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| Amber:The First Jewelry |
The Odyssey, the ancient Greek epic written by Homer between 1,000 to 700 years B.C. contains the first mention of Amber or “Electron” which was the Greek name for it. There it is described as a radiant and rare ornamental substance, on the same level as gold and silver. In later writings, we learn that it came from afar, from unknown, fogbound shores in the North.
Sixty
million years ago, the frigid, stormy Baltic Sea was as warm as the
Mediterranean Sea of today. Stately
Conifers—giant trees larger than our Redwoods—grew in splendor along its shores
in what is called the Tertiary Period. http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=223598
Thereafter
came the Glacial Ages and swept this
flora into oblivion. Though this was long before the Age of Man http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_Man
We
still know that there was life in that era.
The witness to this life is Amber, the golden sap or coagulated resin,
of the Conifer Tree.http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/habitats/coniferous_forests/
While the resin was flowing down the tree
trunk, it was not unusual for insects and other small forms of life to be
trapped and enclosed in the viscid mass.
That is why one often finds pieces of Amber enclosing animal life in a
remarkably good state of preservation. Over a thousand different kinds of
flies, midges, ants, beetles and spiders have been found. As a result, Amber has become an important
source of our knowledge of the flora and fauna of the period.
Amber
is not found in the layer of the earth in which it was originally deposited, It
was transplanted and carried by rivers into the sea off the coast of Northern Europe
. Amber has become very scarce during the last decades.
Amber
is reportedly the earliest substance made into jewelry. The Greeks, Assyrians
and Phoenicians first traded in Amber and held it a precious material. the
Empress Poppaea http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppaea_Sabina
set
the trend by having Amber jewelry made for her.
Nero dispatched an Expedition for Amber to satisfy the demand of the
Roman ladies. The colour of Amber became all the rage and women dyed their hair
to match its beautiful shades.
Since
the Stone Age, 3.000- 2,000B.C., Amber
has been not used only for ornaments but as a cure for illnesses, such as
asthma, rheumatism and internal disorders. Amber has been carried in amulettes
around the neck as protection against witchcraft. During the Bronze Age, Amber
was traded regularly across Europe to the Adriatic and Black Seas. The history
of its trade and acquisition, from crude and dangerous fishing in the sea in
early of times to the modern mining techniques of digging and dredging is a
fascinating study.
In
its natural stage, Amber us found in irregular nodules, here quite small, there
quite large, in lumps weighing up to several kilograms. If later exposure to
the elements had not formed a dark crust around the natural Amber, we would see
its own particular colour at once; it is yellow but there are many variations,
from almost white to golden and from reddish to dark brown. It often happens
that one piece has many tints. Similarly, its gloss and transparency are liable
to wide variations: it may be pale and clear, cloudy, or quite matte. This means that not all Amber is equally
suitable for ornaments.
Amber
will sink in distilled water but will float in a saturated salt solution. Amber
is highly resistant to the flow of electricity. From the Greek name “Electron”
for this material, an allusion to the sunshine colour of the Amber and its
property of developing a negative electrical charge by friction, evolving the
word electricity.
Amber
is fairly easy to imitate by means if various forms of plastic materials. If
tested with a knife, however, true Amber is found to chip, while plastic
imitations peel. Glass beads of the
correct color have been used as imitation, but glass is considerably less
dense than Amber and the difference un
weight becomes apparent immediately.
Glass is colder to the touch and its different luster is immediately
recognized.
Amber
and diamonds are the only gems of vegetable origins. Amber Wedding is the
Tenth!
Amber Jewelry will
retain their original luster and beauty if you just observe two easy
precautions. Clean it once in a while from dust and perspiration with a flannel
cloth and lukewarm water. To polish it
you also use a flannel cloth and keep our Amber separate from other metal
jewelry. Do not use any kind of cleaning solution.
More Modern Uses of Amber
In
the 1920's one-half of the production of amber went for the manufacture of
articles for smokers, cigar/cigarette-holders, mouth-pieces for pipes. The main finished
products of amber can be divided into four categories: jewelry, smoking
articles, objects of art, and devotional articles. Jewelry includes necklaces,
bracelets, broched, earrings, pendants,
http://www.etsy.com/people/CoalCountryVintage
finger
rings, cufflinks, teething rings for children, etc. Smoking articles were
mentioned above. Another utilitarian use was with balls of amber, that were
used to remove lint from clothing because of the ability to generate static
electricity by rubbing! Objects of art are items like: carvings, jewelry boxes,
cups and dishes, writing utensils, ornaments, chess sets, mosaic pictures,
chandeliers. A beautiful amber box may be viewed at Malbork Castle in Malbork,
Poland gallery site. Devotional items include such things as: Catholic, Moslem
and Buddhist sacred
figures, amulets.
Amber and other fossil resins
are used for varnish and lacquers, and burned as incense (in ancient times to
camouflage the odor of spoiled food). Modern resin or gum (pine pitch) is used
in the production of rosin, turpentine, creams and oils for the perfume . Amber
is known to mineralogists as succinite, from the Latin succinum,
which means amber. Amber studies are truly interdisciplinary. Geologists and paleontologists are interested in amber because it is a fossil, evidence of prehistoric life. Archeologists look at trade routes and the barter view of amber. Organic chemists investigate the physical and chemical properties. Botanists and entomologists examine the botanical sources of amber and embalmed insects and debris. Poets, writers, and artists look to amber for sunny inspirations. Gemologists and jewelers desire amber for its beauty and rarity. Curators and conservationists preserve and archive amber.
- Color: varying
shades of yellow, orange, red, white, brown, green, bluish, "black"
(deep shades of other colors). Rainbow colors within the amber are caused
by the light interference of air bubbles or strain created during an
insect's death struggle. Some believe the color is related to the type of
tree source. Recent pine trees produce golden yellows, white,
ivory-colors, and occasionally a blue resin. Scientists at the Polish
Museum of Science believe that reddish tints are the resin of deciduous
trees, such as cherry and plum. Dominican amber with a reddish tint is
thought to be related to a leguminous source.
Amber
color preferences vary from country to country. The transparent reds and greens
are thought to be the most desirable colors in some countries, followed by the
transparent yellows. The warm, transparent, orange color seems to be a
desirable color for many Americans. Natural amber, regardless of color, may
darken to a mellow brown after long exposure to air; pressed amber may turn
white as it ages.
- Classification
& Structure:
organic & amorphous.
- all graduations
from perfectly clear to wholly opaque, with cloudy turbidity due to the
presence of numerous air bubbles and inclusions. The air in amber is the
subject of study also! See Air bubbles, amber,
and dinosaurs by Gary Landis and Dinosaur breath
by John G. Cramer.
- Hardness: 1-3. Burmese
amber, or amber from Myanmar, is the hardest at 3 on the hardness scale;
Baltic amber is usually in the range of 2-2.5; Dominican amber is the
softest at 1-2. Geologically younger amber tends to be softer than amber
that has been buried for a long time.
- Tenacity &
Fracture:
tough to brittle, conchoidal fracture. For its low hardness, amber is
remarkably tougher than most gemstones of a similar hardness. Baltic amber
tends to be tougher than retinite amber; Dominican amber tends to be more
brittle and break more easily than other ambers.
- Luster: resinous.
- Specific
Gravity:
1.05-1.2 (is buoyant, staying afloat in water saturated with salt or sea
water). The clearest or transparent ambers are more dense, whereas amber
varieties containing numerous air bubbles and are less dense.
- Fluorescence: some pieces fluoresce. The common fluorescent colors of amber are blue or yellow, and less frequently a green, orange, or white. In general, resins with higer sulfur content fluoresce more than those containing less sulfur.
Additional Research
http://archaeology.about.com/od/baterms/qt/baltic_amber.htm
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