Understanding the Physical Properties of Amber

A naturally occurring homogeneous solid of inorganic origin, a mineral has a definite chemical composition and structures crystalline constitution. But amber isn’t a mineral. It is a resin. Unlike a mineral, amber is of organic origin and has an amorphous structure. There is no orderly arrangement of its constituting atoms.

Let us find out more about amber’s physical properties.

• Transparency — One can find amber of all gradations — from perfectly clear to completely opaque — with turbidity owed to the presence of air bubbles and other inclusions. The air inside the amber is a crucial factor for attributing its properties.
• Hardness — Amber from Myanmar, also called the Burmese amber, is the hardest, followed by Baltic amber and then Dominican amber which is the softest. Geologically, amber buried for a longer period is harder in comparison to younger amber which is soft.
• Tenacity and fracture — Amber is found in different tenacities, going from tough to brittle, with conchoidal fracture. Amber can be remarkably tougher in contrast to most gemstones with a similar hardness. The Baltic amber is tougher when compared to Retinite amber. The Dominican amber tends to be even more brittle and can break more easily than the other types of amber.
• Luster — Amber is always resinous.
• Specific Gravity — The gravity of amber can be measured between 1.05 and 1.2. It is buoyant and can stay afloat in sea water or regular water that is saturated with salt. The clearest of the transparent ambers are most dense, while amber varieties having numerous air bubbles are less dense.
• Fluorescence — Only some pieces of amber are fluorescent. The most common fluorescent colors available in amber are yellow and blue. Also, you can less frequently find a green, white or orange too. Usually, resins with higher content of sulfur are more fluorescent than the ones containing less sulfur.

· Composition — The composition of amber can vary greatly depending upon its botanical source, though all the ambers have compounds that are linked together as the resin matures. It is said that Baltic amber (also called succinite) contains 3 to 8% of succinic acid coming from microorganism-induced fermentation of the cellulose in the resin. Mainly, Baltic amber is composed of Oxygenated hydrocarbon, which is –

1. 67–87% Carbon

2. 8.5–11% Hydrogen

3. 15% Oxygen

4. 0–0.46% Sulfur

· Color — You may find varying shades of orange, yellow, red, brown, white, green, blue and black, which is the deepest shade of other colors. Sometimes, you can find rainbow colors inside the amber. Some say this happens due to the interference of strain or air bubbles during the death struggle of an insect.

Others believe it is related to the type of source tree. Certain pine trees can produce resins of golden yellow, ivory, white and even blue color. Scientists from the Polish Museum of Science state that the reddish tints given to the amber come from the deciduous trees like plum and cherry.