Amber Jewelry Blog...

Saturday 19th May 2012 06:58:19 PM •

Business: Agriculture and Forestry

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.

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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.
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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.

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.

AAFC Online: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Online - Provides information, research, policies and programs to achieve security of the food system and health of the environment. Includes policies, activities, databases, publications, research initiatives, financial, economic and market information.
AgriCap - Provides financial services to the perishable agriculture industry, including growers, shippers, processors and brokers. Production, real estate, trade, and vendor financing.
Agricultural Marketing Service Farmers Markets - Links to resources and information, an interactive map by states to find local markets, and a kids coloring book.
Agripicture Farming Images - Fee based agricultural photos and graphics.
American Ag-Tec International - A global company marketing its proprietary agricultural, biotechnology, seeds, potato minitubers, and value-added foods worldwide.
Anderson Clayton Company - Provides services for the cotton industry and farmers in California and Arizona.
Charoen Pokphand Group - Thailand-based global conglomerate with operations and investments in agribusiness, crop integration, pet food manufacturing, seed fertilizers and plant protection products, and telecommunications.
Crop Choice.com - Includes agriculture related links and farming information.
Farm Credit Services - Provides financial services to agricultural and rural communities: Insurance, loans, investments, and farm business; news and information for farmers and ranchers.
ForTheFarm.com - Free classifieds, commodity quotes, and weather.
Groupe AGÉCO - Business Services - Provides marketing and management expertise to the agricultural and food industries.
Hail & Cotton - Tobacco leaf dealer, with purchasing and process capabilities to provide Flue Cured, Burley, Dark Fired, Oriental and other tobacco to manufacturers.
Homegrown Timber - A tree and vegetation contractor providing services in forestry maintenance, arboriculture, management of railway, highway and environmentally sensitive land in the UK.
Leica Geosystems AG - A group of companies whose primary business is the provision of total solutions on the field of measurement of spatial data in surveying, mapping and positioning.
NC Engineering - Produces a range of agricultural and industrial equipment and specializes in farmyard and factory pollution control equipment.
Quattro Environmental, Inc. - Soil restoration and stabilization services and products.
Right Parts Inc. - Aftermarket replacement parts for heavy equipment.
Sutil y Compañía S.A. - Agricultural brokerage company, offering products and services for the Chilean agribusiness industry.
TerraMetrics Agriculture, Inc. - Provides digital image processing and analysis of remotely sensed data.
University of California Small Farm Program - Research and information for small-scale growers on topics including specialty crops, pesticide safety, agritourism, and production practices.
Valders Cooperative - Supplying consistent quality products and services to agriculture, mainly in feed, grain, fertilizer, and fuel.