Amber Jewelry Blog...

Tuesday 22nd May 2012 01:33:18 AM •

Reference: Libraries: Subject Specific: Arts

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.

Anne and Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library at the University of Pennsylvania - Collections cover architecture, city planning, historic preservation, history of art, landscape architecture, the studio arts and urban design. Holdings emphasize Western subjects, but includes materials on the arts of Islam, South Asia and the Far East.
Boston Architectural Center Library - Supporting the School of Architecture and Interior Design, and also available to the public for reference use; with library and Internet guides and information about services and collections.
Brown Fine Arts Library - Located on the 3rd floor of Rice University's Fondren Library, it contains over 135,000 volumes related to art, architecture, classical archaeology and music. Houston, Texas.
Columbia University Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library - Subject guides and Internet resources in architecture, archaeology, and the fine arts.
Cornell Fine Arts Library - Supports research in the areas of art, architecture, historic preservation, history of art, city and regional planning and landscape architecture. Ithaca, New York.
Edinburgh College of Art Library Service - Library news, information, and access to the online catalog and other online information resources.
Fine Arts Library, University of British Columbia - Collection includes Canadian, Pre-Columbian, Oriental and Italian Renaissance art as well as the history of architecture. Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Frick Fine Arts Library | University of Pittsburgh - Non-circulating research collection serving the Department of the History of Art and Architecture, and the undergraduate needs in fine arts and studio arts courses. The Collection contains over 85,000 volumes and subscribes to more than 323 journals in relevant fields.
Illinois Institute of Technology Graham Resource Center - Architecture library; houses information on Mies van der Rohe, Crown Hall, and the campus of Illinois Institute of Technology.
McGill University Blackader-Lauterman Library of Architecture and Art - Access to online databases and subject guides for art, architecture, urban planning, theater, and photography.
New School University Gimbel Design Library - Research resources for art and architecture include print and electronic holdings, Internet links, access to the online catalog, and an online index to the picture collection.
New York State College of Ceramics Scholes Library - Supports local and Internet research in the art and science of ceramics and related materials.
Rochester Institute of Technology Cary Collection - The Graphic Arts Library and Digital Image Database is available for online perusal of images related to the history and practice of printing.
Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, The Art Institute of Chicago - The research library collections of The Art Institute of Chicago, including primary source collections on American architecture.
The Frick Art Reference Library - Repository for the documentation and visual study of Western Art. Open to scholars and art professionals both in person and via email or telephone.
The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center - Holds, studies and exhibits a very large collection of rare books and manuscripts, photographs, works of art, items related to the performing arts, and twentieth-century literature and fine arts, principally American, British and French.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries and Study Centers - Information on library collections, access, and use, with a to Watsonline, the museum's research library online catalog.
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts - Includes collections include the Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound and the Billy Rose Theatre Collection.
University of Auckland Fine Arts Library - Library information and electronic links, including access to the online catalog and Internet resources in the fine arts.
University of California at Santa Barbara Arts Library - Houses the art and architecture, and music collections; information about collections and services, and Internet resources in the arts.
University of Connecticut Music and Dramatic Arts Library - Collection includes titles in music theory, performance, jazz, ethnic music, music psychology and others.
University of Manitoba Architecture/Fine Arts Library - Information on collections, electronic resources, services and borrowing.
University of Michigan Fine Arts Library - Maintains a collection of print and electronic resources in the history, theory, and criticism of the visual arts, and contains over 90,000 volumes covering painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic arts, decorative arts, architectural history and photography.
University of New Mexico Fine Arts Library - Subject areas include art, art history, dance, film/media arts, music, photography, theatre, architecture, landscape architecture and planning.
University of Tasmania Carington Smith Art Library - Access to the online catalog, web resources in the visual arts, and information about the library.
University of Texas Fine Arts Library - Information on collections, staff, hours, computer resources and employment. Austin, Texas.
Vassar College Art Library - A variety of electronic sources in the fine arts, including Internet links for research information and digitized images, course-specific resources, and access to the online catalog.