Definition, History, and Formation of Amber
– Fossilized tree resin appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times
– Valued as a gemstone and used in jewelry
– Used as a healing agent in folk medicine
– Comes in different classes based on chemical constituents
– May contain animal and plant material as inclusions
– Theophrastus and Pytheas discussed amber in ancient times
– Pytheas mentioned the Gutones people of Germany using amber as fuel and trading it with the Teutones
– Pliny referred to an island called Balcia or Basilia, believed to be a rich source of amber
– Well-established trade routes for amber connected the Baltic with the Mediterranean (Amber Road)
– Amber is formed through free radical polymerization of labdane family precursors
– Amber matures over time through polymerization, isomerization, crosslinking, and cyclization
– It has a hardness between 2.0 and 2.5 on the Mohs scale and a refractive index of 1.5–1.6
– Fossil resins from Europe fall into two categories: Baltic ambers and those resembling the Agathis group
– The formation of amber requires resistance to decay and specific environmental conditions
– Amber can be classified into several forms based on the types of plant resin with the potential for fossilization
Ambergris and Baltic Amber
– Ambergris is a solid waxy substance derived from the sperm whale, often confused with amber
– Baltic amber refers to fossil resin and has been associated with the term ‘amber’ since the late 13th century
– Ambergris and amber became associated due to both being found washed up on beaches
– Ambergris floats, while amber sinks
– The word ‘ambergris’ was adopted in Middle English in the 14th century
Extraction and Processing of Amber
– Amber is globally distributed, mainly in rocks of Cretaceous age or younger
– The coast west of Königsberg in Prussia was historically the leading source of amber
– Juodkrantė in Lithuania is a major mining town for amber, with 90% of extractable amber located there
– Amber can be collected by hand, dredging, or diving, while mining involves removing blue earth and cleaning off an opaque crust
– Dominican amber is mined through bell pitting, which is dangerous due to the risk of tunnel collapse
– Vienna amber factories use pale amber to manufacture pipes and smoking tools, polishing them with whitening and water or rotten stone and oil
– Amber can be softened and united by heating and pressing pieces together
– Cloudy amber can be clarified in an oil bath, filling the pores that cause turbidity
– Small fragments of amber can be used to create ambroid or pressed amber for cheap jewelry and smoking articles
– Amber has been imitated by other resins, celluloid, and glass
Appearance and Classification of Amber
– Amber occurs in various colors, including yellow-orange-brown, whitish, pale lemon yellow, brown, almost black, red, green, and blue
– Yellow amber is a hard fossil resin from evergreen trees and can be translucent
– Opaque amber contains numerous minute bubbles and is known as bony amber
– Blue amber from the Dominican Republic is rare and highly sought after, turning blue in natural sunlight and UV light
– Amber can retain the form of drops and stalactites, as well as develop into irregular lumps
– Amber can be classified into five classes based on their chemical and structural composition
Geological Record, Preservation, and Uses of Amber
– The oldest recovered amber dates back to the late Carboniferous period, about 320 million years ago
– Amber becomes abundant in the Early Cretaceous, around 150 million years ago
– The oldest amber with arthropod inclusions comes from the Late Triassic in Italy
– Lebanese amber, approximately 125-135 million years old, provides evidence of ancient ecosystems
– Burmese amber from northern Myanmar is the only commercially exploited Cretaceous amber
– Amber preserves animals, plant matter, and microorganisms trapped in resin
– Insects, spiders, annelids, frogs, crustaceans, bacteria, marine microfossils, and more have been found in Cretaceous ambers
– Amber has been used since prehistoric times for jewelry and ornaments
– It is still used in the manufacture of smoking and glassblowing mouthpieces
– Amber has been used in folk medicine for its purported healing properties
– Traditional Chinese medicine uses amber to tranquilize the mind
– Amber necklaces have been used as a traditional remedy for colic or teething pain
– Amber was burned during ancient Chinese festivities
– The scent of amber is now largely derived from labdanum, as sperm whales are endangered
– Young resins, copals, and other fossil resins are used as imitation substances in place of amber Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects. Amber is used in jewelry and has been used as a healing agent in folk medicine.
There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents. Because it originates as a soft, sticky tree resin, amber sometimes contains animal and plant material as inclusions. Amber occurring in coal seams is also called resinite, and the term ambrite is applied to that found specifically within New Zealand coal seams.
