How to clear and polish amber - from rough to gemstone with ease

Amber can be found on the beaches of Norfolk and Suffolk but often it can be cloudy or milky inside. I have discovered a way to make the amber clear to the rich honey-coloured yellows & oranges we associate with amber and this video shows how to do that and then polish the amber from it's raw state into a pice ready for carving for jewellery. I tend to leave my amber pieces in a more natural shape as shown in the video.
Kit used for the polishing -
Dremel: amzn.to/3K8F8Sx
Dremel sanding drums: amzn.to/3K8F8Sx
Wet & Dry paper: amzn.to/3K8F8Sx
Peek polish: amzn.to/3K8F8Sx

[@janeday9148]

Amber is truly magical I many pieces in silver ,lovely info

[@AndreasYiasimi]

Captivating Chris. So informative and brilliant commentary to compliment another fine cinematic piece. I loved it topman ❤

[@kirtandrews1859]

Amazing video there. Thank you

[@veganvocalist4782]

The most beautiful gem in the World 💚

[@leomasciale5127]

Thank you for this very valuable & useful information. Interesting and fun to watch.

[@Nancy4133nope]

Thank you for posting such a great video

[@KarenFisher-no4zd]

Thank you for such a great video. I have a piece that we found on Edisto Island, South Carolina, USA in 2016 after a storm. It’s very clear and very fragile. I’m going to give polishing a go.

[@JrangeyV8]

Great vid, I had no idea you could do that with Amber! I’ll be keeping an eye next time I’m walking the beach. Cheers.

[@christaylorphoto]

Cheers Jamie, good luck!

[@kam7005]

fantastic video

[@christaylorphoto]

Ah, thank you!

[@FOL_and_meadow]

Wow, thanks! Very helpful to hear I might be able to turn my white-ish piece a richer shade. I am trying to find out if I can get polish off of amber beads carefully and cleanly. Welcome to hear any ideas beyond trying a simple salt bath.

[@shearbeauty1009]

Nice video 👍

[@bluetobaz8359]

What an amazing experience as we follow you step-by-step...very well and beautifully.... spoken...but l am......... very sure...when you catch the insects Amber You will never sell it...... you will spend all your life watching it..man you are hunted by Amber...just like me

[@zeldasmith6154]

I love amber.

[@tishsmiddy71]

Thank you 🤟🏻❤️

[@jasonsgems3369]

Nice video and a great tip on clarifying the amber, may have to look out for a cheap slow cooker. I thought that the sunspangles and darker colours were more sought after?

[@crystalheart9]

I love amber and enjoyed your video on how to do it yourself polishing. Are the sun spangles caused by the oil heating a good or bad thing? I really don't like to see them but they do appear in jewelry.

[@davepyper]

Nice video , I've polished up a few bits myself . Any tips on finding the raw amber , which beaches to comb ? I understand it's usually good after an Easterly blow. I'm a fair way in Lincs but would be happy to travel if I thought there was a reasonable chance of finding a bit

[@skipstubbs5378]

nice video, thank you. I have some old African amber beads. would this work ok for them I wonder about the soaking. ???

[@121Yards]

Nice..sir

[@user-db5od1jt3g]

Ilove amber ❤

[@bakekokboskekok9863]

Saya suka batu amber bagus buat kesehatan

[@jbtaylor863]

I have machined a "butterscotch honey" amber bead to make a replacement clasp. The result is OK but th amber has lost its color. Is there any way to restore it?

[@brendagregory5565]

Chris, We are going to the UK in May 2024. Do you have any suggestions of towns to visit to search for Amber on the beaches?

[@TheHungryGames]

Hi I know this is an older video but which areas of north Norfolk coastline do you prefer? I live in Norfolk and I've never found a piece of amber (yet)

[@laraconner3874]

I love the Baltic, egg yolk amber, so I guess the polishing process is the same minus the oil bath.?

[@user-ey3by3jr3i]

I took an amber bracelet in for repair and the jeweler put the bracelet in a chemical to remove tarnish from the silver. Now the amber has lost it's shine. what product would you recommend to shine it up?

[@marshajobes9342]

Gr8 video n explanation. What is the polish used at the end please? Need to repolish to remove ikk fron next to skin.

[@christaylorphoto]

Hi, thank you, the polish is called Peek, I got it from Amazon

[@TeaTimeSweetness]

Thank you! What temp is slow cooking? Is it better to cook it before or after removing the skin?

[@christaylorphoto]

I’m not exactly sure on the temp, would guess around 90 deg C, I guess you could take off the rough outside before putting it in the oil, that way you would be able to see more easily how much it has cleared.

[@sonuverma2796]

Sir how to opaque ruby clear

[@skipstubbs5378]

Thanks Chris. I would appreciate your advice as to how to remove pitting from old African amber trade beads. I don't want to change the color, just give them a smooth patina. some have it, some don't. dseems i cannot attach photos for you. sorry. cheers...skip

[@drpk6514]

The butterscotch amber has a better price. Why do you heat it?

[@AmyRach1979]

I have one with a bug🥰

[@sliva7938]

I wonder why no amber is found around the shores of Ireland. There were once forests. However, regarding colours I wonder if "black" amber (usually it's a very dark brown, red or green) is simply boiled for a very long time. And the most greens are also treated. I've paid once quite a price for a red amber necklace, is there also a trick to make amber red? And I guess that the boiled or otherwise treated ambers have no healing purposes. Would be glad if someone could answer my questions. But in any case, I love amber from white to black and hope that my little collection of jewellery is no fake. But the most pieces smell like needle trees. Cant put it in saltwater as the most are in silver. Thanks for posting, very interesting.

[@aswaltan8962]

I'm wish amber stone from Ireland if really have!👍😁

[@thingrothsg]

How much the price of per piece

[@skipstubbs5378]

i'm also concerned about cooking. woud just soaking for a week without heat help?

[@christaylorphoto]

You could try it, I think it needs a little heat to get the bubbles out but no harm in trying just a soak.

[@veganvocalist4782]

Lovely to hear a real human voice instead of the metal Mickey soul less A.I narrations that many rely on now ....coz they've forgotten how to speak

[@jayantsah5422]

I believe this Amber cannot be “HEARD”

[@christaylorphoto]

😂😂😂 Thankfully silent!

[@jassemq6r]

What have you done man 😖 milky white amber worth more value than clear 💔

[@eatingsfun]

I found black amber with a reddish tinge in north queensland Australia no idea why it's so dark.

[@MrJjjgg]

All depends on what species of tree produced the resin that is now your amber

[@jimmymcgill2557]

are there any other ways apart from the slow cooker way? my mum wouldn't appreciate having it switched on for 3 days straight! 😂

[@goodhealthgoodhome]

Hi Chris! How much salt do you put into water to test if it is amber? 😊

[@christaylorphoto]

Hi, I honestly can’t remember how much I added, maybe 2-3 teaspoons to the glass.

[@goodhealthgoodhome]

@@christaylorphoto thanks for your reply! I'll try that :-)

[@larenandrews6942]

Arkansas in the States is another place to find Amber, But is so dirty with Inclusions that it is hard to find, I have found some good sized chunks, I would like to clean myself

[@jianblundell6038]

Can raw pine resin be used for jewellery?

[@christaylorphoto]

I doubt it! It would be very sticky!

[@jianblundell6038]

@@christaylorphoto yeah, with the softer pieces, I use a hot air blower to melt them into shape then let them solidify. With already hard ones, I sand and polish them.

[@christaylorphoto]

@@jianblundell6038 That's pretty cool, do they not get soft again if they are against the skin & get warmed by body heat?

[@jianblundell6038]

@@christaylorphoto yeah when I hold them they do feel a bit soft, but overall feel solid.

[@christaylorphoto]

@@jianblundell6038 I guess you could potentially dip the pieces in epoxy resin to form a hard outer layer.

[@davepederson778]

The oil in the slow cooker made my amber sticky, like glue

[@amandathurston2720]

Ok, that’s great, but what if I happened to find a thousand fingernail sized pieces of amber?

[@jianblundell6038]

1:02 now I'll show you what I already know.

[@jeparadise8333]

wow broo

[@sara-nf9lo]

Straw & white amber is far more precious/expensive than clear. This is silly advice.

[@Justmyopinionlol]

wow that´s a lot of electricity to process the amber. I find them on ebay in finished gem quality for much cheaper. But obviously as an artisan you´re contributing to society by producing new pieces.