What is amber? Amber density

Amber is an ancient resin that has been petrified. Scientists believe that the age of amber is over 40 million years. This is an organic fossil that has acquired density under the influence of environmental conditions and has turned into a beautiful bright stone. What are the characteristics of amber, mineral density and other properties will be discussed in the article.

General physical characteristics

Amber refers to organic minerals that do not form crystals. The chemical formula is C10H16O, the composition contains succinic acid in an amount of 3-8%. In a stone extracted from the earth, there are particles of insects and plants, which is especially valuable in the jewelry industry.

The mineral has the following properties:

• The hardness is within the range of 2-2,5-3.
• Transparency is complete, medium, lack of transparency.
• Shine - like glass.
• Dispersions and pleochroism do not occur.
• Luminescence - from bluish-white to greenish-yellow.
• Can be electrified under frictional conditions.

Amber dissolves in some hydrocarbons under chemical reaction conditions.

Forms of mineral in nature

In nature, future amber is in the form of formations of any size in such places:

• On the trunks after the flow of resin on wood,
• Under the bark of wood, in hollows and other cavities.

Surface discharges occur in the form of teardrops and plates with inclusions and markings of branches, bark, tree trunk.

Excretions from intramundal areas are concave plates with narrow margins.

In natural conditions, the mineral is covered by a dark crust. Its thickness is from 1 to 4 mm. With incomplete processing, the stone often acquires an interesting color. A crust of weathering protects the mineral for years.

Secondary forms of resinous precipitates, which were formed in marine and river waters, in glacial and geological conditions, are smaller in size than in primary ones.

The mass of amber pieces found can be from several grams to ten kilograms or more.

The largest amber is in the London Museum of History, its mass is 15 kg 250 grams.

Density

Professionals and lovers of mineral are often interested in the question of what is the density of amber. This property should be considered in more detail.

Mineral amber, whose density is equal to 0,97-1,10, corresponds to this characteristic with sea water. That is, the sea water has the same density. Therefore, in the sea the stone floats upward, and in fresh water - on the contrary. That's why the mineral is so stable and not erased for many millions of years.

In the sea, pieces of amber freely float above. In unmodified amber, the density is in the range from 1 to 1.18 g / cm³. It is measured by weighing in a heavy liquid. In the Lviv region is amber, the density of which is the largest. It is 1.14. In Precarpathian and Primorye, amber density is much less. Its specialists determine in the interval 1.04-1.1 g / cm ³ .

What is the density of amber in altered copies? This parameter in weathered minerals is much higher. It is 1.08 g / cm³. Directly in the brown weathering crust, the density is 116 g / cm3. The highest density of amber in g / cm3 weathered specimens is found in stones from Precarpathia, it is 1.15-1.22.

On what does this value depend? 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 the stones with iron impurities, the largest density of amber is fixed, in kg / m3 it is 1220. However, in other cases, the opposite dependence is noted. When experts have measured, what density at amber in vicinities of Lvov, the return situation has been fixed. From these data, scientists came to the conclusion 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 candle flame can melt the mineral, and at 250-300 degrees Celsius its boiling begins. When heated, the stone begins to smolder, burns and emits a smell of resin. It is for this reason that the genuine mineral is distinguished from the artificial one.

In the Middle Ages, the mineral property was used to produce an amazing resinous smell when heated and fumigated the rooms.

From amber oil, acid and rosin are obtained.

The ability of a mineral to be electrified as a result of friction is known, after which various fine particles are attracted to it. The property was first discovered by the ancient Greek scholar Thales Miletus. Later, after discovering sparks of blue color during the rubbing of amber on wool, the mineral was called an electron.

The stone has an excellent electrical insulation.

Place of Birth

The largest amber deposit is Palmniken in the Kaliningrad region. Here in the soil there are vast deposits of mineral. Experts believe that 90% of the world's stock of stone, which is more than 50 million years old, is concentrated in this area.

Apart from Palmnikensky, there are two other amber sites in the Kaliningrad region: Primorsky and the Beaches. The extraction of the mineral is carried out by a quarry method, by breaking and eroding the soil structures by water jets.

On average, there are 500-600 grams of mineral on each cubic meter of the earth, but there are places with 4.5 kg / m³. Annual production of the mineral is 300-350 tons.

Small deposits are found in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Romania, Germany, the Dominican Republic, Ukraine.

Varieties

In nature, there are a large number of varieties of this amazing stone, their number exceeds 200. The most common:

1. Succinite is the most known of all species. It contains a large volume of succinic acid. The color of succinite is white, yellow, orange, red.
2. Gleessite is a brown stone with no transparency.
3. Gedanite - a yellow mineral without succinic acid in its composition, has increased brittleness due to the smallest volume of oxygen.
4. Stentenite is a cloudy black-brown mineral with high brittleness.
5. Bokkerite is a light-tight brown mineral.
6. Kissellit - yellow or olive amber.
7. Shraufite is a red or yellow-red mineral.
8. Blue amber is the rarest species found in the Dominican Republic. It is very solid, it glows in a dark place. Blue color this mineral received because of impurities of volcanic ash.
9. Green amber is also a specimen from the Dominican deposit. This color of the mineral turned out because of the impregnations of coal.

Colors and transparency

The color palette of amber is unusually wide - from ivory to black. Even a single piece of mineral can combine a different degree of transparency. Stones of different degrees of transparency are divided into:

• cloudy;
• translucent;
• bone;
• Foamy.

With all the variety, amber has predominantly warm yellow and honey hues. In rare cases, a blue color is fixed - from light to celerial blue to cornflower blue.

What determines the price of the mineral?

The price of a mineral depends on the size of the piece and its color.

For a long time the white variety of amber was considered the most valuable. Specialists say that in such specimens there are the least admixtures, and the healing properties are the most excellent.

Chinese and Japanese appreciate a variety of cherry color, called "the blood of the dragon." Such stones belonged to members of the ruling family.

Emperor of Rome Nero preferred black amber.

In Sicily find the brightest amber of fiery color.

The most expensive species is considered to be a landscape one, as well as a mineral with inclusions of particles of insects, animals, etc. Amber is known, inside of which is a lizard. Such a copy has a value of several tens of thousands of dollars. But such examples are quite rare.

In history, red amber was valued, later they began to prefer golden.

In the eastern countries, white varieties of the mineral, which were endowed with powerful healing powers, were considered particularly valuable.

In our time, a yellow mineral with a uniform coloration is considered qualitative.

Healing properties

Since ancient times, the stone was given medicinal properties. This is explained by the constituent succinic acid, which is a biostimulant.

The mineral was used for such diseases:

• Sore throat;
• thyroid gland;
• Ear pathology;
• Asthmatic attacks;
• Arthritis.

Nowadays the mineral is also used:

• To eliminate pain in the head;
• Treatment of sore throat;
• Pain in the joints;
• To improve metabolism;
• Raising immunity;
• Normalization of the intestine;
• Elimination of inflammatory processes.

There is an opinion that amber treats any tumors.

In non-traditional medicine, amber objects are used, a crumb of stone added to medicines.

Healers believe that the mineral has a positive effect on the human body and can help against any disease.

Application

Mineral is actively used to create jewelry. Succinic acid is found in some medical preparations, and is also used in the agricultural industry to raise the level of yield. Chemists use amber for the production of enamels and paints. Amber lacquer cover pieces of furniture, electrical wiring, cans for canned food. Having good insulating properties, amber acts as an insulator in the technical field.