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Glossary terms:
Amber - a fossilized resin or tree sap deriving from extinct trees. Most of the world's amber is between 30-90 million years old. It is found all over the world but the largest deposits were discovered in the Baltic Sea. There are around 60 known types of amber.
Gemstone- Typically a mineral which is harvested, cut and polished for use in jewelry. Although amber is not a mineral it is still considered a gemstone, because of its use, as are some other organic non-mineral materials.
Mineral - A solid inorganic substance with a crystalline structure formed through a geological processes such as a consolidation of molten magma or movement of land masses in subduction zones.
Resin - A viscous fluid produced by plants composed of hydrocarbons. Resins are most often seen in coniferous trees such as pines.
Baltic amber - amber which is found in the Baltic Sea in Eastern Europe. Baltic amber comprises 80% of the worlds amber. Scientific analysis conclude that Baltic amber came from trees that lived from 30-40 million years ago.
Succinite - a scientific name for Baltic amber. It has been given this name because it contains 8%succinic acid which chemically distinguishes it from other amber. The name of the acid is derived from the Latin succeinum which means gum stone. The Romans coined this term when they found insects in the amber and realized it must have at one point been a viscous liquid to capture the insects.
Amber Road - an ancient trade route used to transport amber from northern Europe to the Mediterranean and Asia. Amber became such a desired commodity in the ancient times that the traders and those who wanted a chance to purchase the stone would travel long distances along these routes. The amber would then be taken back to the villages and crafted into beautiful amber jewelry. For more details visit Wikipedia
Amber Room - a room in the Catherine Palace, a palace where Russian tsars reside during the summer, completely decorated with amber panels. The room we see today is a reconstruction of the original. The original Amber Room took 8 years to complete (1701-1709) but was looted by Nazi Germany during WWII and the search to recover the lost art continues. Recent news brought some hope to the search. For full story go to Whereabouts of the Amber Room? To see the reconstructed room follow this link to a recent Good Morning America video.The Amber Room
Inclusions - plant and animal structures that are found in amber. As the resin traveled down the tree 30 million years ago, small insects, frogs or other animals got trapped inside and became part of the
amber. Scientist are fascinated by these finds because it allows them to see into the past by analyzing the exoskeletons remaining or the plant particles inside.
Sterling silver - is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals. Pure silver is not used in jewelry making because it is too malleable and would not hold its shape.
Eocene - the epoch during which the conifers which were the source of most of our amber today populated the earth, 34 - 56 million years ago.
Epoch - the 4th level down division of geological time.
Amberif - an international fair of amber jewelry and gemstones held every March in Gdansk, Poland. This is one of the largest Expos of amber jewelry and has over 450 participants. Visitors from all over the world attend to admire and select pieces from a large collection of amber jewelry.
Intaglio - a technique used to carve into a piece of amber or other stone backwards as in a negative to create a positive image once looking at the front of the stone. You can an example of this here: Intaglio Pendant
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