Burmese Reddish Brown Amber, Carving of a Wise Man.
Burmese Reddish Brown Amber, Carving of a Wise Man.
Used by man even before the ice age, natural amber gemstone can be categorized as an organic gem material of vegetable origin. Amber is not a mineral, but time-hardened fossilized resin of the species of pine called Pinus Succinite. These trees grew in forests around 45 million years ago, on the European mainland known to us as the Baltic region today!
The early Germans called this Baltic amber by the name of Bernstein, due to the sweet smell it emitted when burnt. The Greeks called it Elektron due to its properties of developing static electricity when rubbed. Amber is known as Kerba in the local markets in India.
Amber gemstone was used by Paleolithic man in Austria from 45000 -12000 B.C. The nomadic hunters of the Neolithic age (12000-4000 B.C.) used amber to hunt animals. They carved phases of the moon, hunting seasons and the animals that they hunted on amber.
The Neolithic man (4000-1900 B.C.) started using amber as decorative articles and jewels. The rich people of these societies usually owned amber jewellery and used to gift it to their friends and relatives.
Later, towards the end of the eighth century B.C. the Greeks started using amber for inlay work in gold and ivory. Romans found a use for amber only in the first century B.C to first century A.D, where they made rings and vessels out of amber.
Amber gemstone was believed to possess magical power since it was warm to the touch, lightweight, produced static electricity when rubbed and smelled sweet when heated. Wearing amber as an amulet was highly recommended to safeguard the wearer from evil and from negative energy.
Amber is a hydrocarbon (C10 H 16 O). It is a complex mixture of several resinous bodies, succinic acid, volatile oil and also contains some amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Its specific gravity is 1.08 and the refractive index is 1.54. Its hardness on the Mohs scale is 2 to 2.5 and is sectile (i.e it can be sliced or shaved). The Burmese amber is said to be hardest and the Dominican, the softest.
The colour of amber fossil varies from yellow to dark brown to almost black. Very rarely this gem may be found in green and blue-grey colours and hence green amber can be very rare. In addition, it is dyed in many colours like green, blue, pink etc. The colour of this gem denotes the area from where it has originated. Baltic amber is yellow, Sicilian is reddish yellow, Rumanian is brown and Burmese is yellow to reddish-brown.
Amber gemstone is usually cut as beads and cabochons. Many times it is just polished and used in its crude rough shape. Opaque gems of big sizes are mostly used in carvings. Gems with inclusions are mainly fashioned as cabochons. Amber beads are a popular choice for use in necklaces and bracelets.
Amber gemstone is usually sold by the piece and not by weight.
Inclusions in amber gemstone actually serve to increase its value. Its transparency may vary from transparent to semi-translucent to opaque.
During the process of fossilization, a variety of flora and fauna tend to remain trapped in the amber resin and eventually become an integral part of the final gem i.e. amber. Over the centuries fauna like larvae, caterpillars, bees, flies, butterflies, spiders and even land snails have been discovered in amber.
Flora like wood fragments, leaves, flowers, other plant parts and ferns are also found in the gem. The more unique the fossils in amber, the higher it's value. Other trapped flora and fauna, dust, small pyrite crystals and other minerals may also be found in this gemstone.
Item Code - MIS3D193PVC
Width: 5 3/4" Height: 4 1/8" Depth: 4" Weight: 544 g
