Introduction:
Beeswax is an amorphous beeswax with loose tissue and no other minerals. It can float in water (the English word beeswax amber comes from Arabic, meaning "floating in water"). The friction of beeswax produces electrostatic charge, which can absorb paper, iron filings and other tiny items. Some of them have electrostatic charge without friction, and have the feeling of "pinching hands".
In China, beeswax has several different names since ancient times, such as amber, amber, beeswax, jade, Zhu Jiang, Dunmou, Yu Pei and red rosin, among which there are dozens of different places of origin and times. But now, on the basis of the increasingly fine amber market, the branch of beeswax has been divided again. Like other kinds of copper, the petrochemical year ranges from 20 million to 50 million years, from 60 million years to 1 100 million years. The common minerals in the market are those that have been petrified for 20 million to 50 million years. The longer the petrochemical year, the rarer it is and the more valuable it is.
Only translucent to opaque amber is called beeswax. The colors of beeswax are mainly yellow, such as egg white, beige, light yellow, chicken oil yellow and orange. It is basically a kind of amber produced in the Baltic Sea. Jujube red beeswax is dark because of the patina produced by the oxidation of yellow beeswax skin. Because of this, there are many artificially processed and oxidized jujube red or darker beeswax in the market.
waxy luster
Beeswax is a precious natural treasure endowed by nature. Its formation process has to go through tens of millions of years, during which it has experienced vicissitudes and added countless magnificent colors. The magical change of beeswax makes it almost identical, as if everything in the world is unique. Its beauty and magic always give people some surprises. Besides, beeswax is delicate in texture, and its tentacles are moist and firm (which is quite like China nephrite), unlike ordinary gems, it lacks a human touch.
As one of the organic minerals, beeswax is rich in texture, bright in color, widely used and of excellent value. Like other natural gems, it enjoys the reputation of "Star of the Earth". Beeswax contains countless colors, some transparent and bright, some translucent, some opaque but colorful. If transparent is illuminated by light, there are often many colors. Since ancient times, beeswax has been loved by the world. People praise it regardless of national boundaries, race, class, culture, religion and background, and regard it as a treasure for a long time.
Beeswax symbolizes eternal lovers and constantly exudes inexplicable charm. I am willing to write thousands of love poems for it every day to express my eager pursuit and wholeheartedly cherish it. No matter where I am, the reputation of beeswax is as pure, beautiful and perfect as itself.
Formation: During the Eocene and Cretaceous from 30 million to 1 100 million years ago, many coniferous plants such as conifers and maples grew on the earth. In a certain geological period, these trees were strongly stimulated by the outside world and secreted a lot of fat liquid. With the change of geological layer, these fat liquids fell to the ground and were buried deep underground. After more than 30 million years of formation pressure and heat, these fatty liquids were petrified into amber. Geological research also shows that amber was first formed in Cretaceous about 1 100 million years ago, and at the latest in Miocene about 20 million years ago. Amber formed in Miocene is already very soft (Dominican Lamper is one of them). Later, due to the sharp decline of coniferous forest, the lack of petrochemical time, the gradual stability of stratigraphic movement, the formation of amber is less and less. After the formation of amber, it has experienced various tempering of crustal movement, sun and rain, and the impact of glaciers and rivers in the long years. Some are exposed on the surface and some are buried underground. Amber exposed to the surface, some washed into the sea to become sea amber, some washed into the lake to become lake amber, and then buried underground to become mine amber (mostly in sedimentary strata and coal measures strata). Amber has undergone various changes during its formation and in the long years since, influenced by environmental factors such as surrounding soil, water, organic matter, inorganic matter, sunlight, geothermal and so on. In addition to the matrix or resin (petrochemical), other factors such as color, specific gravity, hardness and melting point have produced certain differences, which are very mysterious. The ancients could never get a reasonable explanation. Only modern chemistry and physics have revealed the mystery and analyzed it.
Origin: The most common beeswax is mainly yellow beeswax produced in the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe. Generally, only yellow is common, and even some are translucent, which is called half honey and half pearl. There are yellow shadows. Old beeswax is usually dark yellow, and some are even red. The producing areas of rare beeswax are generally in the Middle East, such as Iran and Afghanistan, as well as Myanmar, Pakistan and Africa, including northern China and Russian. The colors are varied because of the different minerals buried in the geology. These rare beeswax were formed 40 million to 50 million years ago, even 1 100 million years ago. However, their quantity is very rare, and they have extremely high collection value.
Features:
Chemical characteristics: The main component of turpentine, chemical formula C20 H32 O2, 150- 180℃ softens, completely melts at 250-375℃ and burns above 375℃. Insoluble in water, soluble in ether, solubility 16-23%.
Physical properties: amorphous, with no fixed internal atomic structure and external shape, refractive index range of 1.54 ~ 1.55, specific gravity of 1.05 ~ 1. 10, Mohs hardness of 2 ~ 3 degrees, triboelectric effect.
Description: According to geological research, as early as 30 million to 40 million years ago in Eocene and Cretaceous, conifer and maple resins were petrified through geological changes. Geological changes make different external environment and material components constitute many different varieties and colorful and mysterious changes of beeswax. Beeswax is a precious natural treasure endowed by nature. It takes thousands of years to produce and form, during which it has experienced vicissitudes and added countless magnificent colors and thousands of changes. The magical change of beeswax makes it almost identical and unique in the world. Its beauty and magic always give people some surprises. Beeswax is delicate in texture, and its tentacles are warm and touching.
Therefore, it is best to have at least one piece of beeswax in a person's life for pleasure, beauty, disease prevention and treatment, and physical and mental cultivation.
Beeswax is one of the five treasures of traditional Chinese medicine. Wearing it on hands can relieve rheumatic bone pain, nasal sensitivity, stomach pain, hypertension and skin sensitivity. It is recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica, Dictionary of New Traditional Chinese Medicine and Seeking Truth from Materia Medica. After wearing it, the body will slowly absorb it and run through the blood to eliminate the disease. Beeswax has different effects according to different regions, colors and varieties.
Variety:
Due to different producing areas, there are many varieties of beeswax. The richness and magical changes of colors also make beeswax look more diverse, more attractive, better cater to different preferences and needs of different people, and give people more fun and fun.
Yellow, red, blue, cyan, white, red, black, purple, green and orange are all common basic colors in the universe, and yellow is the most common one. The resin itself is light yellow, mostly yellow in the deep soil, which has the greatest influence on the color of beeswax. As shown in figure 1, giant yellow wax beads, this bead ***34, are yellow wax beads, which are very pure in texture, translucent under strong light, flowing with gold wires, and some are in the form of clouds, which are very beautiful. Each seed is about 3 cm long and jujube-shaped. An old-fashioned seed has a small red burn mark, which indicates that the quality is natural and pure, and the mineral content is high. Golden yellow is the true color of Buddhism, and it is a string of very solemn beads. Because the beads are too big, they are not used for pinching, but as treasures of temples, houses and shops, symbolizing good luck. It belongs to the rare best. However, although the above basic colors of beeswax are readily available, they are still not enough to reflect the richness of its colors. Different colors * * * exist in the same piece of beeswax, and the resulting discoloration and discoloration make the colors of beeswax countless. Not only that, but even monochromatic beeswax has different shades. If you use different light sources, the color of beeswax will be different. For example, some blue crystals and green crystals will turn purple when irradiated with tungsten filament light (light from electric bulbs and flashlights). In addition, the observer will see different colors in different directions. Moreover, some beeswax can only make viewers feel that a certain color of light and shadow shines as if nothing had happened, but there is no actual color body.
As an organic treasure, beeswax is very different from inorganic treasures in chemical composition and atomic structure, but there are many similarities in jewelry characteristics. From the gloss point of view, beeswax is mostly wax resin (turpentine) luster, but there are also bright glass luster (glass surface beeswax), metal luster (gold surface beeswax) and mercury luster (pure black beeswax). The luster of jewelry is related to the way of light reflection and the degree of surface polishing. The same is true of beeswax, such as black wax and aquamarine blue. Only after a high degree of polishing can the surface of mercury shine, otherwise it will be dull. Most of the colors of jewelry are beautiful and charming (including the so-called "colorless"), and different colors are related to different ingredients. If there are multiple pigments at the same time, there will be multiple colors. Beeswax is no exception. What I want to point out here is the multi-color and interference phenomenon of jewelry color. The so-called "multicolor" means that some jewelers can have two or more colors and tones from different angles. So is beeswax. For example, the back of Smurfs looks blue and the front looks purple. Smurfs are mainly produced in Iran and other countries. Due to low production, they usually only make bracelets and rosaries, and necklaces for more than 30 children are hard to find. This is a high-quality product. As for the "interference phenomenon", it is the reflection of the internal structure of the gem on the light, which makes the jewelry show colorful colors, such as moonstone, opal, albite, etc., all of which show colorful iridescence due to the interference of light. Beeswax also has color changes caused by bubbles, cracks and holes, giving people a special aesthetic feeling. In addition, although beeswax has weaknesses, it also has advantages, which basically meets the main conceptual conditions of gemstones. To be regarded as a gem, a natural mineral must have three conditions: beauty, preciousness and durability, which constitute the basic elements of the concept of gem. Among all gems, the durability of beeswax is almost the last, which is its weakness. But it has advantages that other gems don't have. For example, some beeswax sparkles; Some are subtle and elegant; Some have multiple colors at the same time, especially those with flashing light and shadow. Color seems to be absent, and its beauty is like a dream; Some beeswax is not only multicolored, but also has different reactions to different light sources. There is magic besides beauty. These are the unique characteristics of beeswax, which are not found in many other jewels.
Logo:
0 1. salt water test method: the density of amber is between 1.05- 1. 10. In 1: 4 (salt: water) saturated brine, amber, light plastic and resin can float, while ordinary plastic, glass, acrylic and bakelite sink. Friendly reminder: this method is limited to naked amber. Amber with a lot of impurities in its body will sink if the salt water concentration is not heavy enough.
02. Hot test: The needle is burned in an inconspicuous place of amber, with a faint pine fragrance. Bakelite and plastic smell pungent and stick to needles. Friendly reminder: Too hot will leave black spots on the amber surface, which will affect the appearance.
03. Needle-picking test with a knife: Cutting amber with a paper cutter will pulverize, resin will fall off in pieces, plastic will roll up, and glass will not be cut. When you flush amber with a hard needle at an angle of 20-30 degrees from the horizontal line, you will feel explosive and there will be extremely fine powder residue. If it is plastic or other substances with different hardness, it will not stick, or it will feel sticky, or even stick in. Friendly reminder: this experiment will damage your jewelry. If you pick out the cut part, you can only find a professional to repair it. It is best not to do it or do it less, so as not to cause harm to amber.
04. Nail polish lotion: Wipe the amber surface repeatedly with a cotton swab, with no obvious change. Plastics, pressure and amber have not changed, but resin and Coba butter will be corroded because they are not petrified, resulting in sticking pits. Rosin will melt slowly when it is soaked in liquid medicine. Friendly reminder: some amber has a layer of polishing substance, which will turn into white spots when wiped with drugs, but this layer of white spots can be scraped off with nail shells to expose the surface of amber, and there will be no change when rubbed with drugs. The liquid medicine still has 18%-20% solubility in amber, and the surface may become foggy after soaking for a long time)
05. Feel: Amber is a neutral organic gem, which is not very hot in summer and not too cold in winter, so it is very gentle. Imitation with glass or chalcedony will feel cold and heavy.
06. Observing scales with eyes: This is the most important method to identify inlaid amber. Amber usually has beautiful scales of lotus leaves, which have different feelings from different angles, have different refraction and emit spiritual light. The transparency of fake amber is generally not high, and the scales emit dead light, which is similar from different angles and lacks the aura of amber. The scales and patterns in fake amber are mostly injection molded, so most of them are the same. The most common one on the market is the red scale.
07. Eyebubbles: The bubbles in amber are mostly round, and the bubbles in pressed amber are mostly long and flat.
08. Ultraviolet irradiation: Put amber under the money detector, it will have fluorescence, light green, green, blue, white and so on. Amber and Jin Po have the most obvious discoloration, while blood amber and beeswax have no obvious discoloration. The more transparent it is, the more obvious it is, and the plastic will not change color. Friendly reminder: don't test under strong light or the effect will not be obvious.
9. Aroma: Amber has only a faint smell, and it can hardly be smelled when rubbed, or it can't be smelled at all, but amber with skin will produce fragrance when rubbed, and Xiangpo will produce fragrance when rubbed. Amber only gives off a loose fragrance when it burns. Friendly reminder: there is no rubbing smell on the stall, so it is better to just watch and not buy.
10. Sound test: Amber beads that are not inlaid will make a soft and slightly dull sound when rubbed gently in the hand, and the sound will be crisp if they are plastic or resin.
1 1. Friction with static electricity: amber can attract small pieces of paper after rubbing on clothes. (Friendly reminder: except copy paper)
12. Expensive appraisal: Take it to a jewelry appraisal center with CMA qualification to test the nature of amber, which is the most reliable result.
There is no such thing as "undetectable"-even if the so-called "Middle East beeswax" appearing in China in recent years is not hot enough to attract the attention of the testing department, it can at least tell the buyer the actual composition of the Middle East beeswax. The best test methods: visual inspection, ultraviolet irradiation, hand feeling and salt water. Other methods will do some harm to amber even if they are detected to be true. The above identification methods cannot be used alone, and various testing methods should be used to distinguish between true and false!
Maintain common sense:
1. beeswax, like amber, is fragile and has low hardness, so it is not suitable for external impact. Friction and scratches should be avoided to prevent scratches and breakage.
2, beeswax jewelry should be stored separately, not with other sharp or hard jewelry such as diamonds.
3. Beeswax is afraid of strong acid and alkali, and is easily soluble in organic solvents. Try not to touch organic solutions such as alcohol, gasoline and kerosene.
4, beeswax has a low melting point, easy to melt, afraid of exposure, afraid of high temperature, do not expose to the sun for a long time or put it next to the heater, too dry and easy to crack.
5, the best maintenance is long-term wear, body oil can make beeswax brighter and brighter.
6, beeswax is easy to dehydrate, too dry and easy to crack, try to use closed plastic bags for separate collection when not in use.
7. Be sure to use a special jewelry cleaning solution for cleaning.