For many years people have been attracted by the mysterious appearance of amber, the beauty of its soft colors. About 60 AD. e. the emperor of Rome sent his subordinate to investigate the origin of this marvelous stone. In the north, the commander learned that it can be mined on the shores of the B altic Sea. Hundreds of kilograms of a substance were brought home, which was valued for its beauty and healing properties. At that time, an amber figurine cost more than a slave in Rome. So what is the history of the origin of amber? Why is he so appreciated?
The first mention of amber in history and legends
In the 4th century BC. e. Theophrastus made his first historical mention of amber. The Greeks called him "electron" or "formed sun", which was closely related to their mythology. According to legend, when the son of the sun god Helios, also known as Elector or Awakening - Phaeton, was killed, his mother and sisters cried about his death, and their tearsturned into amber stones.
They named the stone this way for a reason. An ancient Greek scientist discovered the supernatural power of amber. He noticed that a stone worn with a cloth begins to attract straws and feathers in an incredible way. So the phenomenon of static electricity was discovered. Only after 2 thousand years it was discovered that not only amber can produce the same charge.
In 1492 it was discovered that Indians in the Caribbean also use this stone. Having sailed to their island, Columbus wanted to surprise the locals with amber beads. The traveler himself was puzzled, as they gave him shoes decorated with the same stones in return.
Origin of the name of the stone
Linguists have not fully understood the origin of the word "amber". The ancient Egyptians called the stone "sakal", which is similar to the Lithuanian word "sakas". In Lithuania, there is the village of Sakuchiai, not far from which there were mines with this stone. A comparison of the old Latvian names shows that even before the middle of the seventh century BC. e. knew about amber.
Pomeranian inhabitants called amber pine resin, which sounded like gintar in Hungarian. Some linguists believe that the Slavs adopted the name from the B altics around the tenth century. It is known for sure that in the 16th century in Russia the stone was called entar.
In Germany, amber (bernstein) got its name from two words: stone (stein) and burn (brennen). The Poles and Hungarians adopted the German name. They have Burshtin and Borostian.
"Amber" - Englishthe name of amber, the origin of which comes from the Arabic word "anbar". It is also known as "barn" in medieval Latin or "ambergris" in Old French. The word referred to a precious type of oil obtained from sperm whales. Today it is known as "ambergris". These two substances can even be confused if they are on the same shore. Their difference lies in the density. Ambergris has a lower density, so it floats on the surface. Amber is denser than water and sinks.
The origin of the stone
In the Dominican Republic, amber came from the hardened resin of native trees in the tropics. Plants have not survived to this day, but some representatives of these broad-leaved plants still grow on the islands of the Caribbean and in some parts of America. Their coniferous counterparts are found on the shores of the B altic Sea.
For the origin of amber in nature, damage must have appeared on the tree bark. The hole was from a broken branch or insect. Healing the wound, the plant produces a resin, which includes complex essential oils and alcohols. This chemical composition causes the substance to solidify very quickly, embalming in the process any plants and insects that come across.
Stone processing
When the amber is separated from the rock, it is taken out into the sun. For inspection, a dark film is chipped off from the piece, which connects the substance to the base. Through the resulting spall, the stone is examined for the presence of organic remains insidehardened resin, called inclusions.
In one week, more than one thousand small pieces of amber are found. But there are exceptions, in the form of large stones - up to 8 kg. After checking, the material is sorted by the origin of amber, size and the presence of inclusions. Most of the small pieces are sent to jewelers for processing, while the valuable ones go to museums and private collectors.
Types and colors
Many people think that amber is a transparent stone of yellow and orange hues. In fact, depending on the origin of the amber stone, the type of tree resin and the age, many colors can be seen. There are up to 350 different shades.
The stone differs in shape, colors and transparency. There are 5 main types:
- B altic, called succinite. This variety makes up the bulk of all amber - about 98%.
- Glessit. Differs in a brown tint and lack of transparency.
- Gedanite. Wax yellow stone.
- Bockerite. A dark amber with elasticity and opacity.
- Statienite. This is the most fragile type of amber, which has a black color.
Find not only yellow and orange colors, but also white, red, blue, blue. The latter species is far from common and is difficult to process. The rarest stones contain shades of the rainbow. In Japan, they found amber, outwardly similar to agate. Although the stone is considered semi-precious, rare colors are very expensive. The beauty of the unique stone can be seen in the photo. Origin of amber and inclusions of rare colors,the same as the normal one, the difference is only in the type of wood and fossil remains.
Healing properties of amber
In ancient times, people believed in the magical power of amber. Amulets made of this stone were intended to attract good luck, strength in wars, protection from troubles. The substance was also used for religious purposes. With the help of figurines and disks made of amber, they worshiped the gods, the sun and their ancestors.
Traditional doctors even now use the stone for treatment. Beads are used to reduce pain in the head, throat and neck, and bracelets are used for rheumatic diseases.
Many ointments, tinctures and potions are created on the basis of amber.
What to wear with amber
The standard look of amber is recommended for girls of warm autumn and spring color types. For women of the winter and summer type, a simple yellow tint is indispensable. Black and green tones are suitable for cold, and white for summer.
When choosing jewelry, it is worth considering the girl's personality:
- Yellow and honey shade will make dark eyes more expressive.
- For light eyes, it is recommended to choose brown and coffee shades.
- Elongated shape of the stone in earrings, suitable for round cheeks, visually stretching the face.
- Big earrings emphasize the graceful neck of tall girls.
Amber is a semi-precious stone, great for both everyday wear and going out. The most important thing is to correctly combine jewelry with clothes and observemoderation.
Basic rules for wearing amber:
- Casual wear. The main rule is to carefully combine with bright and colorful prints. Looks best on warm shades of green, beige, yellow, brown and blue.
- Wear with business attire. Often, beads or a necklace will be out of place in the office. It is better to give preference to a large bracelet or an elegant pendant.
- Combination with summer clothes. In the heat, I want to wear as little jewelry as possible. A good option would be small drop-shaped earrings and a ring with an amber stone. A small pendant will suit the deep neckline of white clothes.
- If small and elegant jewelry looks good with open skin, then it is better to wear large and intricate necklaces over clothes. With a woolen or knitted dress, you can wear interesting beads in several threads. Massive bracelets complete with earrings are well suited.
With any choice, it is worth remembering that amber jewelry is noticeable. If you combine too many elements in one outfit, you get a tasteless and oversaturated look.
