Author: Laurie Buchanan, PhD, HHP, CHT, RMT
Amber is fossilized resin (tree sap) and can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. It is the only vegetable precious stone. Like pearls and coral, amber is included in the group of organic gems.
According to scientific research, amber originated some 45 million years ago. At that time, Europe had a subtropical climate and was covered by “amber forests”. The Jurassic European conifer trees – now extinct – that produced amber were called Pinus succinifera.
These trees produced unusually large amounts of resin, as a protection against insect infestations. The exuded resin became hard into humid sediments, such as clay and sand at the bottom of lagoons or river deltas, thus being preserved for millennia.
The slow process by which resin became amber is not fully understood. However, it is known that environmental pressure and temperature conditions produced structural changes in resin, turning it hard and that subsequently, the resin volatile oils evaporated.
Amber is not a mineral, but a product of organic origin with an amorphous makeup – meaning it does not have an ordered structure. Amber has no consistent chemical formula. One of the most fascinating aspects of Baltic amber (second to insect, flora, and fauna inclusions) is its wide color spectrum. Most people are surprised when they discover that amber naturally occurs in 250 colors. Descriptive terms to name the colors of amber came from the antique trade. Picturesque names such as "goose fat," "egg yolk," and "cherry" were based on transparency and color. Other descriptive words include: "banana," "ivory," "milky," "lemon," "sunny," "custard," "honey," "cognac," "molasses," "greenish," "orange," "brown," and "black." The rarest colors of natural amber are blue, green, white, and "kumst" (sauerkraut color).
People used to gather craft and trade amber. The first use of amber in the Baltic Sea region can be traced back to the Stone Age. Amulets made of Baltic amber were found in Egyptian tombs. Baltic countries have about 100 Neolithic burial sites in which amber is included. Amber has been credited with numerous beneficial properties both physical and spiritual. The Ancient Romans and Greeks used it to cure ailments such as asthma, rheumatism and internal problems. Its purported healing powers have extended to epilepsy, jaundice, kidney and bladder complaints and even the plague. It has also been used as an aphrodisiac and as a protection against evil. Amber has been known throughout history as ‘tears of the sun’. To this day, people wear it to increase their solar magic. It is a stone of health and wellness; a stone of happiness and sun. Its orange (amber) color is considered exciting, effusive and invigorating.
Amber is a useful healer because it draws disease from the body and triggers the body’s innate ability to heal itself. Because of this, the European community has been using amber in essences and elixirs for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. An essence is something that is used topically (applied to the skin). An elixir is something that is used internally (ingested). Topically amber is excellent because it aids tissue revitalization. The characteristics of amber make it particularly suitable to be added to cosmetic formulations aimed at face and body care.
About the Author:
Laurie Buchanan is a Holistic Health Practitioner – Board Certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She holds a PhD in Holistic Therapies and is the owner of HolEssence – Certified Holistic Therapies in Crystal Lake, IL. To find out more about her healing practice, please visit her website at http://www.holessence.com/home.html
