Writer Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment . . .” Amber is a great metaphor for time for several reasons.
It has an incredibly expansive history, an ability to literally preserve time, and finally a way of keeping up with the times, as it has been an adorned jewelry for millions of years. Now, it marks this year as silver amber jewelry debuts at an online sterling silver jewelry store, Silver Jewelry Etc.
The History of Amber
Amber is highly treasured and has been valued in jewelry for centuries. Going back to the Paleolithic Era, about 2.6 million years ago, there are relics of amber jewelry. The ancient Greeks and Romans used amber in jewelry extensively because of the mystique and history of the gem. It was believed that carrying a piece of amber with your name or initials on it served as a protective talisman, which is a sacred object believed to possess supernatural powers.
Capturing Time
Amber (C10H160 + H2S) is not a gemstone nor is it a mineral, but rather it is a fragment of heterogeneous (meaning composed of parts of different substances, like fossilized organisms), fossilized tree resin. An amorphous mixture of organic compounds, amber is an amorphous hydrocarbon. In order for resin to be called amber it must be several years old. The recently hardened resins are known as copal.
Amber’s plastic-like texture secreted from conifer and ancient pines trees, running over and capturing organisms such as animals, insects, and plants (also known as inclusions). The resin would run over the organism and bake or freeze over it, creating a time capsule, wherein decomposition was not possible. Scientists have been able to watch the evolution of several species because of amber. If you remember Jurassic Park, they cloned a dinosaur by using a mosquito’s DNA, which was fossilized in amber.
Styling the Times
Amber is perhaps the oldest type of adornment ever to be used. Amber beads and pendants were discovered in Northern Europe dating back to the Stone Age. During the Mesolithic Period, archaeologists uncovered an amber pendant with carved human figures and animal-shaped amulets (sacred pieces believed to hold supernatural powers) in Denmark. So, there’s no wonder why this beautiful gemstone has been cherished for so many years.
At Silver Jewelry Etc., we have a wide selection of silver amber jewelry gemstone colors including: olive green, cognac, yellow, red, and of course the traditional copper color. Accessorize your wardrobe with our many styles and colors of this featured silver jewelry. While you’re there, don’t forget to take a look at our summer sale items! Virginia7
