Where is amber resin from?

Amber is formed from resin exuded from tree bark (figure 9), although it is also produced in the heartwood. Resin protects trees by blocking gaps in the bark. Once resin covers a gash or break caused by chewing insects, it hardens and forms a seal.

What tree does amber resin come from?

Amber is produced from a marrow discharged by trees belonging to the pine genus, like gum from the cherry, and resin from the ordinary pine.

Where is amber originally from?

This early Tertiary (Upper Eocene–Lower Oligocene) amber comes mainly from around the shores of the Baltic Sea, from today's Lithuania, Latvia, Russia (Kaliningrad), Poland, southern Sweden, northern Germany, and Denmark.

Where do amber crystals come from?

Amber crystals form through the fossilisation of tree resin. Amber resin is not the same as ordinary tree sap. This resin is sourced specifically from the pinus succinifera tree. The fossilisation of amber crystals can be traced back to the Tertiary period of time, making them at least a few million years old.

What is resin amber?

Amber resin is a solid crystalline fragrance made from a combination of many resinoids and oleoresins (plant secretions) such as myrrh, gum frankincense, gum styrax, benzoin, sal tree, labdanum and other aromatic compounds. These ingredients are sourced from the tropical sub-forests of India and Africa.

What is Amber and where do you find it?

Where does resin come from?

Resins are produced in special resin cells in plants, and are also produced when an injury occurs to the plant. Resins can be produced through the bark of a tree, the flowers of an herb, or the buds of a shrub.

Is amber mined?

Today, most amber is mined from the earth, either through open cast mining on the surface of the earth or in tunnels. Amber has been used as a medicine since prehistoric times.

Does amber come from Africa?

From the Eocene onward, ambers from Nigeria and Ethiopia, and copals from eastern and western-central Africa have derived from lowland, tropical evergreen rainforests with (Nigeria) or without (Ethiopia) marine influence.

Where does the best amber come from?

While fossilized tree resin is found all over the world, the highest quality amber comes from the land around the Baltic Sea. Baltic Amber is some of the oldest amber and it's also the most likely to have inclusions of preserved insects or plant matter. This makes it valuable as jewelry and to scientists for research.

Is amber made from tree sap?

Why does tree sap turn into amber? Amber is actually made of resin, a different tree goo altogether. While sap is watery and flows through a tree the way blood flows through our veins, resin is thick and just oozes around inside the tree. Its job is to protect the tree from diseases and harmful insects.

Is amber from Poland?

The source of Baltic amber

Baltic amber comes from amber from the Baltic Sea region, which includes coastal areas along Poland. It is usually harvested after it washed up on shore.

Where is amber most commonly found?

Amber is found in many places around the world, from Alaska to Madagascar, but the largest deposits exploited for jewelry and science are in the Dominican Republic, the Baltic region of Europe, and Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Why is Poland known for amber?

Amber has always been the native gemstone of Poland. The country's coastline once supplied ancient Greeks and Romans with their precious 'electrum' via the famous Amber Road that used to connect the Baltic Sea with the Mediterranean.

Where is amber found in the UK?

The amber was collected by grinding ice sheets and transported to the west, before falling to the bottom of the new sea that separated Britain from the continent. And now it can be found on the many beaches on our coast, including Shingle Street, Aldeburgh, Dunwich and Southwold.

How long does it take for tree resin to become amber?

Quick transport and deposition protects the resin from weathering. Once deposited, the resin chemically matures into intermediate forms called copals and finally into amber after millions of years. The amberization process is estimated to take between 2 and 10 million years.

What kind of wood is amber?

Most amber is from pine trees or other conifers, though there are a variety of trees that they can come from. However, most amber is from extinct species because the resin was exuded so long ago.

What is the rarest color of amber?

Blue amber is the rarest of all the colors of amber. However, blue amber is fairly new to the gem industry. It must be caught in the right light, or it will look like every other piece of yellow-brown amber.

How do I know if my amber is real?

All you have to do is mix two cups of warm water with a quarter cup of salt in a bowl, then stir the mixture until the salt has completely dissolved. Once you have done this, place the piece of amber in the solution. If the piece of amber floats then it is indeed authentic amber.

What Colour amber is most valuable?

Reddish amber is more valuable than golden amber, which is more valuable than yellow amber. Rarely, strong fluorescence can give amber a bluish or greenish appearance, which when attractive can be highly valuable.

What is African amber?

also referred to as: Pillow Amber, Copal, and African Amber. Phenol formaldehyde resins (PF) are synthetic polymers obtained by the reaction of phenol or substituted phenol with formaldehyde. In the form of Bakelite, they are the earliest commercial synthetic resin. – wikipedia.

What is the oldest amber?

Burmese amber, also known as burmite, is found mostly in the Hukawng Valley region of Kachin State, Myanmar. Much of it is approximately the same age, roughly 100 million years old, thus making it the oldest gem-quality amber in the world.

Is amber worth any money?

Amber prices can range from $20 to $40,000 or more.

How do you make amber resin?

You can make two amber colors: To make traditional amber-colored resin, use two drops of transparent amber dye. To make green-colored amber, use one drop of amber dye and one drop of transparent green dye.

Is amber man made?

Background. Although considered a gem, amber is a wholly-organic material derived from the resin of extinct species of trees. In the dense forests of the Middle Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, between 10 and 100 million years ago, these resin-bearing trees fell and were carried by rivers to coastal regions.

How do I find amber?

Plan to go out when the water is at low tide. Go to the beach. Beaches in Europe are most well known for their amber deposits, but beaches and some river banks all over the world can have amber. Emporia State University gives a list of locations where amber can be found.