Monday, April 9, 2012

Amber: The Gold of The Baltic

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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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Anchor Hocking Made In USA Go Green for Saint Patrick's Day!


Forest Green Glass Collection 1950s-1960s

Anchor Hocking
"Roly Poly"
Forest Green Glass 
Why Wait for Christmas to Use it?




The Forest Green Collection was primarily collected for use on holidays and were heavily promoted for use at Christmas time. This Saint Patricks Day, drink your beer from a green glass for a little "Luck of the Irish."

  

Forest Green Glass by Philip L. Hopper

This is a very good book which presents an important part of Anchor Hocking's glass production, the dark "Forest Green" styles made from the late 1950s through the mid-1960s. The history and variety of Forest Green glassware is precisely documented here, covering seventeen established patterns, many boxed sets, and a myriad of accessory pieces such as relish sets, ashtrays, lamps, vases, pitchers, and tumblers. These and many other styles are beautifully presented in over 300 gorgeous color photographs. Many pages of historical documentation are included to make this the most comprehensive reference guide to Anchor Hocking's Forest Green glassware. It is available on Amazon.com.

ISBN: 0764310585 Size: 8 1/2" x 11"

[Book Photo]
                      
Like Green Glass? You Are Not Alone.

Here are some other resources.



Thursday, October 6, 2011

Made In America: An Idea Built to Last.

This is a New York Times article published in 1914. The Made In America movement led to an unprecedented era of entrepeneurial thinking and manufacturing. This article is almost 100 years old.