Amber is mesmerizing. It is one of the earliest organic materials man used to adorn himself. We have been compelled, seemingly without reason, to incorporate it into our art forms and adornments since the Stone Age.
Why are we so mesmerized by amber? Amber resonates an essence of life in unparalleled volumes. It tells a story. It speaks to us in the form of subliminal echoes from the past. It haunts us from the grave, beckoning to be appreciated for the spellbinding thing that it is.
Amber has an energy that commands our attention. It’s the essence of life that holds us a captive audience, without question, sparing no expense. It is the “voice” and when we wear it, we are the “amplifier”.
Amber began as tree resin (not to be confused with tree sap). It then became buried in the earth, whereby subjecting it to a lengthy and complex amberization process and finally emerged as fossiliferous resin.
Sometimes, when the resin was new and sticky, unsuspecting creatures would come into contact with the resin and become trapped. The entombed creatures in fossilized amber are called biological inclusions. When amber has biological inclusions, not only can one see the actual creature, a creature that has close ancestors that reined in the forests primeval, but also its life story is painted within.
Some amber nuggets are like miniature glass theatres showing dramatic scenes, frozen in time, like stop-action photography. Rare specimens are highly coveted by collectors. They include predator and prey caught in the very moment of triumph and defeat, enemies striking a threatening pose in the heat of battle, coitus and even actual birth!
And then there is the inevitable death. Under close inspection, one can literally see the echoes from life’s end as radiating waves of shimmering reflections referred to as “strain”. The strain is a direct result of a dramatic death struggle that ensues as the creature, slowly, dies in the gripping mire of tree resin.
From afar, we see the strain in fossilized amber as beautiful reflections. In heat-treated amber, lacking natural strain, the beautiful reflections are called “sun spangles”.
Alas, life and death is but a beautiful and bittersweet struggle from beginning to end. From its humble beginnings and the origins of life entombed within, amber reminds us of that beautiful struggle. We are mesmerized by amber because it is a miniature time capsule and preserved within that capsule, are the secrets of life itself.
In the forest primeval, a creature calls…Its echo heard for millions of years.Frozen in time; the drama unfolds--
A death struggle painted in amber tears. --S.N.N. 2007
FAQ:1. Amber is fossilized tree resin sometimes containing entombed extant or extinct biological matter
.2. The resin is often mistakenly referred to as “tree sap”. Whereas resin the semi-solid amorphous organic substance secreted in pockets and canals through epithelial cells of a tree; sap is a fluid that circulates through the vascular system of the tree
.3. Amber is created by a natural oxidization, evaporation of turpenes & molecular polymerization process; which turns it into a fossiliferous resin. This process is termed “amberization” & can take over a period of up to millions of years
.4. It is one of just a few organic gemstones.
5. An ample commercial source for amber is from the Baltic Sea regions & the Dominican Republic & is dated at about 5 to 65 million years old
.6. The amber source with abundant inclusions is from the Dominican Republic & dates to about 5-24 million years old.
7. Some commercial sources for amber & non-commercial amber, depending on their localities, date from 100 to about 144 million years old.
8. The oldest amber specimens identified dates to about 300 million years old & is from Northumberland in the UK & the Upper Mississippi Valley, Montana, US.
9. Some of the earliest insect ecosystems in fossilized resin are from Lebanon dating from about 65-144 million years old.
10. The geological name for amber is “Succinite” from the Latin succinum meaning “juice”.
11. Copal/Copalli is said to be “young amber” & the vast majority is 50 years to 10,000 years old whereas, some amber is up to millions of years old. Columbian copal is usually about 250-10,000 yrs old. Some scientists claim the oldest copal is 33,000 years old from Misunani, Japan. Copal is subject to much controversy and confusion as scientists suspect some sources for copal could be 16-40 million years old (as old as some Dominican amber) but perhaps lack the succinic acids, other properties plus sufficient heat & pressure that aid in the fossilization process and full amberization. Note: There is also a similar property named “copaline” or “copalite” that is said to originate from buried vegetation.
12. The word amber is derived from ambergris but has no similarities to ambergris other than being found in the ocean in some localities.
13. The Greek name for amber is elektron due to the negative electric charge acquired by friction. 14. Sun Spangles (manufactured strain effect) are caused by heat treatment. Interference or natural strain is caused by the death struggle of a trapped creature.
15. The study of amber’s biological inclusions is referred to as “paleobiology”.
16. Fossil evidence from amber suggests that the oldest insects existed 350-400 million years ago.
17. The majority of amber is mined. Some Baltic amber is collected from the surrounding coastal areas.
18. The vast majority of commercial amber comes from a period of time much after the Jurassic Period and the Cretaceous Period following the extinction of dinosaurs. This is due to climate, landscapes & lack of the relatively few type of trees that manufactured amber type resin during much of the Mesozoic Age.
19. Amber has been used as adornment since 1100-8000 BC.20. Albumen amber, a simulated form of amber, has been around since the 1400's & was invented by Leonardo De Vinci.
21. Not all amber or copal is suitable for making jewelry due to its varying properties. Much of the marketable amber for jewelry making dates to about 5-65 million years old & copal at about 250-10,000 years old.
S.N.Nellis, PG RG
Last Update: 26 Nov 2008