Amberif International Fair

The 16th Amberif International Fair of Amber, Jewellery and Gemstones will be held in March 11 – 14, 2009 at the Exhibition Centre (MTG SA), 5 Beniowskiego Street, Gdańsk, Poland. Don't miss it.

Useful links:
www.amberif.pl
www.amber.org.pl

Amber Inclusions

Amateur paleontologist Jamie Hiscocks has found the world's oldest spider web in a piece of amber on the south coast of England.

Useful link:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081216-oldest-web-photo.html

Thanks NG. Stunningly beautiful photograph.

Treated Green Amber

Dr. Lore Kiefert has written an interesting article on treated green amber @ http://www.agta-gtc.org/amber-green.htm A must read.

Useful links:
www.agta-gtc.org
www.palminic.com

Praying Mantis In Amber

Experts believe an 87-million-year-old praying mantis found encased in amber in Japan's northeastern Iwate Prefecture may be a missing link between mantises from the Cretaceous period and modern-day insects.

Julian Ryall writes @ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080425-amber-mantis.html

Useful links:
www.kuji.co.jp
www.kmnh.jp
www.amnh.org

Feathers In Amber

The article Dino-Era Feathers Found Encased in Amber @ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080311-amber-feathers.html was fascinating and educational + an interesting spin would be the exotic collectors: they will be looking for dinosaur feathers in amber worldwide + who could afford the prices?

Buyer beware! There will be plenty of imitations in the market very soon!

Amber Fossils

I found the article on Amber fossils from Australia via http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2006/1796778.htm educational + insightful.

Useful links:
www.unsw.edu.au
www.rivsoc.org.au
www.austmus.gov.au

Alaskan Amber

Here is an interesting story on amber. The Inuit people in Alaska is known to have collected amber from northern beach gravels between Harrison Bay and Smith Bay on the Artic Ocean
because with (geologic) time and erosion the fossil resin may have been exposed, loosened and tumbled by rivers or washed out to sea + since amber floats in seawater, again with time the currents may have deposited amber chunks along the Alaskan coast in a random fashion. The locals, according to John Sinkankas, who is an expert on North American gemstones, referred to the amber as auma, meaning live coal. From a gemological perspective the amber specimens from the region showed familiar inclusions such as gas bubbles, network of fissures due to stress, tree debris, mosquito, spiders, beetles, ants, and bees.

Be On The Lookout For Fake Amber

(via Wahroongai News, Volume 32, Number 3, March 1998) Grahame Brown writes:

This warning follows the recently held North Brisbane Lapidary Show at which one dealer was found to be selling materials clearly marked as amber—yet these materials were not amber. One group of the ambers for sale were manufactured from the amber imitation polyberne; and other pale yellowish ambers were obviously recent copal resin (some of which was attractively included by insect inclusions).

To assist members and students not to be taken in by this scam, the following information is supplied on these two amber imitations and their identification.

Copal Resin
Copal resin is a diaphanous brittle colorless, yellow to brownish recent plant resin that may have an age of up to several tens of thousands of years. Commercial copal resins are often given names such as Kauri gum (a misnomer), Manila, Congo or Colombian copal.

Kauri gum and manila are respectively derived from sap from the gymnosperms Agathis australis from the North Island of New Zealand and Agathis albis from the Philippines and the Indonesian archipelago. There are two major African sources of copal resin which also may be termed congo or Zanzibar resin. East African copal, which comes from Tanzania and island of Zanzibar, is derived from sap exuded from damaged trunks and branches of the leguminous (fruit-bearing) angiosperm (flowering plant) Hymenaea verrucosa; while West African copal from the Congo Republic is derived from the sap of the leguminous angiosperm Copiafera demusi. Most Colombian copal comes from ploughed fields in the Departments of Santander, Boyaca, and Bolivar—specifically near the cities and villages of Bucaramanga, Giron, Bonda, Medellin, Penablanca, Mariquita, and Valle du Jesus. Some Colombian copal has been given the tongue-twisting name of bucarimangite. Age dating of specimens of Colombian copal has yielded ages that ranged from 10 to 500 years. The source resin of Colombian copal is undoubtedly three resin producing trees that are still growing in Colombia—the Hymenaea courbaril, the H. oblongifolia, and the H. parvifolia. In these trees the exuded resin accumulates between the bark and wood, and also under the roots of the tree. Common inclusions in this very recent resin include stingless bees, millipedes, centipedes, ants, moths, beetles, cockroaches, silverfish, and termites.

Precisely how long copal resin takes to convert to amber is unknown. However, this (hardening) time is influenced by such conditions as temperature, pressure, moisture, and perhaps the presence or absence of oxygen. Poinar (1994) suggested that 2-4 million years of burial might be required to convert copal resin into amber.

Copal resin and/or kauri gum are excellent amber look-alikes so with the exception copal’s:
Slightly lower hardness (2 on Mohs scale).
Slightly lower specific gravity (varying from 1.3 to 1.09 with age).
Increased solubility in volatile hydrocarbons.
Increased volatility, with a ‘pine’-like odor being emitted when kauri and/or copal is firmly rubbed in the heel of the hand.
Increased shallow surface crazing, restricted to the outer 2mm of the resin, due to continuing evaporation of volatiles.

………these effective amber imitations have an appearance, gemological properties, sectility (chips on peeling), and pattern of inclusions virtually identical to those of amber.

Practically, the increased solubility of kauri gum/copal resin in volatile organic solvents (a potentially destructive test) may be used to effectively discriminate them from amber, as

1. Surfaces of copal resin become sticky to an applied finger following the judicious application of a drop of volatile organic solvent (e.g. ether, chloroform, acetone, or alcohol) to an inconspicuous area of the suspect resin. This is a very useful test that can be applied before you purchase specimens of ? amber; and,

2. A yellow stain will be deposited on the surface of an alcohol-moistened white cloth or tissue, when an inconspicuous surface of kauri and/or copal is wiped briskly with a moistened cloth or tissue.

Polyberne
Polyberne, a man-made composite imitation of amber consists of fragments of amber embedded in brownish polyester casting resin. Polyberne is a distinctly Polish product that displays evidence of:
- Molding.
- Entrapment of air bubbles between the external surface of the imitation and the mold into which the polyester resin was poured.
- Evidence of two components. That is fragments of amber embedded in a resin of different refractive index.

Hand lens examination, looking for evidence of embedding and molding, and perhaps a test for sectility, are all that is required to positively identify the polyberne imitation of amber.

So beware, these materials are in the marketplace. Do not be caught for want of applying a few simple observations and tests.

Burmite

Garry Platt writes:

Burma up until recent years had been China’s major source of amber. The Burmese had mined and dug for the amber which was then sold to Chinese traders who would sell on to crafts people who prized the gem for its qualities and mythical properties.

The amber was extracted from the Northern parts of the country. The mining shafts were lined with bamboo canes sunk down 10 -15 meters through clay deposits. ‘The Mineral Resources of Burma’ published in 1934 noted 200 pits aimed at extracting amber near the village of Shingban. Photographs from this period show these mines as potential death traps. The author is uninformed about the situation regarding amber mining within this region at the current time. Most records refer to activity up until the 1930’s, but none later. The age of Burmite has been established as Eocene through indicator fossils present in the amber deposits. The tree origin has been determined as Nummulites Biaritzensis.

More info @ http://www.gplatt.demon.co.uk/typesof.htm

Chemawinite

Garry Platt writes:

Amber from the Cretaceous is rare, but Canada has some remarkable deposits originating from this age. Cedar Lake in Manitoba is probably one of the most commonly written about sites. The Cedar Lake deposits were found on the South West lakeside shore as washed and tiny pieces ranging from .5cm to 2cm in diameter. Highly fossiliferous by all accounts containing many examples of both flora and fauna.

Various scientific expeditions have brought back several hundred pounds of amber from this site. In the 1950’s a project was set in place to begin commercial development of the site. The venture later failed. This site has now been lost to science because of the flooding of the area. The former lake side shore is now hidden beneath the new water level. Reports have been made of amber beginning to appear on the new higher shoreline. So far these reports have been unsubstantiated.

More info @ http://www.gplatt.demon.co.uk/typesof.htm

Dominican Republic Amber

Garry Platt writes:

Dominican Republic amber, probably the world’s second largest deposit following that of the Baltic amber region, strangely does not have a unique name but can be called amber because of the presence of Succinic acid though not to the same level as Baltic amber. It is commonly referred to as Dominican Republic amber. Throughout the island are numerous mines which tap into different deposits of amber. Laid down in successive layers the age of the amber extracted can vary from between 15 - 40 million years. The tree origin has been established by Poinar as Hymenaea protera.

More info @ http://www.gplatt.demon.co.uk/typesof.htm

Rumanite

Garry Platt writes:

Romania has several scattered sources of amber. Probably the most famous being that situated around the village of Colti in the Buzau district. Rumanite probably originated from a leguminous tree as the presence of succinite has been analysed to be generally less than 5%. This would therefore make the correct nomenclature of this deposit retinite and not amber. Particles of wood have been found within these amber deposits and have been identified as Sequoioxylon gypsaceum. The age of Rumanite from Colti has been established as Oligocene. Almashite and Muntentite are both names that have been used to describe amber originating from different geographic regions within Romania, Almashite from Piatra and Muntenite from the Oltenia region. Amber has also been recovered from the Cretaceous age at Sibiu in the Carpathians.

Rumanite has had a chequered history as regards its extraction. Known of and recorded by the Romans the mining probably reached its highest point in the 1900’s. The mining was nationalised in later years but never proved a commercial success and the mining was officially abandoned. Examples of this deposit are extremely difficult to come by today. Visitors to Colti may visit a recently opened museum of amber in the village.

More info @ http://www.gplatt.demon.co.uk/typesof.htm

How to judge Amber

AMBER is a warm gem with an aura of its own. A geological wonder buried beneath the earth and sea, there is something special about its timeless formation. In its own peculiar way, amber has the unique characteristic of calming the mind. This quality of warmth, combined with its ancient lore, becomes an essential part of its beauty.

Some 40 million years ago in what is now Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, tropical pine forests began to excrete sap in large quantity. Small and large drops of aromatic sticky resin poured down the trees, embedding leaves and insects in their path. With time, the resinous material hardened into a soft and lustrous substance. Stone Age men discovered the fossilised lustrous material washed up on the Baltic shores and beyond, but it was the women who began to love and wear amber.

This fascination with the gold-coloured gem continued to be of great significance to the Assyrians, Egyptians, Etruscans and Greeks. The Greeks took interest in this sea gem and named it elektros because of its unique physical property: easily electrified by rubbing with a cloth, it will attract bits of paper. In English the name means Amber.

Amber is found in Northern Europe around the Baltic coast (East Germany, Poland and Russia), the Dominican Republic, Burma, Romania and Sicily. Baltic amber tends to be more desirable.

There is a certain romance associated with amber's unbelievable life span under the sea, the way it was thrown onto rocky shores, its biological pecularities and its unique fingerprint.

Colour, Clarity and Cut: Amber colour varies from white to dark red and even black. They can be transparent to translucent green or blue due to fluorescence; or opaque blue due to atmospheric weathering. With time, various colours have been valued according to fashion and superstition. Baltic amber is usually yellow. Like coloured stones, no two amber pieces look alike.

Generally amber is included with plant debris and small animals such as insects and spiders. They have a characteristic flow structure with included air bubbles, causing cloudiness. Connoisseurs divide amber into three groups: clear, massive and cloudy. The clear variety is perfectly transparent and gem quality. It takes a good polish and is very much in demand as beads. Massive amber is more or less cloudy. The cloudy type is translucent to opaque, and softer than clear amber with an inferior polish. Amber is commonly oiled to improve clarity, as well as to darken and harden it.

Generally amber is fashioned as beads, cabochon or carved for ornamental purposes. It is advisable to avoid chemicals and ultrasonic cleaners during handling.


Synthetics and Simulants: Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate natural amber from more recently created imitations, the most common of which is copal, a recent fossil resin very similar in appearance and physical properties to amber. Copal tends to craze on the surface if washed in hot water. It may become tacky if tested with a small drop of ether. Plastics, too, are often used to imitate amber and are identified by an acrid odour to the hot point. True amber gives off a resinous aromatic odour.

A Man's Best FriendAmber beads are used extensively in the Middle East as prayer necklaces and worry beads. The softness and lightness make it easy to handle and passed through fingers if desired. Believe it or not, amber is of great demand among smokers, in cigarette holders, mouthpieces and pipe stems, as it feels cool. Some of the most beautiful amber of opaque quality have been used for Turkish hookahs. They are highly prized when ornamented with coloured stones.