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Learn about Amber Varieties, Properties, Identification | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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What is Amber? Amber
is the ancient resin of pine trees which has gone through a number of changes
over millions of years. The result is an exceptional gem with extraordinary
properties. Amber
has been found in many parts of the world in different geologic compositions.
The most well known type of amber is Baltic amber, found in countries
surrounding the Baltic Sea, where huge
pine forests stretched many
million years ago. The biggest
deposits of Baltic Amber were formed about 40
million years ago,
when Amber was carried from the north by glacial waters and deposited in
sediments called "Blue Earth".
Amber
found in the mountains of Lebanon has been confirmed as the oldest in the world,
dating back 125
million years,
and insects trapped in it could lead to new scientific advances. It contains
insects, some now extinct, and plants far older than those found in Baltic amber
which dates back 35 million years according to Professor Georges Tohme, head of
Lebanon's National Council for Scientific Research. 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 which 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. This process makes amber harder and less brilliant when cut. Any color can be added in this procedure. Pressed amber is 100% amber and still considered as natural amber.
The Ambers of Arabic countries are called Kahraman and are unique and extremely expensive. Since amber is a light and fragile material, it is easily crumbled when used for the construction of worry beads. The above issue and the high price of amber led an Egyptian called Faturan, to invent a mixture of natural amber powder, resins and incense. The new material was named "Faturan Amber". This material is still widely used in the manufacture of worry beads. This material is more durable for playing, it creates a beautiful liquid sound and is usually four times cheaper than Kahraman amber. One can come across original old Faturan ambers, as well as their modern versions. Amber
is so valuable because current day forests of spruce and pine produce small
quantities of resin, none
of which is likely to lead to fossilized amber. Their
form of resin degrades and breaks down into other compounds before becoming
copal or amber. Synthetic imitations of amber include collectible plastics such as bakelite (phenol formaldehyde) and catalin, and other plastics like celluloid, casein, 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 is too heavy, too hard, and has a cold feel, and is not particularly convincing. Amber properties
Amber can be stained to enhance or change its color, particularly from yellow brown to red, and also to green.
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