Handmade Horse Lover's Jewelry
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Facet Facts:
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There's just something about amber...
Here at Adornables Handmade Jewelry, we have a love for the warmth and beauty of natural amber! This page is intended to illustrate the origins and history of this beautiful natural resource we use in much of our handmade jewelry. We have included simple home tests anyone can perform to help determine amber authenticity and some tips for amber jewelry care.
Baltic Amber
The history of Baltic amber that is still found and appreciated began in ancient times. Massive conifer forests once covered the territory of the present-day Baltic Sea and Scandinavia. The change of climate had an effect on temperature which caused amber trees to start draining away large amounts of resin. Resins were very fluid and solidified quickly through evaporation. An insect or a spider caught by the sticky resin remained trapped for centuries. This is how inclusions were formed.
This type of conifer tree disappeared many years ago because the nutritious soil matter necessary for the growth of trees was consumed in the intensive resin formation. Consequently, this period of resin exudation was the reason for the disappearance of amber-producing pine trees. The amber under formation was washed out of the forest soil by rivers and transported to an Eocene sea basin and deltas. Over the course of time, the layer of amber was covered by delta sediments and survived until the present day.
Until the end of the 17th century, collecting of amber pieces washed ashore by the Baltic Sea was enough to satisfy the needs for local use and trading. Later, long-handled landing nets were used to obtain amber directly from the sea. Usually amber hunters worked at night, lighting the area with a barrel of ignited tar placed on steep seashore or in a tree. In 1725 there was an attempt to collect amber directly from the sea floor by employing divers.
In Lithuania, deposits of amber were discovered when deepening the fairway in the Curonian Bay near Juodkrantė in 1854. Two merchants from Klaipėda founded the company Stantien and Becker, which soon became rich. In 1883, they began mechanized excavation of amber from the sea floor using steam dredgers.
Usually, Baltic amber is golden or bright yellowish. Scientists count approximately 250 different colors and shades of amber.
Amber Authenticity
It is important to know how to distinguish fake amber from real amber when buying an amber article without a certificate. Several sorts of falsifications that could be sold as natural amber are known, namely: copal, casein, phenolic resins, celluloid, glass and modern plastic. We suggest trying several tests to ascertain real amber. Certainly, not every test could be applied on all articles of amber. For example, we would never suggest trying salt-water or heating tests on amber beads as there is a string and a clasp which could be damaged.
Smell tests are the most effective because natural amber has a specific smell that is difficult to reproduce when making falsifications. When heated, real Baltic amber emits the delicate, earthy fragrance of pine-tree resins. Copal emits the smell of "sweet" resins, others smell of burning plastic.
Tests:
Heat amber by rubbing it into the palm until it releases the smell of pine-tree resins.
Stick a heated needle into an unnoticeable place in amber (a hole of a drilled bead, etc.). If you smell clear pine-tree resins, it is real amber. (There is a down side of this test; a small mark of burning remains, which cannot be repaired.)
If you were to stick fragile amber with a hot needle, some cracks would appear. While sticking plastic, the needle would go into it without cracking it.
Put some drops of alcohol on the surface of the stone and wait till it evaporates. If the surface doesnt become sticky and the alcohol evaporates easily without leaving any spots on it, then you can be sure the amber is real. If the surface sticks to your fingers and you see your fingerprints left on it, then this amber is definitely false.
Amber Jewelry Care
1. Never leave your amber under direct sunlight.
2. Keep your jewelry away from too much hot or cold temperature.
3. Always apply your perfume and hairspray before wearing the jewelry.
4. Never wash dishes or do laundry with your jewelry on.
5. Do not cook or clean your house with household cleansers while wearing an amber product.
6. Store your amber in a separate jewelry box, and protect it from getting in touch with other materials.
7. Clean your jewelry every time you wear it.
8. Ultrasonic or steam cleaner isnt suitable for cleaning amber.
9. Always clean your amber jewelry with a mild solution of soapy and slightly warm water and use a flannel cloth.
10. Polish and make it shiny with olive oil and a soft cloth.
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