Amber, crystal clear and delicate in color, is very popular in the world. Legend has it that amber was changed from the tears of the ancient Greek goddess Helitis. In our country, amber is regarded as the change of the soul after the death of a tiger.

Amber is actually a petrochemical product of plant resin in geological age, and it is a well-preserved solid biological fossil. It is one of the organic gems.

Amber is amorphous and irregular, ranging in size from fine particles to chunks weighing several pounds. The raw material has a resin luster, and after polishing, it has a resin luster close to glass luster. The hardness is only 2-2.5. It is easy to cut with a knife, with poor toughness and shell-like cracks. The specific gravity of transparent amber is about 1.05 ~ 1.09, while the specific gravity of turbid amber is as low as 1.0. The refractive index of amber does not change much, but it is usually close to 1.54, which can be as low as 1.539 and as high as 1.545. Because amber is an amorphous substance, it is isotropic, cleavage-free, polychromatic and refraction-free. According to the lack of toughness, powdery inclusion, oily luster, broken glass and lack of high polishing ability, it can be identified as fat amber. There are often inclusions in amber, such as insects, seeds and other foreign bodies, which are captured before turpentine hardens. Germans call amber a burning stone because it burns at a very low temperature. For this reason, amber is often used as hygienic incense.

Amber has rich colors, diverse patterns and strong or weak transparency. People give them many image names according to their different characteristics: Shipo, Huapo, Shuipo, Jin Po, Lingpo, Mingpo, Xiangpo and Xuepo. Among them, red blood beads are the most precious, followed by yellow transparent Jin Po, and goose yellow wax beads are the least.

In real life, amber has various uses. Amber is often processed into decorative handicrafts such as necklaces, collars, rings and knickknacks. People wear them on their bodies, saying that they can "calm the five internal organs, calm the soul and drive away ghosts and evil spirits." Some ethnic minorities in our country must put amber necklaces on their brides at weddings. They think amber can make the bride and groom feel harmonious and stay young forever. In interpersonal communication, amber ornaments are noble gifts for relatives and friends, and both parties will feel that they are worth a hundred times.

Amber can be used not only for decoration, but also for making medicines, dyes, spices and paints.

Amber is generally identified by its low specific gravity and hardness. In addition, its refractive index is also very special.

A useful test method is to put an unknown substance into a saturated salt solution. Amber will float in salt water, while most substances will sink. This test method is usually enough to distinguish amber from bakelite and many other plastics. Because the refractive index of bakelite is about 1.60, it is also a useful distinguishing index. When the small pieces are heated slowly, bakelite gives off a strong electric carbon sour taste, and celluloid gives off a camphor smell.

Amber is difficult to distinguish from some modern resins, such as styrene resin, shell turpentine, dama resin and so on. Styrene resin and shell turpentine were soaked in ether for 5-2 minutes, and then swelled and softened. In addition, it is much easier to melt styrene resin and shell turpentine with extremely hot needles than amber, but the difference is not big, and it needs to be compared with known amber. Ethyl acetate is needed to soften Dama resin.

In order to identify a carved amber, it is best to drop a small drop of ether in an imperceptible position and stay for a few minutes. If amber is corroded by ether, the ether will leave spots on its surface after volatilization. Because ether volatilizes very quickly, it is sometimes necessary to use a large drop of ether or make up this drop from time to time.

Amber is an organic colloidal substance-turpentine, which flowed from the bark of pine trees thousands of years ago.

Natural fossils buried deep in the earth's crust and gradually condensed often contain various insects and species.

Son, carbonized leaves, so there is a saying of "a thousand years of poria cocos, a thousand years of amber". Amber is mostly golden in color.

Yellow, amorphous gem, will not form crystal form, the original ore block. Compared with other gems, Hu

Perper has light specific gravity and low hardness, and is deeply loved by people because of its golden and bright color.

Noble works of art

There are about 100 kinds of amber in the world, among which the Baltic countries in Europe produce the most amber.

Famous. Denmark was the first country to discover amber in the world. Denmark ruled the Baltic Sea in the14th century.

Shore countries, when amber as a currency in the Nordic market circulation. Today, amber produced in Russia accounts for the whole world.

90% of the total output, of which Kaliningrad is the main producing area. In China, only in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Northeast China.

Amber can be found occasionally along the road. Fushun amber is often accompanied by coal seams, mostly yellow and golden yellow.

Often contains insects, so the collection value is quite high.

In Europe, amber artworks are used to decorate palaces and houses and become a symbol of the status of furniture.

In ancient China, articles and decorations made of natural amber were not uncommon, such as amber beads and amber noses.

Smoking set, amber bracelet, amber ornament, amber bottle, etc. It has become an ornament that dignitaries often wear and collect.

Products, collectibles.

The collection is getting better and better.

Amber works of art used to be mediocre in the international market, and there were only a few collectors until the mid-1980s.

During the period, with the prevalence of religious relics market in Taiwan Province Province, amber began to appear in Taiwan Province Province, Hongkong, Singapore and Japan.

It is very popular in this area, and with the increase of collectors, its price has also risen all the way. In recent years, many

European and American art lovers also joined the bidding team, making amber a new favorite in the collectible market.

Its market price has also hit record highs.

For biologists or geologists, the collection value of amber lies in its historical evolution; jade hands—slender white hands (of a beautiful woman)

For treasure lovers and investors, only amber with rare inclusions or plants can be called a piece.

A treasure where strange goods can live. At an art auction held in Taiwan Province Province 1992, a first-class Hu.

The broken beads were finally sold for NT$ 6.5438+0.2 million, which caused a sensation in the international art market.

In recent years, there are other amber varieties with higher prices in the auction market in Southeast Asia: A18th century amber.

The small ornaments carved by the Buddha and lion were sold for 27,600 pounds (about 350,000 yuan); Amber Cowherd in the Late Qing Dynasty

Weaver girl ornaments were sold for 286,000 yuan; A17th century amber white wine portrait was sold at 12 10000 Hong Kong dollars.

At present, the transaction rate and price of natural amber artworks auctioned at various large-scale auctions in China are lower than those of other jade.

Generally, the transaction price of amber beads and bracelets in Qing Dynasty is mostly between 20,000 yuan and 50,000 yuan, which is in the collectible market.

The transaction price of amber art in the market is basically the same as this level. Due to the transaction price of amber at home and abroad

Some amber collectors in Southeast Asian countries have also begun to pay attention to this gap and gradually entered the domestic auction market.

The domestic amber art collection is getting better and better.

How to distinguish authenticity?

With the continuous warming of amber art market, there are many imitations and imitations of amber in recent years. such as

How to effectively identify amber?

The most direct way is to identify with eyes. The natural shape of amber is mostly block, cake, kidney,

Tumors, slender water droplets and other irregular shapes. Real amber gives off a soft and warm luster;

And many synthetic products give people a cold feeling.

Amber has to go through some processes that make it "imperfect" during its formation, and there are often bubbles in the end.

Fragments and cracks. If each bead of an amber necklace is very similar and transparent, or amber contains

It is doubtful that the insects are intact. In addition, amber usually has beautiful lotus leaf scales, from different angles.

See that it has different effects; The scales and patterns in fake amber are mostly injection molding, and the transparency is not high.

The film is lifeless and lacks aura. From different angles, the scene hasn't changed much. The most common on the market

It's red scales.

We can also identify the authenticity of amber according to the feel. Amber is a neutral gem. It feels like manual.

Generally, it will not be too cold or too hot; Amber imitated with glass will feel cold.

In addition, ultraviolet irradiation is also a good identification method. Put amber under the money detector, if it is on.

The fluorescence on the surface is light green, green, blue, white and other colors, which are genuine, while plastic amber will not change color.

The formation of amber-Dominican amber is a fossil resin formed by the resin of a special leguminous plant. In the process of dripping, careless insects pass by, get stuck and can't get rid of them, forming amber, which is called insect amber. The chances of insects appearing in amber are extremely small, and the large and special species are even rarer. The fun of collecting insect amber is by no means comparable to ordinary gems. It is possible that your collection is unique in the world, and its value can never be measured by money!

Buddhists regard amber as one of the seven treasures. Using it to cultivate Buddha can not only soothe the nerves but also ward off evil spirits and protect the body. Amber contains succinic acid, which can penetrate the skin to promote blood circulation and relieve muscle and joint tension.

Amber selection point:

I. Weight

Any gem should be based on weight, but it is not absolute. Two pieces of amber with the same weight will have different values because of different colors, contents, cutting methods and design creativity.

Second, color.

The color of Baltic amber is formed by the change of succinic acid, such as transparent yellow, golden yellow, red, sprinkled red, opaque yellow brown, honey yellow and so on. Pearl white color is relatively rare. After amber was unearthed, it was exposed to the temperature and humidity in the air, so that amber was oxidized and its color became moist. This is a pleasure that cannot be replaced by wearing other kinds of gems.

Three. inclusion

Amber is the only gem in the world that has preserved living things in pods for thousands of years and is still intact. Amber is sometimes called a capsule. The biological, air, water and other elements in amber are still precious materials for scientists to explore ancient times.

Wei, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem: He used to be an old man, and Yuan was a kind of cold truffle, in which gnats fell, which remained impressive for thousands of years. Is to describe this situation.

Fourth, cutting methods and design creativity

Without good cutting and polishing, no gem can show its preciousness. The hardness of amber is about 2-3 degrees Mohs, and its cutting and polishing need more superb technology to show its dazzling color. Only by matching the unique design and creativity according to the characteristics of gems can we show the beautiful special style.

V. Varieties and division of amber

There are many colors of amber, and different colors of amber have different representative meanings, such as "Jin Po gathers wealth, blood beads ward off evil spirits, and beeswax is medicine beads", while the color of amber is deep and elegant, simple and subtle. Therefore, it has a reputation as a "low-key aristocrat" in the West.

Traditionally, transparent amber is called amber, and opaque amber is called beeswax. From a professional point of view, the yellow one is called Jin Po; The red system is called blood amber; The blue one is called Lanpo; The green system is called the green pearl. There are also inclusions containing insects, leaves and so on, which are extremely precious insects! The division of beeswax mainly includes old beeswax that turns red and orange under the influence of geothermal energy and translucent amber called golden honey; There are also rare ivory whites, baby faces and so on.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) amber, a sacred object of Buddhism.

As early as ancient China, the royal ladies regarded amber as an auspicious thing. Newborns can take refuge to eliminate disasters, live a safe life, and the husband and wife are harmonious and happy. Amber, as one of the seven treasures of Buddhism, is regarded as auspicious by Buddhist believers. Besides calming the nerves, it can ward off evil spirits and protect the body. Wear it all year round, which can calm the nerves. Ancient books such as Compendium of Materia Medica pointed out that amber can soothe the five internal organs, calm the mind, remove blood stasis and detoxify, stop bleeding and promote granulation, and can prevent miscarriage and nourish the body.

Pharmacological legend of intransitive verbs-amber

As early as in ancient Rome, amber was used as a medicine to treat various diseases. Such as psychosis, pharyngolaryngitis, otopathy, etc. Amber is called "golden earth" by Chinese medicine after it is ground into powder, which can soothe the nerves, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and induce diuresis to relieve stranguria. Amber can cure or relieve many diseases and pains: for example, headache and sore throat, and it is advisable to wear an amber necklace around your neck; Wrist pain, you can wear amber bracelets; If you feel tired, you need to wear bigger amber.

silver ornament

Pure silver-one of the precious metals next to gold at present, although the price is not as high as platinum or gold, it is still much higher than metals such as tin and lead. But pure silver is too soft and easy to deform, so other alloys are usually added to increase its hardness. Alloys added in different countries are different, so international standard pure silver is considered as pure silver as long as its content exceeds 925 per thousand.

What is 925 silver?

Generally, the pure silver ornaments sold in the market are 925 silver, not 999 pure silver, because 925 silver is alloy silver made by adding other metals, and such 925 silver is also internationally recognized as pure silver, with a ratio of 7.5% alloy to 92.5% silver. Jewelry forged with this pure silver is stronger and less prone to wear and deformation. The real 999 sterling silver is as soft as pure gold and is made of alloy sterling silver.

How to maintain sterling silver ornaments

The biggest reason for the oxidation of silverware is oxygen in the air, so blocking air is the best maintenance method, such as putting silverware in a sealed plastic bag and then putting it in a pearl box to block the contact between air and silverware.

When silver is oxidized, you can use silver washing water or silver cloth to wipe the silver ornaments, but silver washing water is more lethal. Please try to wipe them with silver cloth unless you have to. If silver washing water is used for brightening, immediately pick up the water and gently rub it, and clean the chemicals on the surface, and blow dry it with a hair dryer, otherwise the oxygen in the water will accelerate the oxidation of silverware!

Why do silver ornaments turn black?

The blackening of silver ornaments is a normal natural phenomenon, because sulfur and oxides in natural media such as air have a certain corrosive effect on silver. After wearing for a period of time, there will be some tiny spots (silver sulfide film), which will spread into sheets or even turn black over time. Therefore, at present, silver ornaments will have some discoloration due to oxidation. The following methods can be adopted:

1, the best way to maintain silver jewelry is to wear it every day, because human oil can produce a natural and moist luster.

2. Don't wear other precious metal jewelry when wearing silver jewelry to avoid collision, deformation or wear.

Keep the silver ornaments dry, don't wear them to swim, and don't go near hot springs and seawater. When not in use, you can gently wipe the surface with cotton cloth or paper towel to remove moisture and dirt, and put it in a sealed bag or box to avoid contact with air.

If the silver ornaments show signs of yellowing, the easiest way is to gently wash the surface with toothpaste and some water. Or use a small jewelry brush to clean up the fine seams of the silver ornaments, and then gently wipe the surface with a silver cloth, and the original aesthetic feeling of the ornaments can be restored immediately. (If the silver cloth can restore about 80% to 90% of silver, don't use silver lotion and silver washing water, because they are corrosive to some extent, and silver ornaments are more likely to turn yellow after using these products. In addition, silver cloth contains silver maintenance ingredients and cannot be washed with water)

5. The silverware is seriously yellowed, so it should not be soaked in silver washing water for too long, usually in a few seconds. Rinse with clear water immediately after taking it out, and then dry it with a paper towel.