Amber

Amber is extensively used for the manufacture of ornamental objects that are usually found as fossil remains of hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees and are valued for intrinsic and interesting ingredients. Amber is a renowned gemstone used in ornaments and are 30–90 million years old

The structure of Amber is heterogeneous in nature that comprises of numerous resinous components which are almost soluble in alcohol, ether and chloroform. Amber is characterized as macromolecule by free radical polymerization of numerous pioneers in the labdane family. As amber metamorphoses over the years the process of polymerization is aggravated and isomerization reactions, cross linking and cyclization process are also higher. The average composition of amber leads to the general formula C10H16O.

Amber varies in color ranging from yellow to red, from green to blue but usually honey brown is the color of the stone. The transparent commercial amber is regarded to be of superb quality but some varieties are also cloudy in appearance due to the presence of insects or portion of soil, foliage, pine needles and enclosure of petite plant and animal fossils during the formation of the stone.

The name Amber for the stone obtained its name from French, Middle English known ambre, from ambra of Medieval Latin and from Arabic names anbar ambergris.

Amber was cherished and worn for centuries in form of jewelry pieces by the Paleolithic peoples and the Greeks and Romans. The amber as a decoration piece was seen from the Stone Age. Beads and pendants adorned by Amber were found in Northern Europe gravesites dating back to 8000 B.C.E.