Everything you need to know about Amber Gemstone
The ancient Greeks referred to Amber as Elektron, meaning "created by the sun." Homer complimented the brilliant radiance that it emitted. The ancient Egyptians thought it would bring good luck in the afterlife, so they buried it in tombs.
Amber also has a significant amount of importance for modern scientists because it offers a three-dimensional window into the ecosystems of ancient times because of the many plants and animal inclusions it contains
Description
Amber is a jewel made entirely of organic materials. Organic diamonds are those that have their origins in living or once-living creatures as well as biological processes. For example, Amber was created when the sap of ancient trees became petrified and cemented, which occurred tens of millions of years ago.
Amber that still has bits of insects or plants floating inside it is desirable to researchers and collectors. The fossilized remains of once-living organisms were encased in the Amber as it hardened, creating an intriguing time capsule.
Amber may be mined, and certain varieties even occur naturally underground. Other kinds have been let loose and transported by the tides and have washed up on beaches and other sites along the sea. Amber may also be found along the shore of the Baltic Sea, bordering Germany, Poland, and Russia.
Amber has a reputation for being known as the "gold of the north." Beads, sculptures, pendants, cabochons, and ornamental goods like cups, bowls, snuff boxes, and umbrella handles, exhibit its warm sheen. This lustre may also be found in cabochons.
Copal is a comparable substance that is likewise made up of petrified tree resin; however, it is much younger than Amber, with an age of fewer than one million years.
Facts
| Lustre | Cleavage | Pleochroism |
| Greasy | None | None |
| Colour | Chemistry | Luminescence |
| Yellow, brown, white, reddish, cream colour, and orange shades. Rarely blue, greenish, violetish | Approximately C10H16O+ H2S. A mixture of hydrocarbons plus resins, succinic acid, and oils. | Yellow in SW (Texas); bluish-white or greenish in LW. Baltic Amber may fluoresce greyish blue in SW. Inert in X-Rays. Sicilian Amber is noted for its fluorescence. |
| Occurrence | Luminescence Type | Absorption Spectrum |
| Due to waves and currents bringing material up from offshore beds, sedimentary deposits and on shorelines | Fluorescent, UV-Long, UV-Short | Not diagnostic |
| Crystallography | Luminescence Present | Transparency |
| Amorphous | Yes | Transparent to opaque |
| Organic, not mineral | Etymology | Heat Sensitivity |
| Fossilized resin | From the Arabic Anbar | Very |
| Birefringence | Dispersion | Fracture |
| None | None | Conchoidal |
| Typical Treatments | Refractive index | Mohs Hardness |
| Heat Treatment | 1.54 | 2.0 to 2.5 |
| Specific gravity | Wearability | |
| 1.08 | Good |
History
Insects and other kinds of inclusions perhaps make Amber the most well-known thing about it. When it was first formed, Amber served as a sticky trap for various insects, including ants, bees, termites, and others. Amber poured from many plants many millions of years ago.
In addition to air bubbles, common inclusions in Amber includes pieces of flowers, leaves, and even needles from pine trees.
Amber that has been found to include bigger creatures, such as scorpions, snails, frogs, or lizards, may be very expensive, particularly if the "inclusions" of the animals have been entirely preserved.
The film "Jurassic Park" concept was inspired by the discovery of insects preserved in Amber. The narrative plot focused on the cloning of dinosaurs using DNA extracted from dinosaur blood that had been preserved in Amber by ancient insects.
Unfortunately, the mosquitoes had ingested this blood. Nevertheless, the movie made a lot of people curious about the precious stone.
In the world of precious stones, Amber is one of the most popular and user-friendly options. Eye-catching in any light, it most often appears in a rainbow of yellow, orange, and brown hues. However, items with very strong fluorescence, such as green, blue, or violet hues, are quite uncommon.
The degree of transparency in Amber is also rather variable. Jewellery is the only other common use for see-through material. Beads, pendants, earrings, and rings are common applications for Amber that have been tumble polished. Pieces with facets are quite uncommon.
The opaque substance is typically carved into decorative decorations, inlays, and functional products like pipe stems and umbrella handle. Amber is also used in fragrances and as incense.
Amber is a non-crystalline form of an amorphous combination of organic substances, including hydrocarbons, resins, oils, and succinic acid.
A large portion of this is derived from the resin of the Pinus succinifera pine tree. However, the substance was also created by the wood of other kinds of old trees. As a result, at least thirty million years of history have been preserved in Amber.
Amber Sizes
Fragments usually weigh less than half a pound, but investigators rarely find parts that weigh several pounds.
Amber Care
Never subject it to extreme temperatures or chemicals. Amber disperses in a limited way in solvents and alcohol.
Therefore, do not use any mechanical cleaning equipment. Instead, wipe it off with a moist cloth dipped in warm detergent water. For further guidance, please read our suggested cleaning procedures for jewellery.
FAQs
Why is Amber so important?
Amber's high value stems from many factors, including its attractive golden hue and the presence of fossilized remains inside it.
In addition to its many other applications, this petrified tree resin is utilized in the jewellery and alternative medicine industries. In addition, Amber is prized for the special method by which it is created and the rare substances it contains.
What is the rarest colour of Amber?
Amber comes in various hues, with blue Amber being the most uncommon. On the other hand, blue Amber is a relatively unexplored territory in the gemstone business.
Therefore, it is essential to capture it in the appropriate light, or else it will seem the same as every other piece of yellow-brown Amber.
Is Amber a precious stone?
Amber is not technically a gemstone, even though it is often referred to as a gem due to its glowing and shimmering appearance after being polished.
Instead, it is the petrified, hardened resin of some kinds of old trees that have been preserved as a fossil throughout millennia. Since ancient times, people have been fascinated with Amber and have used it in various decorative and scientific applications due to its one-of-a-kind qualities.
What powers does Amber have?
Amber is said to be able to neutralize stress and anxiety while simultaneously releasing positive, calming energy, making the wearer feel as upbeat as if a sunny day had just dawned on their mood. To awaken and purify the chakras, Amber of varying hues is typically applied to them.