Amber Jewelry Blog...

Saturday 19th May 2012 07:27:39 PM •

Computers: Algorithms

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).
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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.

ACM SIGACT - Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory, the ACM special interest group for Theoretical Computer Science. Site has membership information, meetings, reports and a newsletter for members.
Abstract State Machines - A formal method for specifying and verifying algorithms. Tools, meetings, researchers in the area.
Algorithm Design Paradigms - A course by Paul Dunne at the University of Liverpool. Slides and notes in HTML and PS.
Algorithms Archive - A collection including searching, sorting, tracking, mathematics and cellular automata. In English and Italian.
Algorithms Courses - Links to courses in algorithms maintained at various university computer science departments.
Algorithms in the Real World - Notes for a course at Carnegie Mellon University.
Analysis Of Algorithms - An initiative of attendees of the 1997 Dagstuhl seminar, these pages provide research papers, a bulletin board, and links to researchers and other resources in the field. The focus is on average case and probabilistic analysis.
Combinatorial Algorithms - Course material, syllabus and notes for a course by Roger Whitney at SDSU.
Combinatorial Algorithms - Lecture notes of a course at San Diego State University.
Computer Programming Algorithms Directory - Resources that describe computer programming algorithms.
Data Structures - Lecture notes by Steven Skiena.
Data Structures - Introduction to data structures, with Java code, by Peter M. Williams.
Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms - Lecture notes; applets and code in C, C++, and Java; links regarding books, journals, computability, quantum computing, societies and organizations.
Dictionary of Algorithms, Data Structures, and Problems - A dictionary of algorithms, algorithmic techniques, data structures, and archetypical problems, with related definitions. Many entries have links to implementations, tutorials, and bibliographical references.
Huffman Coding Algorithm - Includes a guide how to build it and a JAVA tutorial how to use it.
Introduction to Quantum Algorithms - A introduction to quantum algorithms by Matthew Hayward for those new to the field and who do not have a physics background.
OOPWeb Algorithms Directory - Algorithms lecture notes, courses, tutorials, references, guides and online books.
On the Road to Algorithms - Information on algorithms such as Bubble Sort and Random Number Generation, using HTML, Java and Perl. Collected by Lam Ka Chun (Raymond).
Pattern Matching Pointers - A collection of links for and to researchers in the subject.
Priority Queues - Electronic bibliography on priority queues (heaps). Links to downloadable reports, researchers' home pages, and software.
Problems in Analysis of Algorithms - A list of open problems with updates and solutions.
Resources for the Analysis of Algorithms - Links to papers, conferences and other sites, maintained by Helmut Prodinger.
Softpanorama Algorithms and Data Structures - A compilation of links and background information.
Stony Brook Algorithm Repository - This is a collection of implementations for 75 fundamental algorithms problems, including data structures, numerical and combinatorial algorithms,graph algorithms, and computational geometry. Implementations are available in C++, Java, Fortran, and other languages.
The Algorithm Base - Database of algorithms. May be scanned through or can be questioned through a knowledge based assistant. Links to originating web sites.
Tree Automata Techniques and Applications - An evolving web text in PostScript and PDF, with related software.
Web Data Structures and Algorithms - Lecture notes and links for a course by Godfried Toussaint.