Amber

I have always been very fond of amber. Necklaces, pendants, earrings, rings, you name it.

 

Amber is fossil tree resin, which is appreciated for its color and beauty. Good quality amber is used for the manufacture of ornamental objects and jewelry. Although not mineralized, it is often classified as a gemstone. A common misconception is that it is made of tree sap; it is not. Sap is the fluid that circulates through a plant's vascular system, while resin is the semi-solid amorphous organic substance secreted in pockets and canals through epithelial cells of the plant. Most of the world's amber is in the range of 30–90 million years old.

 

There are a few trees behind my apartment building, and on one of them I saw this beautiful teardrop of tree sap glistening in the sun. The rest, as you can guess, is history.

 

Which proves again, that at times, beauty is right before your eyes. You just need to open them.