Amber is an ancient petrified resin. Scientists believe that amber is over 40 million years old. This is an organic mineral that has gained density under the influence of environmental conditions and has turned into a beautiful bright stone. What characteristics amber has, mineral density and other properties will be considered in the article.
General physical characteristics
Amber is an organic mineral that does not form crystals. The chemical formula is C10H16O, the composition contains succinic acid in an amount of 3-8%. In the stone, extracted from the ground, there are particles of insects and plants, which is especially valuable in the jewelry industry.
The mineral has the following properties:
- Hardness is in the range of 2-2.5-3.
- Transparency - full, medium, lack of transparency.
- Shine - like glass.
- Dispersions and pleochroisms are not found.
- Luminescence - from a bluish-white tint to green-yellow.
- It can be electrified in friction conditions.
Amber dissolves in certain hydrocarbons in a chemical reaction.
The forms of the mineral in nature
In nature, future amber is in the form of formations of any size in such places:
- on the trunks after the resin flows through the tree,
- under tree bark, in hollows and other voids.
Near-surface discharge is found in the form of teardrop-shaped sagging and lamellae with interspersed and marked marks of branches, bark, and tree trunk.
Discharges from intra-trunk sections are concave plates with narrow edges.
Under natural conditions, the mineral is covered with a dark crust. Its thickness is from 1 to 4 mm. With incomplete processing, the stone often acquires an interesting color. Weathering crust protects the mineral for many years.
Secondary forms of tarry sediments, which were formed in sea and river waters, in glacial and geological conditions, are smaller than the primary ones.
The mass of found amber pieces can be from several fractions of a gram to ten or more kilograms.
The largest amber is in the London Museum of History, its mass is 15 kg 250 grams.
Density
Professionals and mineral lovers are often interested in the question of what is the density of amber. This property should be considered in more detail.
The amber mineral, whose density is 0.97-1.10, is correlated according to this characteristic with sea water. That is, sea water has the same density. Therefore, in the sea, the stone floats up, and in fresh water - vice versa. That is why the mineral is so stable and does not wear out over many millions of years.
In the sea, pieces of amber float freely above. For unaltered amber, the density is in the range from 1 to 1.18 g / cm³. It is measured by weighing in a heavy liquid. There is amber in the Lviv region, the density of which is the highest. She is 1.14. In the Pre-Carpathian and Primorye regions, the density of amber is much lower. Specialists determine it in the range of 1.04-1.1 g / cm 3 .
What is the density of amber in modified copies? This parameter is much higher in weathered minerals. It is 1.08 g / cm³. Directly at the brown weathering crust, the density is 116 g / cm³. The highest density of amber in g / cm3 of weathered specimens is noted in the stones from the Pre-Carpathian region, it is 1.15-1.22.
What does this quantity depend on? In some cases, the density of the stone is directly related to the presence of impurities in it. It can be iron, nitrogen, sulfur, aluminum. In stones with iron impurities, the highest density of amber was recorded, in kg / m3 it is 1220. However, in other cases, the opposite dependence was noted. When experts measured the density of amber in the vicinity of Lviv, the opposite situation was recorded. From these data, scientists concluded that the density of the mineral is determined by the composition of the resin from which the stone was formed.
Thus, the average density of amber is 1100 kg / m³, it is this value that is accepted by physicists and chemists in their calculations.
Other physical properties
The flame of a candle is able to melt the mineral, and at a temperature of 250-300 degrees Celsius it begins to boil. When heated, the stone begins to smolder, burns and emits a smell of resin. It is on this basis that distinguishes a genuine mineral from an artificial one.
In the Middle Ages, they used the property of a mineral to emit an amazing resinous smell when heated and fumigated rooms with it.
Oil, acid and rosin are obtained from amber.
The ability of a mineral to become electrified as a result of friction is known, after which various small particles are attracted to it. The property was first discovered by the ancient Greek scholar Thales of Miletus. Later, having discovered sparks of blue color during the friction of amber on wool, the mineral was called an electron.
The stone has excellent electrical insulation.
Place of Birth
The largest amber deposit is the Palmnikenskoye in the Kaliningrad region. Here in the soil are extensive mineral deposits. Experts believe that in this area 90% of the total world supply of stone with an age of more than 50 million years is concentrated.
In addition to the Palmnikensky, in the Kaliningrad region there are two other amber sites: Primorsky and Beachy. Mineral extraction is carried out by the quarry method, by breaking and eroding soil structures with water jets.
On average, each cubic meter of land contains 500-600 grams of mineral, but there are places with 4.5 kg / m³. The annual output of the mineral is 300-350 tons.
Small deposits were found in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Romania, Germany, Dominican Republic, Ukraine.
Varieties
In nature, there are a large number of varieties of this amazing stone, their number exceeds 200. The most common:
- Succinitis is the most famous of all species. It contains a large amount of succinic acid. The color of succinitis is white, yellow, orange, red.
- Glessit is a brown stone with no transparency.
- Gedanite is a yellow mineral without succinic acid in its composition, has increased fragility due to the smallest amount of oxygen.
- Stantenite is a turbid black-brown mineral with high fragility.
- Bockerite is a lightproof brown mineral.
- Kiscellitis - yellow or olive amber.
- Shraufit is a red or yellow-red mineral.
- Blue amber is the rarest species found in the Dominican Republic. It is very hard, glows in a dark place. This mineral received a blue color due to impurities of volcanic ash.
- Green amber is also a copy from the Dominican field. This color of the mineral was obtained due to inclusions of coal.
Colors and transparency
The amber color palette is unusually wide - from ivory to black. Even a single piece of mineral can combine a different degree of transparency. Stones of varying degrees of transparency are divided into:
- cloudy;
- translucent;
- bone;
- frothy.
With all its diversity, amber has predominantly warm yellow and honey tones. In rare cases, a blue color is recorded - from light sky to cornflower blue.
What determines the price of a mineral?
The price of a mineral depends on the size of the piece and on its color.
From time immemorial, the white variety of amber was considered the most valuable. Experts argue that in such instances the least impurities, and the healing properties of the most excellent.
The Chinese and Japanese appreciate the kind of cherry color called "dragon blood." Such stones belonged to members of the ruling family.
Emperor of Rome Nero preferred black amber.
The brightest amber of fiery color is found in Sicily.
The most expensive species is considered landscape, as well as a mineral interspersed with particles of insects, animals, etc. Amber is known, inside which contains a lizard. A similar instance has a cost of several tens of thousands of dollars. But such examples are quite rare.
Red amber was valued in history, later they began to prefer golden amber.
In eastern countries, white varieties of the mineral, which were endowed with powerful healing powers, were considered especially valuable.
Nowadays, a yellow mineral with a uniform color is considered to be of high quality.
Healing properties
Since ancient times, the stone has been assigned healing properties. This is due to the succinic acid that is part of the composition, which is a biostimulant.
Mineral was used for such diseases:
- sore throat;
- thyroid gland;
- ear pathologies;
- asthmatic attacks;
- arthritis.
Nowadays, the mineral is also used:
- to eliminate pain in the head;
- in the treatment of tonsillitis;
- with pain in the joints;
- to improve metabolism;
- raising immunity;
- normalization of the intestines;
- elimination of inflammatory processes.
There is an opinion that amber treats any tumors.
In alternative medicine, amber items are used, crumbs made of stone are added to medicines.
Healers believe that the mineral has a positive effect on the human body and can help against any disease.
Application
The mineral is actively used to create jewelry. Succinic acid is found in some medications, and is also used in the agricultural industry to increase yield. Chemists use amber to produce enamels and paints. Amber varnish covers furniture, wiring, cans for canned food. With good insulating properties, amber acts as an insulator in the technical industry.