Middle Eastern Amber
Since ancient times amber is considered a symbol of happiness and a new beginning. It was valued for his remarkable healing properties. It was believed to help with rheumatic ailments and asthma. Research results have shown that it contains many valuable micronutrients — silicon, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, organic compounds combined with iodine, volatile substances, resin acids, and many others.
Many believe that amber helps restore mental balance, well-being, and helps to reduce stress and insomnia. Amber is a source of negative ions, which makes it a natural air ionizer. Currently, many cities fight air pollution (exhaust fumes, pollution from factories, domestic furnaces, concrete, etc.), in which positive ions predominate. The prevalence of positive ions can also be found in many apartments, through high voltage networks, domestic electrical appliances (electric kitchens, washing machines, TV sets), heating devices, etc.
Positive ions presence may cause headaches, migraine, affect one’s mood negatively, organism toxication and many more complex diseases. To prevent the negative effects of positive ions it is highly recommended to get natural amber and keep them in the house, especially near equipment which may emit positive ions, for example near a computer, TV set, microwave or washing machine.
Negative ions emitted by natural amber, boost blood flow, which leads to an increase of energy, improved concentration, and overall better being. Negative ions help to reduce toxins from the body. Additionally, amber is used in modern oncological prevention, among others to stop the growth of various types of cancer.
Strictly speaking amber is not a stone but a fossilized resin. It can have interesting inclusions such as plants, insects and even lizards! If these inclusions are still present amber can be very valuable. Amber is commonly heat treated and it should be assumed that stones we use are heat treated unless otherwise specified.
The stone measures 2.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness so is very soft and can be easily scratched. Amber can be cut in to interesting shapes. Beads can be a composite material which is a treatment that involves a combining the ground or sections of gemstone which are then bonded with resin to create a smooth and even colour or for an interesting pattern or sometimes to improve durability. Find out more….
The English word “amber” derives from Arabic ʿanbar عنبر via Middle Latin ambar and Middle French ambre. The word was adopted in Middle English in the 14th century as referring to what is now known as ambergris (ambre gris or “grey amber”), a solid waxy substance derived from the sperm whale. In the Romance languages, the sense of the word had come to be extended to Baltic amber (fossil resin) from as early as the late 13th century. At first called white or yellow amber (ambre jaune), this meaning was adopted in English by the early 15th century. As the use of ambergris waned, this became the main sense of the word.
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, soap or detergent when cleaning amber jewelry. Use a soft cloth and amber shouldn’t be soaked for a long period of time as it may spoil its shine. You can easily clean your amber using a soft cloth to wipe away dirt. If the stone is losing its luster, polish it with a bit of olive oil to bring back its shine. Make sure you wipe away excess oil as this can damage the amber. Also, it is best to take off amber jewelry before taking a shower.
If you see Blue Amber, it’s most likely Dominican. However, Baltic Amber has been cured to have the similar deep blue effect. Logically, as you know this to be a form of resin, you expect the color ranges of copper, burnt red, orange or yellow colors, and even often white or cream. Some Amber might be violet or even green depending on the plant material which was preserved in the piece originally.
Depending on where the mine is, the age when the amber was formed differs. “Amber is produced more along the coasts of the Baltic Sea,” said Long Roger, curator at the Myanmar Amber Museum in Yangon. “But amber produced in Myanmar comes from the Cretaceous Period when dinosaurs lived, and it gives us a lot of clues about the ecology of that period.”
