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	AMBER
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STORY OF AMBER

'Amber, the freezing gold, that is not hot and is not cold Has caught within its dreaming arms, the insects and the flowers charms. Time has kept as still as death, holding instant, every breath. Now from out our fading past, a scene which can forever last' -Garry Platt-
	Million years ago large stands of forests in some parts of the world began to seep globs of sticky resin. This aromatic resin went down the sides of trees, as well as filling internal fissures, trapping debris, seeds, leaves, feathers and insects. As geologic time progressed the forests were buried and the resin hardened into a soft, warm, golden gem, known as amber. AMBER is the fossilized resin of ancient trees which forms through a natural polymerization of the original organic compounds. Most of the world's amber is in the range of 30-90 million years old.
AMBER IN MYTHS AND LEGENDS Legends and myths depict amber one of the oldest among gems. Since prehistoric times amber stones, were supposed to contain magic powers, and served as amulets against “evil eye” forces and witchcraft. Amber was also acclaimed to possess the power of healing. Worn as a necklace or charm, or carried around in small bags, amber was believed to be a remedy against such ailments as rheumatism, sore throats, toothache and stomach-ache. It was also believed that amber accelerated birth and was a good remedy against snake bites. To guard against the swapping of a new born baby, the infant it was often given an amber necklace to wear. The burn of amber produce the beautiful aroma, that is why later amber was used in Rome to make perfume oils and later burning oil in churches. For the Khitan – an ethnic group dominating in Northern China in 10th century – amber was also a magical substance. Placing amulets in the hands of the deceased is a Chinese tradition and began in the Han dynasty.
	AMBER IN ROME In ancient Rome, the Romans maintained regular trade connections with northern Europe along the "Amber Routes". One expedition proved so successful that a special "AMBER DAY" was arranged, where this costly item was used to decorate the gladiator games. In the protective netting between spectators and the arena, a glittering amber ornament was placed within each knot and the actual arena was apparently strewn with amber! At the archaeological museum at L’Aquila in Italy the amber collections include ladies’ toiletry articles, mythological figures and groups, genre figurines, pieces in the shape of fruit, and rings. Particularly interesting is a collection of rings with female heads, accumulated during a comparatively short period, 60–160 AD. It was very fashionable for ladies to carry a ball of amber in the palm of the hand, while amber-colored hair was particularly favored in the reign of Nero. The value of amber in ancient Rome is indicated by the fact that a single piece of amber was equal in price to a strong slave. Amber was also endowed with a special mystical, ritual or magical significance among the women of ancient Rome.
AMBER ROOM The original Amber Room (Russian Янтарная комната, German: Bernsteinzimmer) in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg was a complete chamber decoration of amber panels backed with gold leaf and mirrors. Due to its singular beauty, it was sometimes dubbed the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The Amber Room was created from 1701 to 1709 in Prussia and remained at Charlottenburg Palace until 1716 when it was given by Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm I to his then ally, Tsar Peter the Great of the Russian Empire. Parts of the Amber Room were looted during World War II by Nazi Germany and brought to Königsberg. Knowledge of its whereabouts was lost in the chaos at the end of the war. Its fate remains a mystery, and the search continues. A reconstructed Amber Room was inaugurated in 2003 in the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.
	"JURASIC PARK" AMBER In the wake of the movie "Jurassic Park", the interest in amber with inclusions has been increasing rapidly. In the movie, scientists extracted DNA from dinosaur blood enclosed in the stomach of mosquitoes in amber. Through cloning, real dinosaurs were created, and the rest of the story you probably already know. Scientists from the British Museum of Natural History, are now after years of testing, questioning if earlier DNA extractions from amber are contaminated. No successful experiments proved so far. Most amber found today was formed during the Tertiary Age, about 30-50 million years ago, after the dinosaurs were extinct. In a few places such as Lebanon, New Jersey (USA) and Alava (Spain), amber from the age of the dinosaurs (65-220 million years ago) has been found, but in very small amounts.
INCLUSIONS IN AMBER The most highly valued pieces of amber contain trapped plant matter or organisms, called INCLUSIONS. These amber pieces are veritable time capsules, providing us with a glimpse into the past, an opportunity to observe prehistoric flora and fauna. The majority of inclusions in amber pieces come from the insect family (arthropoda)- around 80% of all inclusions. Most of the creatures found in amber were highly active, living in and on tree bark or on the forest ground. Flies, spiders, centipedes and termites are among the more common inclusions. Vertebrates are rare, but a few amphibians and reptiles, even small mammals have been found. How did these insects get inside the amber pieces? After falling into or landing on the sticky resin, the creature was trapped. Any attempt to free itself only made it sink deeper into the resin. Once the dead creature had been completely covered by subsequent resin flows, the process of mummification began until all fluids had left the body. The resulting fossils are preserved in great details. What is visible is the empty casing or shell of the body, while the body cavity itself is usually empty. In rare cases, the internal structure of the inclusion has remained preserved, meaning that the body was completely encased in resin with no fissures exposing it to the detrimental effects of oxygen.




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