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What is Baltic Amber?
Baltic Amber is absolutely, the finest and the rarest amber of all.
Baltic amber has been known since the dawn of history. But this does not
mean that it is the only amber around; neither is it the oldest. Some
Amber is considered to be up to 345,000,000 years old (Northumberland
USA). Compared with this, both, Dominican (up to 30 million) and Baltic
amber (50 million) are "babies" and have no reason to be dickering over
a couple of million years here and there.
Amber and Baltic Amber
Since the ancient times, the word amber meant only one thing - the
Baltic Amber! However, the process of how amber is formed traced more
amber varieties in different parts of the world. Although more than 125
types of fossil resins are known in the world, these resins are not
amber but its relatives. They are mostly found in Europe and America and
each of them has its own name. But the Baltic amber is uniquely known
for its quality and is most sought after.
Baltic Amber is More Beautiful
Natural Amber from the Baltic regions was and is beautiful and
extraordinary, full of folklore and history. It still has the fame of
the mystic, sacred material of the old that carries on. But, Alas!
Natural Baltic amber in its original form is sometimes difficult to find
on the market today, when everything is a matter of price and
competition, pushed up with much publicity. Most of what you find these
days is an industrialized product. Industrial open pit exploitation of
amber is in the Kaliningrad region.
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.
Fossilized Tree Resin from Pine Trees
Baltic amber is fossil resin produced by pine trees, which grew in
Northern Europe - from southern regions of the present-day Scandinavia
and nearby regions of the bed of the Baltic Sea. The climate became
warmer and conifer trees started to exude big amounts of resin.
Scientists say that amber (or succinite) is a fossil pine resin from
this region that has achieved a stable state through oxidation.
Why Amber?
The reasons why amber has been popular for centuries are
many. Amber has been a beautiful jewel that has been
fought for. amber has medicinal properties, amber is
useful to scientists for prehistoric life studies and so
on...Read below to find out more...
Read more...
History of Amber
Amber has a long history since the ancient times. Most
older and previously discovered amber deposits were in
Europe and you will still see today ho widely amber is
used and cherished in Europe. Amber has been traded
since earliest times and was considered a mystic and
religious material. Over the "amber routes" it was
distributed throughout Europe and to the entire known
ancient world... Read
more...
History of Amber Jewelry
The earliest known use of worked amber beads by man was
between 7,000 and 11,000 BC in Denmark and southern
England. Amber beads have been found in Egyptian tombs
dating to 3,400 BC. It has also been found in Mycenaean
(Greece) tombs. By the Bronze Age (3,000 to 1,000 BC),
there was significant trade of the gemstone throughout
the region of the Baltic Sea. As early as 600 BC...
Read
more...
Historical Amber Trade & Amber Route
The amber trade is ancient. Scientists presume that the trade in amber
started as early as in New Stone Age. Baltic amber beads were found in
3400-2400 BC pharaoh tombs in Tethys pyramid. German archaeologist
Heinrich Schliemann who in 1871-1890 excavated Troy in addition to other
artifacts found amber beads....
Read more...
Amber Inclusions: Pieces of Ancient History!
The preservation of ancient life in amber has fascinated
civilization through ages and this mystical phenomenon still attracts
people to get to know more about amber and even and hold in hand and
wear - a piece of history that is so ancient. Amber is really an
exquisite preservation of ancient life within its golden tomb. Perhaps
amber was an inspiration for the Pharaohs to build the Great Pyramids?
Read
more...
Types of Amber
Amber can be classified by number of parameters such as
chemical composition, color and way of formation,
production method. The following classification is by
chemical composition. Amber can be classified based
on chemical composition usually into two fossil resins:
succinite and retinite. Succinite
is the common variety of European amber. Baltic amber or
succinite was once thought to be the only "true" amber
and is the most suitable for jewelry...
Read more...
Amber Myths, Lore and Facts
The evidence of amber being a precious substance that
was very much sought after, fought for and cherished
goes back to 3,400 B.C. There have been many lore and
myths about amber and many of them are most prevalent in
Europe today. People believe amber to be...
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Amber in Medicine
History has documented medicinal uses of amber. A lot of
ancient text includes amazing mentions of the positives of amber
treatment. Amber has a unique charm and air of mystery surrounding it.
In nineteenth-century literature we find evidence of amber having been
used as a remedy for virtually all illnesses. The Etruscans prized it as
highly as gold...
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Real vs. Fake Amber
It is important to get to know amber well if you are
seeking one or better yet, depend on a source that is
authentic and reliable. In the middle of the 19th
century, scientists discovered ways to synthesize
natural precious substances. Due to the demand and the
price amber commanded in those days, additional
experiments and efforts to falsify amber picked up
pace...
Read more...
The Amber Room
The Amber Room was a collection of chamber wall
panels commissioned in 1701. The Amber Room was made from 1701 onwards
in order to be installed at Charlottenburg Palace, home of Friedrich I,
the first King of Prussia, at the urging of his second wife, Sophie
Charlotte. The concept of the room and its design was by Andreas
Schlüter...
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How to Care for your Amber
Amber is one of the few precious minerals that
it is actually good and easy to handle. The oils from one's skin help to
prevent its oxidation. Over the years, amber does age. Often the outer
surface will react with oxygen and form what is called a "crazing"...
Read more...
Back to 'All About Amber' Summary
Commonly referred to as tree sap, however amber is anything but sap!
The modern name for amber is thought to come from the Arabic word,
amber, meaning ambergris. In our "All About Amber" page, we have
attempted to provide interesting and useful information about what is
amber, where it comes from, the types of amber, amber fossil, how to
tell fake from real...
Read more...
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