resin with optical brightener added — these are what turn up sold under this name.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.539-1.545 and specific gravity 1.04-1.08 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What blue Amber is used for
The trades that buy blue Amber are jewellery and mineral collecting. They do not want the same thing, and they do not pay in the same unit.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat or by the specimen.
Durability and care
Hardness 2-2.5; cleavage none; conchoidal fracture. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What blue Amber costs
Expect roughly $50-400 per gram for genuine strong-blue Dominican material; top sky-blue pieces exceed $1,000 per gram, depending on quality.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is blue Amber treated, and how?
Untreated in the genuine article; the effect cannot be induced. Widely faked with UV-dyed copal or plastic, and with ordinary amber photographed under a UV torch. Sumatran 'blue amber' is younger, softer resin with a similar but weaker effect. No CITES.
Where does blue Amber come from?
Los Cacaos and Palo Quemado, Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic, La Cumbre, Santiago Province, Dominican Republic and Chiapas, Mexico (weaker blue). Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is blue Amber hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 2-2.5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does blue Amber cost?
Indicatively $50-400 per gram for genuine strong-blue Dominican material; top sky-blue pieces exceed $1,000 per gram. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is blue Amber confused with?
Most often UV-dyed copal, Sumatran blue-fluorescing resin and Resin with optical brightener added. A refractive index of 1.539-1.545 and a specific gravity near 1.04-1.08 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for blue amber?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about blue amber