What is amber?
Amber is the fossilized resin from ancient forests.
Amber is not produced from tree sap, but rather from plant resin. Amber is the ancient resin of trees. The resin has gone through a number of changes over millions of years. The result of this metamorphosis is an exceptional gem with extraordinary properties. It is exploited and used by both craftsmen and scientist. Amber, which is in fact a fossil, is often held in the same class as semi-precious stones such as turquoise and jade because of its ornamental uses. Unlike these stones, amber is not mineralized. Rather, it is simple the fossil of resin, or tree sap.
Although considered a gem, amber is a wholly-organic material derived from the resin of extinct species of trees.
In the dense forests of the Middle Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, between 10 and 100 million years ago, these resin-bearing trees fell and were carried by rivers to coastal regions. There, the trees and their resins became covered with sediment, and over millions of years the resin hardened into amber. Although many amber deposits remain in ocean residue, geological events often repositioned the amber elsewhere.
Amber can be found on the shores of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
The main producer of amber worldwide is Russia. In fact about 90% of the world’s available amber is located in the Kaliningrad region of Russia, which is located on the Baltic. Here, amber is washed up on the coast after being dislodged from the ocean floor by years of water and ocean currents. Amber can also be found in the forests of Ukraine. Ukranian amber, which is found within the marshy forest floor in the area surrounding the Volhyn-Polesie border, is prized for its wide range of tones and colors.
Amber is still widely used in jewelry and ornament today. Many jewelers who create stately designs enjoy working with amber because such large pieces are available. Furthermore, amber is significantly less expensive than gemstones. Because of the color range within amber, a necklace made of amber beads can include a stunning arrangement of tones and hues.
Healing properties of amber
Ancient Germanic tribes such as the Goths, other Nordic peoples, Celts, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Chinese and other peoples valued amber for it's beauty, protection and healing properties.
Amber was also called Electra, Bernstein or Northern Gold due to its electrical properties and golden color and was traded far and wide in the ancient world.
Amber is a powerful chakra cleanser and healer. At a physical level, is imbues the body with vitality and has the power to draw disease out of the body. By absorbing pain and negative energy, amber allows the body to re-balance and heal itself. Amber alleviates stress. It treats the throat, stomach, spleen, kidneys, bladder, liver, and gallbladder, alleviates joint problems, and strengthens the mucus membranes. As an elixir and for wound healing, it is an excellent natural antibiotic.
Amber provides decisiveness. It strengthens your memory and intellect and helps with emotional calming and centering. It is an excellent grounding crystal, and transmutes negative energy to positive. Amber radiates a warm and bright energy. It aids the Abdomen, Bladder, Blood, Eyes, Kidneys, Stomach, Tissue Revitalization, Throat, Liver, Joint Problems. Wearing crystal jewelry gives you the energy of the stone all day long. Amber draws disease out of afflicted areas and neutralize negative energy allowing the body to heal itself
Amber necklaces as Baby teething remedy
Wearing Baltic amber close to the skin is a traditional European remedy for baby teething. A natural analgesic, amber will help calm a baby without resorting to drugs. Used for centuries in Europe, amber's natural anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties are perfect to soothe teething babies. Amber is fossilized resin, which warms against the skin, releasing it's therapeutic properties safely and naturally.
Physical properties of amber
Amber is not a mineral, because it has an organic origin and amorphous structure (no orderly internal arrangement of atoms). Find out more about amber's physical properties below. Information is available on a young resinous material, that is often times confused with amber, called copal. Copal resembles amber but is not a mineral either.
Baltic amber generally has the following characteristics;
Hardness: 2.0 - 2.5 Moh’s Scale.
Specific Gravity - 1.050 - 1.096
Refraction Index - 1.54
Melting point - 480/720Of (250/3800c)
Composition: can vary greatly depending on the botanical source, though all have terpenes or compounds that are linked as the resin matures. It is thought that Baltic amber, or succinite, contains 3-8% succinic acid (succus is Latin for juice); succinic acid is believed to form from microorganism-induced fermentation of the cellulose contained in the resin. One composition of an amber variety is: oxygenated hydrocarbon (carbon 67-87%, hydrogen 8.5-11%, oxygen 15%, sulfur 0-0.46%). Although this composition was believed to be the hardened tree resin from the genus Pinus, chemical studies show these pines were not the source of Baltic amber.
Amber is a poor conductor of heat and because of this it always feels warm to the touch.
The name amber relates specifically to fossilized resin which has succinic acid - COOH(CH2)2COOH15 present in its chemical makeup. Baltic amber can have succinic acid present between the ranges of 3 to 8 percent. Amber which is clear usually has the lower levels of succinic acid and this increases as the amber becomes more opaque. Fossilized resin which possess no succinic acid is officially classified as retinite.
Amber facts
During the Roman times, higher prices were paid for small amulets in amber than for healthy slaves.
In 79 AD, Plinius wrote that the women of northern Italy wore amber beads against thyroid.
Martin Luther carried a piece of amber in his pocket as a protection against kidney stones.
In ancient China it was customary to burn amber during large festivities. This practice both signified the wealth of the host as well as honoring the guests.
According to Mohammed, a true believer's prayer beads should be made of amber.
The father of healing, Hippocrates, declared amber active against a number of diseases including delirium tremens.
Over 2500 years ago, Thales of Miletos discovered that when amber was rubbed against cloth, sparks were produced and then the amber attracted husks and small wooden splinters. This force was given the name "electricity" after the Greek word electron which means amber.
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