Amber

Amber is a petrified fossil resin often used to manufacture ornamental objects. The word 'Amber' is derived from old Arabic word 'anbar'. It is a poor conductor of heat and feels warm to touch. Most of the amber is in the range of 30-90 million years old. Semi- fossilized resin or sub-fossil amber is called Copal. Amber is a heterogeneous fossil containing several resinous bodies more or less soluble in alcohol, ether and chloroform and is associated with an insoluble bituminous substance. The resin contains beautifully preserved plant-structures and numerous remains of insects, spiders, annelids, crustaceans and other small organisms. They are found along the shores of a large part of the Baltic Sea and North Sea. Amber to mineralogists is known as succinite from the Latin succinum, which means amber (abnormal development of resin). Germans know amber by the name Bernstein which is formed by heating amber, which softens amber and eventually burns it. Rubbing amber with a cloth will create static electricity, attracting bits of paper. The modern name of amber comes from Arabic word, amber, which means ambergris. Ambergris is a waxy aromatic substance created in the intestines of sperm whales and was used to make perfumes. Ambergris and amber are related to each other only by the fact that both wash up on beaches. Amber comes in varying shades of yellow, red, orange, white, brown, green, bluish, black and deep shades of other colors. Amber is used in making jewelry, buttons, bangles, carvings, cigar holders, and many more objects.