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Amber ClearlyExplained.Com

ClearlyExplained.Com

Amber

What is amber?

Amber is the preserved resin of prehistoric trees that grew tens of millions of years ago. Often classified as a semi-precious stone, this hardened organic substance comes in over 200 shades of colours ranging from off-white to black. Amber also comes in a variety of transparencies, which is commonly referred to as the objects' turbidity. Appearance is always dependent on environmental factors and no one piece is alike.

Despite such a large range, the most common specimen is a golden-brown and semi-opaque object that will frequently contain inclusions.

Inclusions in amber are classified as anything that is embalmed (preserved) in the hardened resin. Examples include:

• Inorganic matter such as dust particles, rocks and sand
• Microscopic organisms including bacteria
• Botanical matter such as flowers, leaves and bark
• Insects and beetles
• Organic debris such as feathers and hairs
• Small animals such as scorpions and lizards (these are extremely rare)

Why is amber important?

Natural/Scientific value of ambers

Amber provides a window into the past due to the remarkable embalming qualities that it exhibits.

This ability to preserve organic material has led to the discovery of previously unknown ancient organisms and continues to give valuable insights into evolutionary history.

Without the particular electrostatic property of amber it may have taken longer to develop theories of elecctricty. The ancients noticed that when amber was stroked with cloth it was able to pick up other light objects like dust and feathers and even cause a small spark. The Greeks called amber Eleckron. where we get the word electricity.

News about ambers

Most news that relates to amber is about scientific discoveries or novel new or extreme aspects of amber, for example the largest samples.

Some examples include the oldest piece of silk found preserved in amber in 2003... BBC news article

How is amber formed?

Although the formation process is not fully understood, it is believed that amber is formed in three distinct stages over a period of 20 million years.

Stage 1 Resin

Resin is the semi-solid substance that is exuded through a trees' epithelial system in response to injury or disease.

Once pooled into a sufficient mass either outside of the tree or within the plants' internal fissures, the resin along with any subsequently trapped inclusions(bugs, insects or dust) begin to undergo polymerisation.

This process means that the semi-solid resin will begin to harden.

Stage 2: Copal

Copal is simply a form of resin that has matured to the point of hardening and despite a similar appearance to amber, has only undergone partial polymerisation. During this stage, the substance will continue to harden and the volatile oils (terpenes) that naturally occur in resin dissipate.

Large deposits of amber are usually found in areas through which oxygen cannot readily penetrate. Areas that are high in heavy sediments such as sand and clay are ideal.

Stage 3: Amber

The final stage is the change from copal to amber.

Having taken in excess of 20 million years, the polymerisation is all but complete and the potentially damaging volatile oils have dissipated.

 

Did you know?

The most common misconception regarding the formation of amber is that tree sap is the precursor, however in actual fact resin is an entirely different substance.

The stages of formation of Amber

Polymerisation is essentially the process by which molecules combine in order to create larger and stronger structures called polymers.

An anaerobic environment (one that is largely devoid of oxygen) is also of great importance during the first two stages, as the presence of significant amounts of oxygen will lead to the oxidisation and destruction of the specimen.

What is History of amber?

Amber's natural History

Amber is clearly a very old substance that pre-dates human history, with the age of deposits ranging from 20 to 345 million years old. The youngest amber deposits date back to the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic Era while the oldest can be traced back to the Carboniferous period of the Palaeozoic Era.

It is thought that resin producing plants had not yet evolved before the Carboniferous period, thus there is no record of amber being older than 345 million years.

Amber in human history

The collecting of amber can be traced to prehistoric times, with raw pieces (uncarved) being found in various caves across Europe. Ornaments such as beads have been dated back to 11,000BC, while more complex objects such as amulets have been traced to 7000BC.

Despite these occurrences, the trade of amber is not believed to have been significant until 3000BC and it was during the Bronze Age that the amber trade routes were established.

Amber was significant to many cultures, with the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and North American Indians holding it in high esteem.

Many such cultures believed the object to be the product of a god and also to have medicinal properties, thus it was an important item of trade. Over time, amber has become a valued object merely due to its aesthetic qualities and nowadays is valued amongst collectors, artists and jewellers alike.

The Future of amber?

Amber will continue to be valued not only for its visual appeal, but also for the contribution that it makes to evolutionary and biological sciences.

What are some of the open questions about amber? The exact process of formation is still likely to be debated for a little while yet.

Amber, as with any fossilised material is a non-renewable resource. There is a finite or limited amount of amber in the world.

 

Perhaps there will be novel uses of amber, in technology that have yet to be thought of. The polymer properties of amber may be the inspiration of new materials.