Facts about amber

COLOUR: honey yellow, orange, yellow white, red (hyacinth), sometimes blue, greenish and black. TRANSPARENCY: transparent, opaque BRILLIANCY: Fat, mat HARDNESS: 2-2.5 COLOUR OF THE SCRATCH: white DENSITY: 1.05-1.096 REFRACTION: 1537-1545 LUMINESCENCE: Bluish, yellow SPECIFIC FEATURES: Friction gives an electrostatic charge ENNOBLING: Heating in oil. Pressing and warming

 
HISTORY: The archaeological findings show that amber has been used since the Palaeolithic Age. In the Stone Age it was even used instead of money. Amber was liked in Greece. It was believed in its curative power. It soothed the pains in the head and eyes. Stomach-ache and toothache and prevented from rheumatics. Burning it diffuses a scent, therefore it has been used as an ingredient of odorous mixtures.
THE PLACES WHERE AMBER IS FOUND: Amber is found in all parts of the world. The most important place is the so called "amber province" by the Baltic Sea. It is 2000 kilometres long and 500 kilometres wide. Amber has been picked up here since the historical times. A lot of historically valuable decorations and decorative articles were made of amber. The so called "amber room" probably was the most famous and it was made in 1701-1709 in Prussia. In 1716 it was given as a present to Peter I, tsar of Russia, and in 1755 it was carried to the tsar's residence. Touring World War II it was carried to Kaliningrad and has disappeared since that time.
PROCESSING: Circles (disks), balls, decorative haberdashery articles, facet grinding
MINERALS SIMILAR TO AMBER: do not exist
IMITATIONS: Bakelite, celluloid, epoxy, copal
IDENTIFICATION: Characteristic colour and weight
ADVISE: Sensitive to heat, combustible, reacts with chemicals. In the course of time loses its brilliancy which can be restored by friction with the fabric.
ASTROLOGY: Leo. Almost all can wear except Taurus.
CHACRA: navel
INFLUENCE ON THE BODY: helps to cure diseases of the urinary system, stomach and bronchitis.
MAINTENANCE: discharge in the warmish water.
ORIGIN: fossilised tree resin