Silver and Amber Collier with Oval Baltic Cabochon

A very large silver and amber set Collier, sterling silver, circa 1960's, presented as a series of elongated, curved tubes of polished silver, meeting to a central large oval shaped panel of silver, centrally inlaid with a single oval cabochon piece of Baltic amber, measuring approximately 1.57 in. x 2.17 in., bezel set with an open back, completed with clasp

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Amber - More frequently used to refer to the colour, than the material from which the word is derived, amber is the fossilized resin from ancient forests. It is not produced from tree sap, but rather from plant resin. The resin is aromatic, and can drip from and ooze down trees. In colour, it may be a deep honey colour, (amber), brown, or white. As it oozes out it fills internal fissures in the tree, trapping debris such as seeds, leaves, feathers and insects. The debris trapped within the amber can assist in dating the deposit.

In its natural state it is found in rocks, on the sea floor (from where it may be washed up to the shore) and mined, using both open cut and underground techniques. About 90% of the world's amber comes from Russia. Amber has recently been discovered at Cape York in Northern Australia

Amber is often incorporated in jewellery, and used in pipe stems. The shine on the surface of amber becomes even more intense when it is worn and used regularly. Genuine amber, when rubbed, will release a slightly musky scent.
Bezel - On a clock or watch, the bezel is the metal frame into which the watch or clock glass is fitted. In clocks, the bezel may include a hinge and a flange, in effect a door to the face of the clock. In jewellery the bezel is a band of metal with a projecting lip that holds the gemstone in its setting.
Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
Cabochon Cut in Jewellery - A cabochon cut is a type of gemstone cutting where the stone is cut and polished in a convex shape with a flat bottom and a domed top, with no facets. This type of cut is typically used for opaque or translucent stones that have natural patterns or inclusions that are best displayed in this type of cut. Examples of stones that are often cut as cabochons include turquoise, opal, and moonstone.

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