Origin Of Amber
The story of Amber started about 45 million years ago, between Central and Northern Europe where a huge part of the territory, from the Caspian Sea to the Norwegian coast, was covered with pine trees and other prehistoric conifers. It was discovered by ancient European civilizations and soon found its place in the long-distance trade of Europeans with Arabs.
Historically known as a luxury item because of its rarity, as it is found only in a few corners of the world, the amber gemstone was transported and traded between the Baltic Sea and the Elbe River, along the Danube. A course planned to transport it to the Roman Empire. It was at this time that this trade route was named: “The Ancient Amber Route”.
History of Amber Gemstone
Amber has been used commercially for more than a millennia, and the first amber pendants appear around 12,000 BC. Archaeologists found traces of the stone in the Neolithic age: jewels, the foundation of houses, and ornaments. Later, the trade routes of amber gemstone reappeared thanks to the Celtic civilization. This is evidenced by artifacts discovered in many tombs of royals and aristocrats, notably in Greece, Babylon, the United Kingdom. Amber was also found in Egypt in Tutankhamun’s tomb. At around 1st century AD, Rome became the main buyer of amber and all the trade was centralized. The Romans used amber gemstone in various contexts: objects, coins, etc. In the “Great Book of Amber,” it is mentioned that a very strong group appeared on the Baltic coast in Nero’s time and that the amount was so large that the gladiators carved the details of each of their fights on amber plates.
Later in the Middle Ages, the amber gemstone trade was centralized in Gdansk, Poland. In that time period, it was used to make christian crosses and other jewelry items. In around 1250 the Teutonic Knights took control of the Prussian market and they got their hands on all the amber reserves of the Baltic and on the manufacture of objects, especially religious ones. Having become a stone of high importance, the trade and possession of Amber were very tightly controlled. If a person was found to have possession of amber that was not part of a rosary, they had a high chance of being sentenced to death. It is still possible to find traces of this wealth acquired by the Teutonic knights at Malbork Castle, where more than 2000 amber gemstone articles are on display, ranging from antiquity to today’s handicrafts.
COMPOSITION OF amber gemstone
As we have already stated above, Ambe stone is created by the fossilization of pine tree resins as a result of a very significant climate change or a massive catastrophic event. The name Pinus Succifinera was assigned in 1890 by Hugo Conwentz to all the conifers that are indigenous to baltic region, and the fossilization of these trees results in the creation of Amber stone.
Today, the amber gemstone is considered a very rare and sought after stone. Amber is one of the 3 precious stones (the other two are diamond and Jet) of plant origin. Thus, like diamonds, the amber stone is the result of millions of years of natural processes converting resin into a stone, which is why it is highly sought after by the lovers of Jewelry. Amber resin is composed of isoprenes (a molecule of 5 carbon atoms).
VIRTUES AND PROPERTIES OF amber gemstone IN LITHOTHERAPY
Psychologically, in lithotherapy, amber gemstone helps the wearer to assert himself and take his place. It allows you to express your personality, but also to impose yourself in an environment. Amber purifies energy thanks to its solar glow. It participates in unlocking certain body areas when positioned on the chakra or area in question. the amber gemstone is a stone that promotes all forms of psychic abilities, it helps to energize reflection and intellectual development. In this sense, amber helps to combat forms of depression.
Amber is a very masculine stone physically in Lithotherapy. Amber is known for its virtues of relieving dental pain. It is very often given to children as an anti-inflammatory, especially when the teeth are pushed. Amber is also widely used to free speech by warming throats that can be hoarse. Amber helps to decongest the airways and fights against ORL disorders (Oto-Rhino-Laryngology). It is highly recommended for its pain-reliefing benefits if there is inflammation. More generally, amber gemstone stimulates immune defences. It facilitates rest and provides better sleep (mainly fighting nightmares).