The amber stone is one of the most coveted and acclaimed in the world, both for its singular beauty and for its unique origin among the precious stones.
For more than 2,000 years, amber has been considered one of the most coveted treasures in the world. It is believed to be a stone that is intrinsically made up of light and life, and which naturally denotes beauty, protection and renewal combined in a talisman. powerful.
Symbolically it represents the drops of the sun and the tears of the gods, hardened honey and also solidified sunlight.
It is currently so acclaimed because it is believed that it even has magical and medicinal properties. Learn all the characteristics, properties, benefits, origin and uses of this incredible gem and that we describe in this article.
What is amber?
Unlike other gemstones and other minerals, the amber stone It is a precious stone that has an organic origin, that is, it belongs to the group of organic precious stones.
What does this mean? It means that the amber stone It originates from the hardening and fossilization of viscous resins that came from very old trees, which is why many times the amber resins usually have small insects trapped (such as mosquitoes) and that have helped in the understanding of fauna, even millions of years ago. of years in the past.
Furthermore, it is clear that the amber stone owes its origin to a natural and organic event, which is why it is an organic gemstone.
Is the amber stone a mineral?
The direct answer is that the amber stone not a mineral. Now let’s understand the reason for this answer.
In the first place, by definition, a mineral has an inorganic origin, but amber originally has an organic origin because it was formed by the hardening of the resins of ancient trees.
Secondly, a mineral has an ordered and defined crystalline structure, but amber, due to its organic origin, does not have a defined crystalline structure.
Meaning of amber stone
The amber stone release to be closely related to conservation, that is to say that over time it has become a symbol of the container of eternal youth, this is mainly due to the fact that this stone has preserved a lot of organisms from the past intact over time.
It is such that several cultures have even considered it as the resting vessel for dying souls.
Symbolically, this precious stone has always been used to attract good luck, in addition, it is originally believed to be a powerful protective stone against bad environmental energies.
It also enhances the renewal of the couple in marriage and their constant faith, that is, it represents eternal love. In addition, this jewel is the tenth anniversary.
In New Age beliefs, it is estimated that amber manages to open the third Chakra. Helps provide mental clarity, impart confidence, and balance moods.
Physical properties and characteristics of the amber stone
Below is a summary table on the physical, chemical properties and main characteristics of amber, in addition, these will serve for its correct identification
| amber stone | Properties and characteristics |
|---|---|
| Chemical formula | Amber is made up of complex organic material without any definitive chemical formula. Its inherent substance can also vary depending on its origin. |
| Color | Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown |
| inclusions | Insects, flowers, lizards, feathers, leaves, spores, etc. |
| Mohs hardness | 2–2.5 |
| crystalline system | Amorphous |
| refractory index | 1,539–1,545 |
| Density or Specific Weight | 1.0–1.1 |
| Transparency | Transparent to nearly opaque |
| luster or shine | resinous |
| cleavage | None |
Basically, it is observed that this gem is not very resistant to wear, so you have to take great care of it, its hardness on the Mohs scale is low, being from 2 to 2.5.
It also has a very low specific weight, that is to say that it is not a very heavy gem.
One of its special characteristics is that it can contain organisms inside, such as small insects, leaves, flowers, feathers, and there have even been cases of containing lizards or animals that exceed 10 centimeters in length.
Finally we highlight that amber appears in a wide range of colors Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown, with honey yellow being the most common of all types of amber.
Healing properties of amber
Since ancient times this stone has been sought after due to its supposed medicinal properties and uses.
It is such that even Copernicus stored a recipe where this stone was included, later in the Middle Ages, these properties were used as medicinal.
Other than that, it is proven that Baltic amber includes 3% to 8% succinic acid. Succinic acid was widely used in modern medicine. Enhances immunity, thereby improving the health of the body.
In addition, it is believed that due to its electrostatic influence, amber is considered one of the most effective energetic healing substances, believed to eliminate toxins, pain, and disease from the body while boosting the immune system and other natural healing mechanisms of the body.
Throughout the Middle Ages, when epidemics swept through cities and killed the inhabitants, amber was used as a fumigant to prevent the spread of disease. It has been identified that the men who fumigated with the substance never perished from these diseases. The use of amber in aromatherapy became famous during this time.
Deposits of amber
Although each amber stone It is one of a kind, visually distinct and has a different origin story, the fact is that the vast majority of these organic gemstones are mined from the Baltic region.
The largest Amber deposits in the world have been discovered in this place, because there are thousands of hectares of fossilized trees from millions of years ago.
Currently it is estimated that at least 105 tons of Baltic amber have been produced in those fossilized forests of Europe.
Uses of the amber stone
Uses in jewelry
The amber stone has been used as a jewel since the year 11,000 BC, this precious stone can be easily carved and polished and this was evidenced in the first archaeological discoveries.
In ancient Rome, amber was used to create gems and jewelry that served as amulets to attract fertility.
Currently various accessories are created such as rings, bracelets, chains, pendants, amulets that have this stone as the star.
Scientific uses of amber
Because this stone comes from a viscous resinous fluid from ancient trees, it often happens that insects, leaves, plants, animals and even other minerals and stones are trapped inside the stone.
This has allowed scientists to study the fauna, flora, climate and environment of the past thanks to the conservation of those organisms or specimens.
In other words, thanks to amber we know a lot about the history of the earth.
Esoteric and metaphysical uses of amber
The amber stone has always been related to good luck, fertility, the attraction of positive energies and even healing powers and medicinal properties.
This is how it is used as a protective stone that repels bad energy.
It is a symbol of eternal love in marriage.
It helps to achieve mental clarity and enhances meditation, balance and the opening of the chakra.