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Fun Facts About Amber
Release time:
2015-09-06
Source:
www.lanpowang.com Date: 2011-06-11
Abstract: Amber’s English name is “Amber,” which means “essence.” In ancient China, amber was also referred to as “Hu Po.” Amber is fossilized resin from ancient plants that was buried underground and formed through geological processes.
Amber, known in English as "Amber," means "essence." In ancient China, amber was also referred to as "hu po." Amber is a fossil formed from the resin of ancient plants that was buried underground and subsequently transformed by geological processes. It often contains air bubbles as well as remnants of insects or plant material. Amber is a hydrocarbon compound containing succinic acid and amber resin. Its colors typically range from yellow, orange-yellow, brown, tan-yellow, or dark red; varieties that are pale green, yellow, or lilac are extremely rare. It exhibits an oily luster and ranges in transparency from transparent to semi-transparent.
Today, resins are collected commercially—for example, the hard resin sourced from the high-altitude pine trees of New Zealand. Amber from the Baltic region is used in jewelry, while hard resin finds applications in the decorative arts. As for the varieties and grading of amber, China classifies amber into different types based on its color and characteristics, including golden amber, blood amber, insect amber, fragrant amber, spiritual amber, stone amber, flower amber, water amber, bright amber, wax amber, dense resin, and red pine resin. Among these, golden amber is considered to be the most precious and highest-quality variety of amber.
Today, amber is not highly valued unless it’s an antique, a masterpiece of fine art, or contains biological specimens. The economic value of amber depends on the clarity of the included insects, their shape and size, and their color. The best specimens have rich, vibrant colors and are free from impurities. Among colors, green and transparent red are considered the most desirable. The most valuable variety is amber that encloses insects—commonly known as “amber with bees.” Such amber is prized for its exceptionally clear insect inclusions, lifelike preservation of insect forms, large size, and abundant quantity. It’s often used to make beads, prayer beads, carved ornaments, cigarette cases, and incense sticks.
Amber care: Amber has a low melting point and is easily melted. It is sensitive to heat and direct sunlight. Amber products should be kept away from direct sunlight and not exposed to high temperatures. Amber tends to lose moisture, and excessive dryness can cause it to crack. As an organic material, amber is readily soluble in organic solvents such as nail polish remover, alcohol, gasoline, kerosene, and heavy liquids. Therefore, it should not be stored in cosmetic drawers. In general, avoid using heavy liquids to determine its density or the oil immersion method to measure its refractive index. Amber is brittle and has low hardness; it should not be subjected to external impacts. To prevent scratches and breakage, avoid rubbing or scratching it.
Imitations of amber and their identification. Imitations of amber include bakelite, plastics, and glass imitations. Generally, these can be distinguished based on amber's very low density, low hardness, and tendency to soften easily. If amber and other imitations are placed together in a saturated salt solution, only the amber will float, while bakelite, plastics, glass imitations, and other similar substitutes will all sink in the saturated salt water. Refractive indices: Bakelite has a refractive index of 1.66, and plastics have a refractive index of 1.63—both higher than that of amber. When tested with a heated metal needle, amber emits a pine-like fragrance, whereas bakelite and plastics give off a pungent, spicy odor. The imitation most closely resembling genuine amber is pressed amber. Pressed amber is made by collecting tiny fragments of amber, heating them between 200°C and 250°C until they melt, then allowing them to cool and solidify into a single mass. It often contains elongated or flattened air bubbles and exhibits a flow-like structure. Under magnification, one can observe a cloudy, granular texture.
Amber is an ancient gemstone material with a history as a gemstone stretching back nearly 6,000 years. Jewelry made from amber has been unearthed in numerous ancient tombs in China, Greece, and Egypt. In ancient Rome, women had the custom of holding gemstones in their hands—this was because, when warmed by the heat of the palm, amber emitted a subtle, elegant fragrance. The ancient Romans placed immense value on amber; a small statuette carved from amber was often worth more than a strong slave. Amber also has pain-relieving and calming properties. In some regions, it was customary to hang a string of amber beads around a child’s chest to ward off evil spirits and soothe any fright or anxiety.
Amber is often found in coal seams, occurring alongside lignite. Fushun amber is primarily mined from Early Tertiary amber-bearing coal seams of the Cenozoic era. The amber from the Baltic coastal countries of Europe is the most renowned; other significant producing regions include North America, the United States, India, New Zealand, and Myanmar. In China, amber is mined in the Fushun area of Liaoning Province and the Nanyang region of Henan Province. Amber from Fushun ranges in color from yellow to golden yellow and frequently contains well-preserved insects, making it exceptionally beautiful and highly prized. Amber from Nanyang is of lower quality and is mainly used for medicinal purposes or for crafting pressed amber.
Distinguishing between genuine and fake amber. Natural amber is remarkably lightweight and will float in saturated saltwater. When burned or vigorously rubbed, it emits a pleasant fragrance. Amber has a distinctly “rough” texture, and no two pieces of amber are exactly alike. We advise consumers not to let the confusion over authenticity deter them from enjoying the beauty of amber—instead, why not take the opportunity to deepen your knowledge about amber?
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