Amber: features, types and properties of stone

Amber can be called one of the most widespread and popular ornamental stones in the world - in our area it is well recognized and in demand. However, most people know quite a bit about it, so it's worth getting to know this material better.

Amber is the fossilized resin of coniferous trees that has lain in the earth for tens of millions of years. Arguing about its importance for humans, the bulk of people would say that this is a beautiful ornamental material, but in some regions of its mass production, local residents do not consider this resource to be something particularly valuable at all and sometimes even use it instead of rosin for soldering. However, in Russia, amber is often called the "gold of the Baltic" - this poetic term describes how the substance looks and how those who have not encountered it in everyday life relate to it.

This stone consists of a good 70% carbon, the rest of the mass in approximately equal proportions are made up of hydrogen and oxygen. Since in the original this substance is of organic origin, its formula is, of course, more complicated - it also contains sulfur, nitrogen and ash.

If you describe the appearance of amber, it should be mentioned that this substance does not form crystals - it belongs to frameless polymers. Its color can fluctuate within the range available for ordinary fresh coniferous resin - most often these are shades from yellowish to brown through reddish tones. At the same time, there are also specific stones of a colorless, milky or slightly greenish tone.Transparency does not differ in homogeneity - there is both practically transparent amber and one that does not transmit light at all. All pebbles are characterized by specific resinous gloss.

The density of amber is most often in the range of 1.05-1.09 grams per cubic centimeter, but sometimes this figure reaches 1.3 grams for the same volume. This stone is not particularly hard: even if you can't take it with your bare hands, it lends itself to polishing without any problems... Friction causes the stone to become electrified, acquiring a negative charge.

At room temperature, amber is a solid, but when the temperature reaches 150 degrees, it begins to soften gradually. The melting point of the substance is not precisely determined and is about 280-320 degrees. Any kind of this stone is highly flammable.

The variety and uncertainty of many characteristics of amber are caused by the fact that it changes under the influence of external forces. First of all, it oxidizes in the open air, reacting with oxygen, which makes it brittle, can change color and chemical composition. In addition, the initial data can also change - the properties of the stone depend on which tree the resin was from and how long it was stored in the ground.

The origin of amber has long been fanned by legends, because you rarely find a stone that does not give crystals, burns in fire and melts near it. The etymology of the name of such a substance in different languages ​​says a lot about how in this or that country it became known about amber and what the locals thought about it.

So, in modern Romance and many Germanic languages, the name amber is fixed for amber, which is derived from the ancient Arabic consonant word - hence we conclude that this substance has been known in the Middle East since ancient times. Nowadays, there is a continuous sandy desert and it is difficult to believe that coniferous forests could once grow here. The Arabs themselves did not believe in this option - they guessed that there was a frozen liquid in front of them, but they considered the stone to be dew, not pine resin.

German-speaking peoples, who in the Middle Ages belonged to almost the entire Baltic region, most admired the fact that amber is capable of burning, and even giving off a characteristic aroma. Without thinking twice, they called it "bernstein", which can be considered an abbreviation for the German phrase "combustible stone." Today the derivative word "burshtyn" is called amber by Poles, Ukrainians and Belarusians.

In Greece, amber was called an electron after the star Electra, located in the constellation Taurus. Even in ancient times, local residents noticed the ability of the stone to electrify when rubbed - in fact, the modern word "electricity" just from the name of this substance came about.

In Ancient Russia, where the official language had many borrowings from Greek due to the common religion, amber was called “elektr” for a long time, sometimes “elektron”. For the less educated majority, who did not speak Greek, this name was too complicated, because some scholars believe that the legendary alatyr-stone, also known as "white-combustible stone", is amber.

As for the modern Russian name, its etymology is traced back to the Lithuanian word gintaras, for the first time "entar" was mentioned in a written source in 1551. Many Slavic languages ​​borrowed the same word from the Lithuanian language through Russian.

Modern poetic names like "gift of the sun" or "tears of the sea" once again indicate that in any country and in any era, amber was perceived as something completely unusual, but always with a positive connotation.

If we turn not to legends, but to history, it turns out that this stone has been used for the manufacture of various products for several thousand years. In the same Baltic states, rings, buttons and many other useful things were made from amber even during the Neolithic period. Interestingly, the crown of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, whose age reaches almost 3.5 thousand years, is decorated, among other jewelry, with amber - the scientist believes that it was brought precisely from the shores of the Baltic Sea. Already at that time, a full-fledged trade in this unusual stone was established in the Mediterranean region.

On the eastern and southern coasts of the Baltic Sea, the processing of amber was a popular folk craft for several millennia, until the Teutonic Order reigning here in the 13th century decided that it was too valuable raw material to allow anyone to trade it. Since then, the processing of such stones became a state matter, special serfs were engaged in the collection, and processing at home was prohibited - all raw materials were purposefully exported to other cities. The exclusive right to trade in such goods had to be obtained from the state, therefore, folk crafts for a long time subsided.

At the dawn of civilization, the main European source of amber was a deposit on the territory of present-day Denmark, but it was depleted in ancient times. Already in the ancient Roman period, the main region for the extraction of amber gems could already be considered the Amber Coast in the Baltic States, located today on the territory of the Kaliningrad region of Russia, as well as in neighboring Lithuania and Latvia. It is generally accepted that today it is here that up to 90% of all deposits of this stone are concentrated; there is also a unique amber plant that is engaged in the extraction of such gems.

There is also quite a lot of amber in the Ukrainian Polissya. Local Rivne amber is also widely known. The local deposits belong to the Baltic-Dnieper sub-province of the Eurasian amber-bearing province, so the "gifts of the Sun" here are echoes of the neighboring Baltic states.

In addition, some of these gems can be mined in North America. Today, the main deposits of amber in the Western Hemisphere are located in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, in addition, occasional finds of such stones are known in the north of Canada and the United States, as well as in Greenland.

Among other things, ancient authors have repeatedly mentioned that earlier amber mining was possible even in India and Africa. Nowadays, in these regions (as well as in the same Mexico) copal is mined - another type of petrified resin, which most scientists urge not to confuse with amber. However, another group of specialists proposes to include these regions in the number of amber-bearing provinces due to the general similarity of the stones.

The widespread opinion that amber can be of purely yellow shades is fundamentally wrong - modern experts distinguish as many as four hundred different colors. Yellow and orange species are just much more common, which is why all these poetic epithets about the "gifts of the Sun" belong to them.

It should be understood that relatively high prevalence reduces the demand for such a pebble - a gem of any atypical shade is valued more. At the same time, it would be foolish to evaluate a piece of amber purely by its color - the cost is determined both by size, and by the skill of processing, and, in particular, by the presence of inclusions.

This stone can also be accentuated with red and even cherry color, and this is already a claim to originality. Such a beautiful shade is due to the fact that ordinary prehistoric resin, due to forest fires, apparently went through the calcination procedure. Outwardly, such a nugget resembles a ruby, therefore it was highly valued in all eras. Poetic Chinese and Japanese called it "dragon's blood"; only the highest government officials could afford such a large-scale decoration.

The three most popular colors include milky white amber, but it is interesting that the substance of which it is composed is never white. This color is just a visual effect, just in the thickness of the yellowish tint there are abundant blotches of air and water bubbles, which give the stone a whitish color.

Even less common are such unusual shades of amber as green and blue. The first of these options also arises purely due to inclusions, this time - plant particles, or even soil. The biggest confusion is with blue gems - scientists still cannot explain exactly where this shade came from, and offer incomprehensible theories about optical illusion.

In some specimens, these opacities are found only outside, since there is practically no transparency - such a specimen is called landscape. It does not always look really beautiful, but sometimes a properly polished bead reminds one of the planets of the solar system.

If you want to find a truly exclusive specimen, be guided by amber, in which some prehistoric insect is frozen. It is quite difficult to get such a specimen, because it is a great rarity, and scientists, museums and the mighty of this world hunt for it.

Like any other material known since ancient times and considered expensive, amber is covered with many legends. Due to this, magical and healing properties were attributed to him in different eras. Some of them were confirmed, others remained unproven, but only the owner of the stone decides what to believe and what not.

Amber is often associated with the Sun, and the heavenly body itself is considered to be a symbol of happiness, joy and fun. A priori, the sun stone is suitable to be a talisman - at different times it was credited with strengthening health and protecting against enemies. It is believed that such an amulet is suitable for people who are inclined to decide with their heart, and not with their mind, therefore it will not interfere with representatives of creative professions and simply optimists. In addition, the stone promotes good luck in all respects, increases intuitive abilities, and also provides peace to the owner's home. According to experts in esotericism, there is a whole list of positive properties inherent only to amber.

This stone:

• soothes and warms, literally penetrating into the soul;
• being constantly stored somewhere in a box, it protects the home from criminals and natural disasters;
• helps expectant mothers to give birth without complications, and for those who have already acquired a baby, ensures the health of the baby;
• guarantees a good mood, if you constantly wear it on yourself, while a large piece is just enough to squeeze in your hand to get a powerful positive charge;
• contributes to the preservation of female youth;
• drives away bad thoughts and night thoughts, if you put it under the pillow in advance - however, for this purpose it is suitable only in its raw form;
• cleans and clarifies both body and soul;
• helps its owner to survive any, even the most difficult grief.

In ancient times, it was believed that the healing properties of amber are universal, that is, they will come in handy in any situation and with an ailment of any nature. Ancient healers found a lot of benefits in the use of this stone, not thinking about how it heals, but sincerely believing that not a single disease can resist the effects of such a drug.

By the way, some of the useful properties of this substance have been proven today, and traditional medicine has continued to use it all this time, without needing any proof.

• It is generally accepted that the constant wearing of an amber bracelet helps to speed up metabolism and helps to cleanse the body of all that is superfluous. According to this logic, such an accessory will definitely come in handy for a person who keeps himself in shape, or who wants to lose weight.
• Succinic acid is sold in modern pharmacies. This is a biostimulant of natural origin, which in terms of effectiveness is able to compete with popular energy drinks, the harm of which has already been written a lot. A similar drug is sometimes recommended for use by people engaged in intensive mental work.
• Small amber chips are used by many pharmaceutical companies in the production of medicines. For example, a tincture on such an unusual ingredient is considered very effective in the fight against various lung diseases and colds.
• The smoke released during the burning of amber contains all the same beneficial substances as the tincture described in the paragraph above. For this reason, amber inhalations, if you find a pebble and do not regret burning it, can also be helpful.

Among women, amber is very popular as a beautiful and stylish piece of jewelry, especially since for many men it is not a big problem to buy it - this gem, which is also not very cheap, does not significantly reach real precious stones. At the same time, the fairer sex is often fond of astrology and strive to select jewelry in accordance with the rules of this science. Then they should know that "Sunstone" is best suited for the signs of the zodiac, whose element is fire - these are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.

Since this stone is in any case positive, the same esoteric experts note the possibility of wearing it for representatives of absolutely any sign of the zodiac. For some reason, only Taurus is offended by the benevolence of the "Baltic gold" - it is not that he is forbidden to wear amber jewelry, just the esoteric effect of him will tend to zero. If for active representatives of fire signs this stone can be an excellent additional stimulant, for earth signs, wearing it can result in further aggravation of indifference.

Airmarks and watermarks can be worn for both beauty and a certain healing effect.

Real amber is not enough for everyone, because today, as in the case with many other stones, there is artificial amber. Outwardly, it really looks like, and sellers are not always in a hurry to inform the buyer that this is a fake, and they demand the same amount for a piece of plastic as for a natural stone. Naturally, a modern trinket does not have any special properties, therefore you need to know the differences between amber and any other materials in order not to become a victim of scammers.

• It is normal to include air bubbles in prehistoric resin, but as a rule, there should not be many of them.In the industrial production of inexpensive artificial amber, manufacturers usually do not bother with the purchase of an expensive sealed mixer with an air suction function, therefore there will be a lot of such bubbles in a fake.
• Perfectly even tone of amber beads is a clear sign of product falsification. At least, nature should not have thought that way, because amber is not a living being and does not need to be masked from someone. Therefore, most of the pieces of this stone, not yet devoid of foreign impurities, have a characteristic haze. For a manufacturer of cheap goods, drawing complex and unique patterns is an unnecessary task, and by this he can contribute to catching a fraudster.
• Amber is of organic origin and has an amazing ability to keep warm. Unlike plastic, it is never cold - that's why it is a solar stone. Despite the fact that this substance is relatively soft, it will still not work to scratch it with a fingernail. If you accidentally "spoiled" the seller's product, trying to scratch it with your fingernail and leaving a well-visible scratch, then there can be no question of naturalness.
• A real natural stone weighs surprisingly little, so even massive-looking beads in your hand will turn out to be surprisingly light. With plastic, and even more so with glass, the difference will be very obvious - they will be much heavier and will cause some discomfort when worn. In order to distinguish the original from a fake according to this criterion, preliminary experience of wearing proven amber is desirable - then you definitely will not be mistaken in what you are offered.
• Despite the fact that the gem has lain in the ground for tens of millions of years, in essence it remains the same coniferous resin that it was originally.

Most often, amber is used in jewelry and for making souvenirs. In the latter case, both an unprocessed and a pressed or melted version of the gift may work. Craftsmen make real miracles from amber - figurines, paintings, icons and much more.

In industry, this stone has found particular use in industries such as pharmaceuticals, perfumery, food processing, as well as for the production of sandpaper and some varnishes - for example, they are used to cover the famous Stradivarius violins. In the old days, amber could be used as an electrical insulator.

The difficulty in handling amber lies in the fact that it, being of natural origin, tends to age quickly, which makes it cloudy and becomes fragile. Here are some subtleties of how to prolong the life of your favorite jewelry as much as possible:

• amber does not like either heat or cold, and suffers especially strongly during sudden temperature changes;
• perfumery and any household chemicals can harm amber jewelry, even a tiny drop of perfume can harm a stone;
• this gem is not very durable, even a relatively weak blow can split it;
• due to the softness of the material and its dislike for detergents, it is extremely undesirable to touch the product with dirty hands, fat is especially dangerous for amber;
• In a strange way, the "sun stone" cannot be stored for a long time under the sun's rays - a dark box is better suited for this, but sometimes it is simply necessary to "recharge" it, otherwise it will fade;
• fresh air provokes oxidation of the pebble surface, which makes it brittle and can crack;
• amber, unlike many other stones, is never stored in bags - the fabric is not able to protect the nugget from impact and splitting;
• for the reason described above, amber items are never stored together; a separate box is chosen for each;
• The best cleaning technique is to regularly wipe it down with a dry soft flannel or woolen cloth after each wearing the jewelry.
• if you really wash amber, then only in cold or lukewarm water, of the additives, perhaps ammonia is allowed, but the use of soap is prohibited;
• ideally, the pebble is cleaned with special means, but if they are not there, you can soak it in a salted water solution;
• after washing, the product must be wiped dry and polished with the addition of olive oil.

See the next video for the properties of amber.