Amber

Amber is fossilized tree resin. It has a beautiful orange, brown, and sometimes red color. People have liked amber since the Neolithic times. They use amber as a gemstone and often make it into jewelry.

Amber is also used in folk medicine. Because amber comes from tree resin, it can trap tiny animals and plants inside, called inclusions. These trapped bits help scientists learn about ancient plants and insects. There are five types of amber, based on its chemical makeup. Some types have special names, like resinite for amber found in coal seams, and ambrite for amber from New Zealand.

Etymology

The word amber comes from the Arabic word ʿanbar. This word first described a substance called ambergris. Over time, people began using the word for the golden tree resin we call amber today.

Amber has fascinated people for thousands of years. Long ago, it was linked to myths. One myth tells of Phaëton’s sisters turning into poplar trees, and their tears became amber. The ancient Greeks called amber ēlektron. This is why we have words like electric today — amber can hold a static charge.

History

Theophrastus talked about amber a long time ago, in the 4th century BCE. Other ancient writers, like Pytheas, also wrote about it. They described how people in northern Europe found amber on beaches and used it for fuel and trade.

Amber has been treasured for thousands of years. The ancient Romans traded amber from the Baltic region. In China, there are records of amber use dating back to 200 BCE. Later, amber was discovered in places like New Jersey in North America.

Composition

Amber is made from tree resin. Over time, this resin hardens into a beautiful material. It can dissolve in things like alcohol and contains special compounds that help it harden.

Amber is usually not very hard, and it can change when heated. Tiny bits of other materials, like bubbles or minerals, can change its color and look. Sometimes, these bits make amber look cloudy or give it unusual colors.

Formation

Over time, tree resin can change into a special material called amber. This happens when heat and pressure from layers of dirt change the resin. First, it turns into something called copal, and then, with even more time and pressure, it becomes amber. Not all tree resin lasts this long; most of it breaks down because of sunlight, rain, or tiny living things. For resin to become amber, it needs to be strong enough to survive these things or be made in places where they don’t happen very often.

Sometimes, trees make resin in a way that is not normal, and this can also lead to amber forming. In different parts of the world, amber comes from different kinds of trees. In Europe, there are two main types, and in places like the Americas and Africa, it comes from trees related to the modern Hymenaea tree. Baltic amber, found in northern Europe, is thought to come from trees in the Sciadopityaceae family.

Main article: Amber

Extraction and processing

Amber can be found all around the world, mostly in rocks from the Cretaceous period or newer. Historically, the area west of Königsberg in Prussia was the main source of amber. Today, most of the world’s amber comes from Juodkrantė in Lithuania.

Amber can be collected from the seafloor by hand, dredging, or diving. It is also mined from the earth. Workers clean the amber by removing dirt and crusts. In some places, amber is heated and shaped to make jewelry and other items. Sometimes, small pieces of amber are pressed together to create new products.

Appearance

Amber comes in many beautiful colors, like yellow, orange, and brown. Some rarer colors are red, green, and even blue. Blue amber is very rare and valuable because it glows in sunlight and ultraviolet light. Most amber is clear and can be made into nice jewelry. Sometimes, amber keeps the shape of drops or stalactites, showing how it flowed from trees long ago.

Classification

Amber can be sorted into different types based on its chemical makeup. The most common type is called Class I. It includes a substance known as succinite, often found in Baltic amber. This type has a special property that releases a distinct smell when burned. Another well-known amber is Dominican amber. It is mostly clear and often contains tiny fossils from ancient plants and insects. These fossils help scientists learn about old tropical forests.

Other classes of amber are made from different plant resins. Some are based on substances like cadinene. Others are made from polystyrenes or cedrene-based compounds. Each type has its own unique chemical signature. Experts can identify these using special testing methods.

Geological record

The oldest amber found so far is from the late Carboniferous period, about 323.4 million years ago. Amber is hard to trace back to its original trees because it looks most like resin from flowering plants, which came later. Amber becomes more common in the Early Cretaceous period, where it is often found with tiny insects inside.

Some important amber comes from places like Lebanon and Burma (Myanmar). Lebanese amber, which is about 125–135 million years old, helps scientists learn about very old ecosystems. Burmese amber, from northern Myanmar, is about 99 million years old and has many plants and animals preserved inside it. Baltic amber, found along the coasts of Prussia, contains many plants and small creatures that were trapped when the resin was fresh.

Use

Amber has been used since ancient times to make jewelry and ornaments. People have worn amber as jewelry for thousands of years, back to the Stone Age. You can find amber ornaments in old tombs across Europe. Today, amber is still used to make special tools for smoking and glassblowing. Museums, like the Palanga Amber Museum, show how beautiful and important amber is.

For a long time, people have believed that amber could help heal different problems. Ancient doctors like Hippocrates in Greece used it for many treatments. Even today, some people in Europe wear amber necklaces for children who have stomach pain or teething troubles, though experts warn this can be unsafe. Amber has also been burned for its nice smell, especially in ancient China. Real amber doesn’t smell strong enough for modern perfumes, but people make scents called “amber” to copy its warm smell using other natural and synthetic ingredients.

Imitation substances

Some materials look like amber but are not real amber. Young tree resins, like kauri resin from Agathis australis trees in New Zealand, are often used as imitations. Other natural materials called copals, which are not fully fossilized, come from trees in Africa, Colombia, Indonesia, and New Zealand.

People have also made many plastics to look like amber. These include stained glass, celluloid, and Bakelite. Other imitations are made from polyester, epoxy resins, and polystyrene, among other materials. These substances copy the look and feel of amber but are made in laboratories and factories.