Of all the amber deposits in the world, probably the most famous and certainly the largest is that of the Baltic region. It represents some 80% of the worlds known amber resource. Going back into prehistory this amber has been used and fashioned by humankind in countless ways and in measured quantities. Amber from this source can be found on the East Coast of Britian all the way up to the far shores of Estonia. The Baltic amber deposits range between 35 to 40 million years old and is without the largest source of amber yet discovered. The source of most of this amber has for many years presumed to be the extinct species of tree Pinites Succinifer. Of the total amber obtained from this region approximately 90% possesses the Baltic amber signature chemical; succinic acid, which constitutes some 8% of the amber by wieght, hence the official name of Succinite for amber originating from this region. Despite this original position of the amber forest, fossil resin from this area has been discovered in: Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, the United Kingdom and Belorussia, some areas are more prolific in thier amber bearing strata than others. Properties Baltic amber generally has the following characteristics; Hardness: 2.0-2.5 Moh's Scale Specific Gravity: 1.050-1.096 Refraction Index: 1.54 Melting Point: 480/720 degrees F(250/30degrees C) |
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