Amber Jewelry Blog...
Saturday 19th May 2012 08:40:41 PM •Recreation: Humor: Science
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.Astronomy • Biology • Chemistry • Computers • Cryonics • Engineering • Food • Geology • Health and Safety • Mathematics • Physics • Psychology •
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/
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.
tani hosting | projektowanie stron www | tanie domeny .com.pl | katalog stron | katalog stron | aforyzmy | subaru impreza | tanie loty OLT Express | hotele egipt |
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.
- Ask Dr. Science - America's foremost authoritarian on the world around us. Or at least the world around him.
- B.S.L Labs - Inventors of funny, strange, and unusual items including the Universal Llama Translator and Polytetrafluoroethylene Coated Underwear.
- Best of RHF: Computer, Science and Math Jokes - A selection from the rec.humor.funny newsgroup.
- Blunders and Mistakes of Science - A compilation of mistakes which are the result of misapplication or ignorance of science and engineering principles.
- Butseriously.com - Comic Brian Malow hosts a live daily webcast featuring interviews with scientists, authors, techies, artists, musicians and others.
- Causal or Casual? - The relationship between strep throat and Italian restaurant food.
- Eric Schulman's Science Humor - Includes "How to Write a Scientific Paper," "The History of the Universe in 200 Words or Less," and other articles and essays, most published in The Annals of Improbable Research.
- Famous Scientists - A humorous look at influential scientists throughout history.
- Flaxon Alternative Interface Technologies - Home and underground research and development facility of the Evil Doctor Flaxon, located in the heart of the Nevada nuclear test site.
- Good Science Jokes - Scientific humor, jokes, and cartoons organized by topic.
- Improbable Research - International science humor magazine chronicles genuine and concocted research from Earth's best and worst scientists and science writers, and administers the annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. Many articles online not in the print version, and vice versa.
- Middle School Science Humor - Statements taken from the work of middle school students.
- OmniResearch, Inc. - The Journal of Omniresearch Online publishes original humorous research articles in a broad range of scientific topics. [Contains fictitious information.]
- Reality Carnival - A news site that explores the edges of science: altered realities, near-death experiences, unsolved mysteries, exotic sushi, parallel universes, religion and science, weird and fun, sex, beauty and brains, fantastic memes. Edited by science writer Dr. Cliff Pickover.
- Science Humor Webring - This ring is intended to join websites with humor about science and scientists, so that you can wander forever along the science humor sites.
- Science Jokes (Joachim Verhagen's site) - Collection of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geology and university humor. It also includes humorous quotes, rhymes, mnemonics and anecdotes about scientists
- Science Maniac - Miscellaneous jokes and trivia about astronomy, Einstein, animals, and plants.
- Scientific AmeriKen - Delves into many scientific disciplines to come up with some unusual insights and experiments.
- Scientific Quotes Gathered on the Net - Miscellaneous quotes, including: what in the world is electricity, and where does it go after it leaves the toaster?
- ScientificGospel.com - Prompted by a letter from Dr. Eugenie Scott in Science News noting that the creationists have all the good songs, Dr. Stephen Baird decided to address the long neglected problem of scientific gospel. Includes music, quotes, and merchandise.
- Society for Scientific Exploitation - Promoting the belief in exotic, aberrant, or supernatural explanations for ostensibly anomalous or paranormal phenomena.
- Sometimes Science Sucks - Webcomic about science and the situations that occur when it all goes wrong.
- South Pacific Institute of Nolledge - Te Ngstitute Pikamanaga O Pasifika. A satirical look at modern corporate research institutes: nolledge, boffins, sustainable managers, ambush marketing, and electron retrospectroscopy.
- Stop the Spin - Satirical organization dedicated to stopping global warming by stopping the spin of the earth.
- Strange But Untrue Science - Explore the three key areas of Science (Phydlstics, Pharmacy and Squidgy Things) with a mad scientist.
- The Journal of Irreproducible Results - Bimonthly science humor magazine published since 1955. Sample articles, subscription and contact information, and the magazine's history.
- The Magic of A.I. - Entertaining tidbits from the realm of Artificial Intelligence.
- The Straight Dope by Cecil Adams - "Education and Condescension" - Fighting ignorance since 1973, Cecil Adams takes questions from the teeming millions, spewing forth correctness week after week in his replies.
- This Week In Science - Web site and online audio archives for the weekly TWIS science radio show. A humorous and irreverent take on the world of science.
- Why Is The Sky Blue - Features funny scientific misinformation and silliness.