AMB.E11; a carbonaceous mineral which occurs in beds of lignite, in Greenland, Prus sia, France, Switzerland, and some other countries. The greater portion of it comes from the southern coasts of the Baltic Sea, where it is thrown up between Konigsberg and Memel. It is also obtained by mining at a distance of 200 feet from the sea, and at a depth of about 100 feet, and is found in small cavities. It is occasionally met with in the gravel beds near London, in which case it is merely an alluvial product. Amber occurs pieces,which are sometimes Colourless, frequently light yellow, or deep brown, and very commonly translucent.
The amber-gathering on the shores of the Baltic in 1841 was more abundant than was Ver before known at the same spot. In the yillagq of lialilberg alone, There the amber gathering is farmed, 20,000 thalers' worth of amber was picked up in the course of a few weeks. It is supposed, according to a paragraph in the Elbing Zeitung, copied into the English journals, that this increased quantity may have resulted from the violent storms which prevailed on the shores of the Baltic in the preceding winter, by which the treasure was driven up from the bottom of the sea.
...Amber is rather harder than common re sins, Willa it resembles in several properties: it is susceptible of a good polish, and when rubbed becomes electrical; indeed, the word electricity is derived from i`XEKrpov, the Greek pane for amber. Its density varies from 1.065 to 1.070: when bruised it exhales a slight aromatic odour ; and when heated to 448* of Fahrenheit it melts, then inflames and burns with a bright flame, and emits a smell which is not disagreeable.
The subject of the origin of amber is one which has been much discussed. According to Berzelius it was originally a resin dissolved in a volatile oil or natural balsam; the proofs of this opinion are, he conceives, numerous;' it has often the impression of the branches and bark upon which it has flowed and solidified;' it often contains insects, some of which are so delicately formed that they could not have occurred except in a very fluid mass. Sir David Brewster concludes, from an examina tion of the optical properties of amber, that it is an indurated vegetable juice. Humboldt says, in his Cosmos, " The petrified wood which frequently surrounds amber had early attracted the attention of the ancients. This resin, which was at that time regarded as so precious a product, was ascribed either to the black poplar, or to a tree of the cedar or pine genus. The recent admirable investigations
of Professor Glippert, at Breslau, have shewn that the latter conjecture is the more cor rect." Amber consists of a mixture of several substances, which are, a volatile oil, two resins soluble in alcohol and in ether, succinic acid, and a bituminous body that resists the action of all solvents, and which is the principal part of amber. Water does not act upon this substance; it does not even dissolve any of the succinic acid. Alcohol takes up a soft, yellow, limpid resin. Sulphuric and nitric acid both dissolve it.
Amber is employed for ornamental pur poses in the manufacture of necklaces, &c. It is used also for preparing, amber varnish, for obtaining a peculiar oil used in medicine, and it yields succinic acid employed in chemi cal investigations.
Mr. Stalling has recently introduced an improved method of making varnish from amber. The difficulty hitherto has been in melting the varnish : the subsequent incor poration with oil and the other ingredients is comparatively easy. The melting is effected in a copper vessel of peculiar construction, whereby the amber becomes liquid without any residuum, and without evaporation of its constituent elements; there is less danger from fire than in the older methods; and the vessel is not liable to burst, which the earthen vessels formerly used were apt to be.
The largest piece of amber at present known is in the Royal Cabinet at Berlin ; it weighs 18 lbs. The sum of 5000 dollars is said to have been lately offered by some Armenian merchants, for a piece of amber weighing 13 lbs. This substance is joined and mended by moistening the surfaces with linseed oil, and strongly pressing them toge ther, gently heating them at the same time. In the working of amber the material is wrought in a lathe, polished with whiting and oil, and rubbed with flannel. It becomes so electrical during the working that the work men are said to suffer considerable inconve nience. By a careful application of heat the workmen are enabled to harden amber. The beautiful black varnish used by coach-makers is a very carefully prepared compound of amber, asphaltum, linseed oil, and oil of tur pentine. Factitious or imitation amber is often prepared from shell-lac or gum copal.
Amber is admitted duty free, but manu factured articles in amber pay an import duty of 15 per cent.