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Amber is one of the organic gemstones, being the time-hardened fossilized resin of
pine trees, the now extinct pinus succinifera, and others. As such it varies from about 20 to
60 million years old, according to different sources. It appears surprisingly light and warm
to the touch, and readily produces static electricity when rubbed. Indeed it was known to the
ancient Greeks as elektron, and it is from this that we have obtained the word electron for
the negatively charged particle, and also the word electricity. The metal electrum was so
called because of its similarity in color to amber. Amber is known in German as bernstein
because in the middle ages, powdered amber was burnt as an aromatic incense.
Coloration
Amber is most usually similar colors to honey, varying from golden yellow, through rich
orange and red to brown, but some can be white, dark brown almost to black, blue or green.
Clarity
The best amber is usually clear and translucent, but inclusions can enhance its beauty, rarity
and value. Some amber containing a number of naturally occurring gas bubbles, has an
appearance similar to goose fat, and is known as fatty, or in German flohmig. With larger
quantities of bubbles making it appear cloudy is is known as bastard amber, although this is
still a true amber. White or whitish amber is sometimes called bone amber. Some amber contains
inclusions known as sun spangles, with the appearance of nasturtium leaves, although most of
this is seen in treated amber.
Treatment Options
Amber can be treated or processed in a number of different ways.
One treatment for cloudy amber is to heat it in rape seed oil (colza oil). This penetrates the
air spaces, and increases the clarity. It can result in stresses in the amber known as sun
spangles. Because these inclusions produce an attractive end-product, it may be produced
deliberately rather than through lack of care.
Small pieces of gem grade amber are often pressed together under gentle heat and great
pressure to produce pressed amber. Pressed amber may be identified by margins of different
clarity in single a specimen, and by elongation of the gas bubbles it contains.
Staining or Coloring Amber can be stained to enhance or change its color, particularly from
yellow brown to red, and also to green.
Sources
The most important source of Amber is from the Baltic area, particularly Königsberg previously
in East Prussia, now known as Kaliningrad, and until recently part of the USSR. The variety
coming from this area is known as succinite. It is found here in two sources, from the sea and
by mining. The sea amber from this area is easily carried by the sea, and can also be found in
all parts of the Baltic coast, even as far away as Norway, Denmark and the east coast of
Britain.
There are many other sources of amber, usually with different characteristics and colors,
and often regarded as different varieties. Burmese amber is usually redder than Baltic amber
and is known as burmite. It is harder, denser, and often contains calcite.
Amber found in Sicily, along the Simeto river near Catania is reddish brown, fluorescent,
and is known as simetite. Amber is found in many parts of Romania, is known as roumanite, and
can be very variable in color. Amber found at Gdansk or Danzig is known as gedanite. This is
softer and lighter than most other amber. There are numerous small deposits of amber in the
United States.
Imitations
There are many imitations of amber, some natural and many synthetic. The natural imitations,
known as copal resin, are very closely related to amber. They are also from fossilised pine
resin, but from different varieties of pine trees, and also less ancient. A variety from New
Zealand is known as kauri gum, and is the product of the kauri pine (agathis australis).
Most copal resins, being younger than true amber, are more susceptible to attack by solvents
such as ether. Other synthetic imitations include plastics such as bakelite (phenol
formaldehyde), celluloid, casein, urea-formaldehyde resin, perspex and polystyrene. Many of
these can be colored to create attractive imitations of amber.
Glass is also used to imitate amber, although it it too heavy, too hard, and has a cold feel,
and is not particularly convincing.
History in Amber
Well preserved specimens of extinct insects and plant material, have been found in amber. These
are valuable evidence for geologists and zoologists. They can also add interest to amber as
jewelry. Insects are also found in copal resins, and have been used in pressed amber and other
imitations for sale to collectors and tourists, sometimes fraudulently. Experts can
distinguish imitations because they use extant rather than extinct insects, and there is often
air trapped around the included insects, and other evidence of manufacture.
Amber for Adornment
Because amber is soft, it may be thought to be unsuitable for use in jewelry, but as with
other materials, we should explain that hardness is not always the same as durability. Amber
is occasionally facetted, but is normally cut or polished en cabochon or as beads. Because it
is relatively inexpensive and of light weight, it is often used as large stones in rings,
pendants, bracelets and ear-rings, and is often set in silver. There is of course no reason
why it should not be set in gold, we think it matches and complements the warm color of gold,
or even platinum. Amber is often seen as large beads. Because of its light weight, it is
excellent for this purpose. Also because of its soft warm feel, it has an uplifting spiritual
quality, and makes excellently tactile "worry-beads".
Technical Characteristics
Amber is a complex mixture of several resins, succinic acid, and volatile oils. Its
approximate chemical content is C10H16O, but also contains some hydrogen sulphide, H2S.
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Hardness:
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1.5-2.0 to 2.5
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Specific Gravity:
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1.02 to 1.12
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Refractive Index (R.I.):
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1.54
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Crystal Structure:
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Isotroptic
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