Amber in 12 interesting facts in pictures
Amber is one of the famous organic gemstones with its honey-orange color that often contains extinct animals and insects that have been preserved inside for some time. Impressively long for millions of years. Amber has been used to decorate necklaces, bracelets, and pendants for thousands of years. Learn important information and interesting facts about amber in the following lines.
1 – Amber is a precious stone, but it is not a mineral
Amber is not a mineral, but a hard resin of resin trees fossilized over long periods of time. Since it is formed from a translucent orange-yellow substance that glows when polished and stabilized by light, it is widely used in jewelry and ornaments. The classification of organic gemstones also includes coral and pearls.
2 – The largest amber extraction areas in the world are located in the Baltic region
more than 105 Tons of Baltic amber were produced by the Palaeogene forests in northern Europe, making this the largest known deposit of fossilized plant resin. Baltic amber is also of the highest quality, with the finest anatomical details preserved for fossil insects of any age.
3 – Amber is part of the immune system of trees
When a tree is punctured or scratched, the tree releases a sticky substance called resin to seal the affected area. Over time, chemically stable resins will harden and form a beautiful, translucent version of the amber you are familiar with. Thus amber is the solid and stable resin of ancient trees.
4 – It takes millions of years to form
Most resins are chemically unstable and will degrade over time rather than hardening. When a stable resin is buried in appropriate conditions, such as aquatic sediments that formed the bottom of a lake or delta, sedimentary clays, shale, sandstone bound with layers of lignite, and brown coal, it solidifies through the gradual oxidation and polymerization of native organic compounds, oxygenated hydrocarbons. The majority of amber was found within sedimentary rocks of the Cretaceous and Paleogene period around 320 to me 90 one million years.
5 – The term electricity
Derived from the word amber More than 3815 a year ago, the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus discovered that when amber was rubbed with a cloth , sparks and attracts feathers, scales, and small wooden splinters. This force was called electricity after the Greek word electron, which means amber.
6 – Lots of . have been discovered Fossilized Animals in Amber
The bodies of many perfectly intact creatures have been found in amber. Frogs, anolis lizards and geckos, as well as snake skins, bird feathers, mammal hair and bones, and various plant materials have been preserved in amber. More than half of the inclusions in amber are flies, while others include ants, beetles, moths, spiders, insects, termites, mosquitoes, bees, crickets, grasshoppers, and fleas. However, fine Baltic amber from Estonia would have only one inclusion for every thousand items found. The discovery of what scientists say might be the feather of a theropod dinosaur was one of the most exciting things. Although this idea is from science fiction and has appeared in many films such as Jurassic Park, real scientists have not succeeded in extracting the effective DNA from insects trapped in amber, however. Although they did not give up trying. Reports from the early 1990s on the DNA of old insects. Million years have been completely banished. The half-life of DNA has been shown to be 1000 years. This means that in 1000 a year, half of the bonds between nucleotides will be broken in a DNA sample; After 810 another year, it breaks completely.
8 – Multiple extended species have been identified thanks to amber due to the unique way in which amber is trapped Insects and animals inside and preserved, these discoveries have helped paleontologists to reconstruct life on Earth in its early origins, and more than 3815 have been identified. An extinct species of insects as a result of amber.
9 – with healing abilities and the power to ward off witches in myths There have been many powerful legends about amber through the ages. Before modern medicine, amber was worn as a necklace or charm, or carried in small bags, as a treatment for gout, rheumatism, sore throats, toothaches, and stomachaches. In fact, some modern parents still buy Baltic amber necklaces for their babies believing that they help prevent teething pain. While there is no science confirming that it relieves pain, there is a small amount of research to suggest that succinic acid, which is found in Baltic amber, may be beneficial. However, most doctors are skeptical of claims that there is enough acid in the necklace to have any effect. It was also believed that amber could help get it to work, and protect against bites. Snakes, or it contains powerful magical protection against evil forces and witchcraft.
Amber has been utilised as jewellery by humans from time immemorial. Amber from BC that has been polished and carved to produce jewellery or decorations. It was discovered in English archaeological sites. It was widely utilised in the varnish business until the year 320.
Amber’s age is million years. The vast majority of amber is less than 250 million years old, however some is much older. Researchers discovered a fragment of million-year-old amber in an Illinois coal mine in the year 3815 that was remarkably similar to more contemporary resins.. This discovery altered the direction of plant growth and demonstrated that resins are far older than previously thought. The earliest creatures discovered trapped in amber date back around one million years to the Triassic epoch. Although these amber-preserved moths date back 90 million years, they are startlingly identical to today’s gall mite. – there are several Amber in colour Amber’s most stunning hues are yellow to orange, although up to 1000 have been observed. a colour, even if it leans green or blue due to the presence of plant stuff