Amber Jewelry Blog...
Saturday 19th May 2012 06:53:08 PM •Arts: Visual Arts: Native and Tribal
What is amber?
A common misconception with Amber is that it is tree sap; it is actually fossilised resin from ancient forests. The tree resin is exuded for a number of reasons such as protection for an injury to the tree, protection against biological or insect attack etc. The resin has then hardened and been preserved in the earths crust. Although Amber is regarded as a gem it is actually an organic substance that does not have the organic matter replaced by minerals. Pieces of amber are not cold and hard like most other gems. I have seen it described as 'organic plastic' to try and describe its weight and texture. Whilst I understand this description I think it takes away from the mystery and romance of this gem. Amber is also sometimes known as Succinite.What are the different colours?
The huge variety of colours and the uniqueness of every piece is partly what makes this gem so popular. There are over 250 identified shades. The differing shades are due to the kind of tree the resin came from, the inclusions, the age of the amber and also the area in the world it comes from. Although amber deposits can be found all over the world there are only approximately 20 where it can be commercially mined.What are Inclusions in Amber
Inclusions are small objects which become embedded in the resin prior to it hardening and are part of what makes this gem truly fascinating. It was the very inclusion of a mosquito in a piece of amber that started the fictional theme park 'Jurassic Park' and it was at this point that Amber became more popular and fascinating to a wider audience in modern day. Because of this tree resin it means that anyone can own something that is millions of years old. This is part of its charm and romance.
A variety of small animals have been caught in these resin 'traps' such as fleas, ticks, millipedes and mosquitoes as well as items like seeds, roots, spores and Lichen. What I personally find the most fascinating are the ones that got away! Pieces of amber have been found with animal paw prints and have, on rare occasions, contained a few hairs or feathers from animals that have fled from its sticky clutches. All of these inclusions have enabled scientists to build an accurate picture of some of the plants and animals these forest contained and build more accurate pictures of earth in those times.
Amber From the Baltic.
The class of organic gemstones is quite small, but includes some unusual varieties which are important in the gem trade, including pearl, coral, ivory and amber. All the organic gems are rather unusual, but none more than amber. Amber is the fossilized hardened resin of the pine tree, Pinus succinifera, formed mainly in the Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period, about 50 million years ago. Amber has been used since prehistoric times for jewelry, amulets and religious objects. The most prized pieces contain inclusions of insects or plants or pyrites.
Yellow, orange and brown are the most common colors for amber, though rare blue amber is found in the Dominican Republic. The term "amber" has entered the English language as the color that is halfway between yellow and orange. The clarity of natural amber ranges from transparent to opaque. Most pieces have bubbles or inclusions. When polished amber has a resinous luster.
Unlike most gemstones, amber is amorphous rather than crystalline. It is fairly soft, with a rating of 2-2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. While it is durable enough to have survived for millions of years, it is sensitive to acids, caustic solutions, gasoline, alcohol and perfume. It will burn if ignited by a match, releasing an incense-like odor.
One of the most unique characteristics of amber is that it is exceptionally light. It has a density or specific gravity of only 1.05 to 1.09. Amber is so light that it will float in salt water. Amber's low density makes it difficult to imitate with glass or plastic, which have much higher densities. By way of comparison, the total volume of a 5 carat piece of amber is 2.5 times the volume of a 5 carat piece of zircon (one of the denser gem materials).
GemSelect is a leading online dealer in fine gemstones, specializing in amber, sapphire, spinel and tourmaline.
Visit our website: http://www.gemselect.com/
Yellow, orange and brown are the most common colors for amber, though rare blue amber is found in the Dominican Republic. The term "amber" has entered the English language as the color that is halfway between yellow and orange. The clarity of natural amber ranges from transparent to opaque. Most pieces have bubbles or inclusions. When polished amber has a resinous luster.
Unlike most gemstones, amber is amorphous rather than crystalline. It is fairly soft, with a rating of 2-2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. While it is durable enough to have survived for millions of years, it is sensitive to acids, caustic solutions, gasoline, alcohol and perfume. It will burn if ignited by a match, releasing an incense-like odor.
One of the most unique characteristics of amber is that it is exceptionally light. It has a density or specific gravity of only 1.05 to 1.09. Amber is so light that it will float in salt water. Amber's low density makes it difficult to imitate with glass or plastic, which have much higher densities. By way of comparison, the total volume of a 5 carat piece of amber is 2.5 times the volume of a 5 carat piece of zircon (one of the denser gem materials).
GemSelect is a leading online dealer in fine gemstones, specializing in amber, sapphire, spinel and tourmaline.
Visit our website: http://www.gemselect.com/
German •
What has Amber been used for?
Currently Amber is enjoying a resurgence in its popularity as a gem that can make truly unique and beautiful jewelry, but has had many varied uses in the past.- The Romans used it in coins amongst other things.
- A variety of religious objects including rosaries.
- Amber attracts lint with static electricity when rubbed.
- In the past it is thought to protect the wearer from kidnapping and aging and keep evil spirits away.
- Cure for a variety of conditions such as headaches and rheumatic pain and enhance fertility.
- Amber brings the wearer good luck in a variety of situations from going to war to getting married.
- Often used as grave goods for a variety of reasons.
- Thrown into fires to release aromatic fragrances.
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Amber has always been popular and its use can be traced back to Neolithic times. The uniqueness of the gem has inspired different cultures throughout history to marvel, wonder and sometimes kill for it.
We have always loved Amber and so it was only fitting that the first web site we set-up was to sell Amber Jewelry. The article is drawn from many years of reading about amber to satisfy our curiosity. My sister and I hope this will be the first of many articles on this fascinating topic. Please visit our site http://newamberjewelry.com/home to see if you agree with us regarding the diversity of this gem.
- Alcheringa Gallery - Presents past, current and upcoming exhibitions as well as permanent collection of fine tribal art by Northwest Coast, Aboriginal Australian, and Papua New Guinea artists. Located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
- Arte Maya Tz'utuhil Gallery - Articles, photos of works, and paintings and textiles by Maya artists from the highlands of Guatemala.
- Berna Tribal Arts and Antiquities - Denise and Beppe Berna, dealers in Bologna, Italy. Site is in English and Italian.
- Douglas Dawson Gallery - Non-Western art, including textiles, sculpture and vessels, ceramics, and furniture. Frequent on-line exhibitions.
- Dowling Pre-Columbian and Tribal Art - Art gallery featuring many well illustrated objects offered for sale.
- Ethno-Textil Galerie - Tribal and ethnic textiles from Africa, Asia and the Americas. In German and English
- Fake or Fabulous? - How to distinguish Latin American artifacts from the artifakes.
- Folk Art International - Dealer in tribal arts and antiquities, with many images and some cultural background on objects.
- Gail Martin Gallery - Ancient, antique and ethnographic textiles; modern and contemporary fiber arts.
- Galerie Walu - Swiss dealer in African and Oceanic art. Rich in information, and periodic exhibitions.
- Gallery Lemaire - Images of tribal arts from Asia, Africa and Oceania.
- Gamaarte - Non-profit museum service organization committed to promote art and culture and the preservation of Peruvian cultural patrimony.
- Het Magazijn - Belgian gallery specializing in antiques from Africa and Asia.
- Joel Cooner Gallery - Images of African, Asian, and Oceanic tribal art objects.
- Komaland - More than 300 photos of terra cotta pieces from Komaland.
- Kumbi Saleh - Gallery with changing exhibitions.
- Louis McWhinnie - Display stands, restoration to antique tribal and archaic art, valuations, and authentications.
- Mani Gallery - African and tradition-based arts, and works by contemporary artists. French and English.
- Merton D. Simpson Gallery - African and Oceanian tribal art, with many images and current exhibition.
- Michael Evans Fine Art - Indonesian, Micronesian, African and Polynesian tribal art and artifacts. Located in New Haven Connecticut
- Nativeart-World.com - Native, aboriginal and indigenous art from around the world
- New York Tribal Art Association, Inc - Non-profit public arts organization approved by the New York Department of Education. Focus is on the arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas.
- Rasmussen African and Tribal Art - Washington dealer who lived in west Africa for many years.
- Renaissance Now - Non-profit organization helping underprivileged talented artists around the world.
- San Francisco Tribal - San Francisco Bay Tribal Art Dealer Association, with links to members' websites.
- Society for Folk Arts Preservation - Nonprofit archive documenting living art traditions and visual anthropology on film and video.
- Tribal Art Collections - Collector and artist Dick Jemison's collection of tribal arts including artifacts from Africa, Oceanica, South America, Mexico and the United States.
- Tribal Art Forum - Noncommercial site with articles and discussion of tribal art from around the world, for novice through expert collectors.
- Tribal Art Information Service - A confidential, free information service for collectors of tribal art who purchase on the internet.
- Tribal Arts Online - On-line version of the magazine, "The World of Tribal Arts". Exhibitions, book reviews, editorials and a discussion board.
- Tribal Arts and Books - Netherlands dealer in tribal art, mostly Asian and African.
- Tribal-explorer - Searchable directory of on-line resources on tribal arts.
- Tribalhunter Gallery - Gallery featuring antique tribal art, African headrests, neckrests and masks.
- Two Turtles Native Art - Folk art made from natural materials found in north Georgia.
- Vanishing Cultures Photography - Photographs of tribal cultures that are slowly disappearing around the globe
- Zemanek-Münster - Würzburg auction house specializing in tribal arts from Africa, Oceania and Asia.