Probably each of us has heard about the movie Jurassic Park and the treasures hidden in the fossilized resin called amber. It is one of the undisputed gems of nature. It is neither stone nor mineral in the traditional sense of the word. Amber is instead considered to be an organic gemstone such as pearls or corals. It is made of fossilized resin, which before this process was a healing substance for the tree.
Can amber have any useful properties for people? It has been used for thousands of years as a jewelry component, perfume ingredient, and an essential part of folk medicine. Let’s check how much truth there is.
How amber is made?
It is known that amber comes from resinous trees, which covered the vast tracts of land. Currently, these huge forests are extinct. When the resin drips down from the tree absorbing all the creatures it encounters, such as small insects. Thanks to its antiseptic nature and lack of water, it prevents the decomposition of the small animals or plant pieces it has absorbed.
But how does the transformation of resin into amber happen? Let’s start with the resin; it is a healing substance for the tree. If a tree is damaged, it can form a resin that seals the wound and hardens. When the tree is hurt, it produces resins working as a healing coat that protects against loosing of water by the tree as well as against insects. In fact, the amber is a combination of such resins with other chemical compounds that hardened over time, forming a crystal.
Amber is a mineral made of resin containing many volatile organic compounds like essential oils, acids, and alcohol). Over time, such a mixture begins to harden, its organic molecules combine to form much larger molecules, called polymers.
While polymerization, it loses volatile substances and transforms into solid (amber). As the resin ran off the trees, it fell into the water. It was then carried by rivers and tides to deltas in coastal regions. Over time, it was buried in sedimentary deposits. Interestingly, most amber has been found far from the place where it was created (resin dripping from the trees).
The most famous sources of amber are located at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. It can be found all over the world. The rarest blue amber is mined in the Dominican Republic. Other common locations to find this treasure are the North Sea, the Alps, northern Spain, and Sicily.
Amber in history
Amber was first described by the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus. Nowadays, it is mainly used in jewelry and decoration, while it was used in medical treatment in the past. Its healing properties were popularized by Hippocrates, who described the healing properties of amber in his works. They were an inspiration until the Middle Ages. But, already in the Stone Age, amber was believed to have magical properties.
The ancient Romans believed that amber powder mixed with honey healed diseases of the mouth, ears, nose, throat, and eyes inflammation. When taken with water, it was recommended to use it to cure stomach diseases. At that time, it was also considered to be a polymer with protective power. In the Middle Ages, however, people began to consume it in tinctures as a solution for stomach and bladder pain. During the plague epidemic, the public was encouraged to carry amber with them at all times.
Interestingly, none of the numerous amber workers died in the coastal towns. Asians mixed the amber powder with opium and used it as a sedative, antispasmodic, and antiseptic. Besides, it was used to treat rheumatism, infertility, and eye diseases, among other things. In addition, some specialists suggest that with cardiovascular diseases, thyroid or asthma, amber should be worn regularly around the neck. In the 19th century, lotions and ointments also became famous for health and cosmetic purposes, particularly anti-aging. Succinic acid or amber oil helps destroy free radicals and prevent premature aging of cells.
On the other hand, in ancient Egypt, pine resin (from which amber is made) was used as an ingredient in a substance used to embalm a corpse. During the war, in the absence of drugs, tree resin was used as a disinfectant. Are there similar anesthetic properties to amber? Even before the war, amber necklaces were hung for infants to ease the pain of teething.
This practice is still used today. Is it real? In fact, there is no evidence for its healing properties. Some believe that amber also has a positive effect on a person’s mental state and emotions. Sometimes it is called the stone of life, has many unusual properties. It is used in lithotherapy (people who use gemstones for treatment) believe that amber calms and strengthens creative powers. However, amber’s energizing properties are present in untreated, i.e. unpolished, unmelted amber. How does it work in practice? There is also no evidence that it works.
My precious
Amber has characteristic features, such as yellow or brown color, sometimes translucency. Still, nevertheless, very often, difficulties arise when verifying its authenticity. Several methods allow us to distinguish it. One approach is to point the stone towards the light. If the rays falling on it make it shimmer blue, it’s probably accurate. Another way is to see how it will behave in a salt solution. It should float or sink at a slow pace. Other ordinary stones will sink to the bottom very quickly. Still another option is to rub it, for example, on a sweater. If it is natural amber, it will start attracting strands from your clothes after a few tens of seconds. It should also then have a resin-like smell.
Did you know that?
- Amber is found in at least 300 shades.
- Thanks to the fact that insects were often found inside the amber, more than 1000 extinct species were identified using them.
- The German philosopher – Albert the Great – considered amber the first of the six best acting medicines.
- The name comes from Bernstein, a German word meaning a stone that burns.
- Most amber can be found off the coast of the Baltic Sea.
- The most significant amber weighs up to several dozen kilograms.
Summary
The magic and healing power of amber has been believed since the earliest times. It was turned into an amulet, a fragment of jewelry. Hunters thought that taking amber pendants or a figure in the shape of an animal was a guarantee of successful hunting. In some cultures, it is even protected against an evil charm. Ambers differ in size, color, shape, and degree of transparency. From the chemical point of view, it is just carbon (approximately 78%), oxygen (11%), and hydrogen (10%); instead of the belief that it has magical powers, that is just a piece of chemicals without any superpowers.
This article is a joint work of Oliwia Raniszewska (Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw), Agnieszka Pregowska (Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences) as a part of the Science Embassy project. Image Credit: Magdalena Osial. Image Credit – Oliwia Raniszewska.
References
[1] McCoy, V., Soriano, C., & Gabbott, S. (2016). A review of preservational variation of fossil inclusions in amber of different chemical groups. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 107(2-3), 203-211. DOI:10.1017/S1755691017000391
[2] Poinar, G., Jr. (2003), A rhabdocoel turbellarian (Platyhelminthes, Typhloplanoida) in Baltic amber with a review of fossil and sub-fossil platyhelminths. Invertebrate Biology, 122: 308-312.DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7410.2003.tb00095.x
[3] Hasnul Hadi, M.H.; Ker, P.J.; Thiviyanathan, V.A.; Tang, S.G.H.; Leong, Y.S.; Lee, H.J.; Hannan, M.A.; Jamaludin, M.Z.; Mahdi, M.A. (2021) The Amber-Colored Liquid: A Review on the Color Standards, Methods of Detection, Issues and Recommendations. Sensors 21, 6866. DOI: 10.3390/s21206866