Amber
Name:
The Greek name for amber was ηλεκτρον (Electron) and was connected to the Sun God, one of whose titles was Elector or the Awakener. The modern term electron was coined in 1891 by the Irish physicist George Stoney, using the Greek word for amber (and which was then translated as electrum) because of its electrostatic properties and whilst analyzing elementary charge for the first time.
Description:
Most amber is golden yellow to golden orange, but green, red, violet and black amber has been also found. It is translucent and may contain insects or other inclusions from millions of years ago when the resin was still sticky.
Gemmological Characteristics:
Amber is very soft and light with a hardness of 2.5, and is in essence resin.
Holistic Properties:
This resin facilitates energy balancing and has an aura of cleansing. It protects against taking others pain, and helps in calming.
Gem Folklore:
Amber was popularised in the film Jurassic Park, and many insects and animals have been identified and discovered as they are extracted from amber. Stone Age man imbued amber with supernatural properties and used it to wear and to worship. It took on great value and significance too, among others, the Assyrians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians, and Greeks. It never completely went out of vogue since the Stone Age. Between 1895 and 1900, one million kilograms of Baltic amber were produced for jewellery.
Sourcing:
Most amber comes from the Baltic states, but also some comes from the Dominican Republic. The former is usually darker and perceived of better quality, but the latter is most likely to have interesting inclusions of insects.
History:
The Greeks called amber electron, or sun-made, perhaps because it becomes electrically charged when rubbed with a cloth and can attract small particles. Homer mentions amber jewellery - earrings and a necklace of amber beads - as a princely gift in the Odyssey. Another ancient writer, Nicias, said that amber was the juice or essence of the setting sun congealed in the sea and cast up on the shore. The Romans sent armies to conquer and control amber producing areas. Emperor Nero was a great connoisseur of amber. During his time, wrote Roman historian Pliny, the price of an amber figurine, no matter how small, exceeded the price of a living healthy slave. The ancient Germans burned amber as incense, so they called it Bernstein, or “burn stone.” Clear colourless amber was considered the best material for rosary beads in the Middle Ages due to its smooth silky feel. Certain orders of knights controlled the trade and unauthorized possession of raw amber was illegal in most of Europe by the year 1400.
Zodiac & Birthstone:
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