Definition of amber

A yellow or yellowish brown translucent fossil

plant resin derived from coniferous trees. It is not a mineral

but an organic compound that often encases fossil insects,

pollen, and other objects. It is capable of taking on a fine polish

and is therefore widely used as an ornamental jewelry

piece and is also used for making beads, pipe mouthpieces, or

bookshelf oddities. Amber is found in many places, including

soils, clays, and lignite beds. It is well known from locations

including the shores of the Baltic Sea and parts of the

Dominican Republic. Amber contains high concentrations of

succinic acid (a crystalline dicarboxylic acid, with the formu-

la HOOCCH2CH2COOH), and has highly variable C:H:O

ratios. Amber of Oligocene age seems particularly abundant,

although it is known from as old as the Cretaceous and

includes all ages since sap-producing trees have proliferated

on Earth.

Many species of fossil insects and plants have been identified

in amber, particularly from the spectacular amber

deposits found along the southeastern shores of the Baltic

Sea. There, yellow, brown, orange, and even blue amber is

rich in contained fossils, though most of the amber was

mined by the end of Roman times. Amber has retained a sort

of mystical quality since early times, probably because it has

some unusual properties. Amber stays warm whereas minerals

often feel cool to the touch, and amber burns giving off a

scent of pine sap (from which it is derived). Even more

astounding to early people was that when rubbed against

wool or silk, amber becomes electrically charged and gives

off sparks. This feature led the early Greeks to call amber

“electron.” Many theories were advanced for the origin of

amber, ranging from tears of gods to solidified sunshine. The

origin of amber was first appreciated by Pliny the Elder, who,

in his famous work Historia Naturalis (published in C.E. 77),

suggested that amber is derived from plants.

The Romans mined the amber deposits of the Baltic Sea

because they thought amber had medicinal qualities that

enabled it to ward off fever, tonsillitis, ear infections, and

poor eyesight.

Decorative amber has been used for burial rituals and to

ward off evil spirits for thousands of years, and in Europe it

has been found in graves as old as 10,000 years. Amber was

widely transported on the ancient silk roads and in ancient

Europe, where figurines, beads, and other decorative items

were among the most valuable items in the markets.

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