QUALITIES

Baltic amber is conifer resin that lost the largest part of its volatile components during fossilization.

Different amber pieces are found from crumbs of 1-2mm to bars one meter long and about 10kg weight. Few big amber pieces are known - if a piece is bigger it is more rare. The biggest amber piece is 47cm long and 9.817kg weight. It is in the Berlin Natural Science Museum. The biggest piece of amber in our museum weighs 2.054 kg.

Amber distinguishes itself by its big variety of colours: scientists count about 250 various colours and shades. Pliny the Elder (23-79 years A.C.) wrote about the possibility to obtain any colour of amber by processing it in a special way. Now heating (amber gets red shade) and clarifying are the most popular ways of changing the colour.

Amber luminescence in yellow or greenish colour exposed by cathode and ultra-violet rays.

What is amber?
Formation
Morphology
Inclusions
Colours
From soil and water
Treatment
Real or not?
Qualities
Amber routes
Archeological finds
Amber in
medicine
Relatives throughout the World
Museum in museum

Amber rubbed into woolen fabric obtains negative charge and attracts small paper pieces.

Amber hardness is measured according to the Moss scale at 2-2.5; sometimes it increases up to 3 (e.g. diamond - 10).

Its density is 890-1098 kg/m³.

Specific gravity of amber is low and fluctuates from 1.05 to 2 and it floats in salt water. Specific gravity of absolutely transparent amber is 1.1; specific gravity of white amber is 0.93-0.96 - it drifts in pure water.

Amber melting point is about 375^oC

In the air amber burns with a bright strong smoke flame diffusing a pleasant fragrance reminding pine-tree resins.

Amber never melts completely in any solvent: 20-25% of amber material melts in methyl alcohol; in ether 18-23%; about 23% in acetone; about 205 in chloroform; 21% in benzene, etc.

Organic amber structure is not monolithic. Like fresh tree resins it consists of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Frequently it contains 79% of C, 10.5% of O and 10.5% of H. According to O.Helm amber has from 3% to 8% of Amber Acid.

Literature