[Jewelry making - Article 00431] - Re: [Orchid] Amber colors....

[Judy Hoch]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    The spangles in amber do come from heat treatment, mostly. Amber is
    heated to about 170F in oil. However, it is done to relieve internal
    stresses. Untreated amber is unbelievably brittle. If you drop it, it
    will shatter. 

    Amber with insects in it isn't usually heat treated because the
    largest internal stress is the critter. If you heat treat it, it will
    make a bunch of spangles and cover the insect. So while amber with
    natural inclusions is rare, it is also fragile. I learned this
    painful lesson with a beautiful piece of Danish Baltic amber with a
    perfectly centered tiny wasp. I fumbled and dropped the piece and it
    became two pieces. I complained to my amber dealer in Skagen Denmark,
    and he helped me understand what happened. He has been in the amber
    business for many years, catering mostly to the tourist trade. He
    collects the amber from the coast of Denmark where the Baltic and
    North Sea meet. 

    A few years ago, so called green amber was a hot item. It was mostly
    sourced out of Poland. When I examined the unset amber, I could see a
    painted background and much of it had the starburst pattern in it.
    The Polish dealer explained that the amber was first cut, with an odd
    very slightly pointed top. It is then heat treated to some secret
    temperature. While still hot, the individual pieces are slapped on a
    hard surface causing the star pattern. The amber is then tumbled and
    coated on the back to make the star stand out. I've seen a few pieces
    with a natural opaque back, but most of it is manufactured as
    described. Polish amber is mined with explosives and dynamite. 

    The so called amber from the Dominican Republic and other points
    south is copal. It hasn't been around long enough to be amber. When
    cut, it will craze on the surface as it continues to mature. 

    I have a piece of blue amber. You have to have quite an imagination
    to call it blue. 

Judy Hoch
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________