Amber History
Amber has been called the "Gold of the North", and dates back to Palaeocene times and is still a great favorite today. Its texture is warm and pleasant to the touch and no two pieces are ever identical, each differing in shape and color with some peices containing small items such as prehistoric insects or parts of a plant.
Sixty million years ago, when large areas of the earth were covered by sub-tropical coniferous forests, pine trees oozed copious quantities of resin, perhaps as a result of attacks by insects. The oozing resin smothered everything in its path and in time these forests became covered with soil and were submerged by the sea and eventually became what is known today as Amber.
Belief in the secret and magical properties of Amber dates back to the Romans and Greeks when Amber was used to treat asthma, rheumatism and internal problems. The Greek Kalliostrates believed that Amber should be worn as protection against disease.
Over two thousand years ago, Thales of Miletos discovered that when Amber was rubbed against cloth, sparks were produced and that Amber attracted husks and small wooden splinters. This force was given the name electricity after the Greek word electron, which means Amber. It was highly valued by the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans, Amber was said to bring good luck and offer protection from enemies and sickness.
Hippocrates, the father of healing, declared Amber effective against a number of diseases, including delirium tremens while the purported healing powers of Amber have extended to goiter, insanity, delirium, fever, epilepsy, the plague, jaundice, kidney, bladder and gallbladder complaints. It has also been used as an aphrodisiac and as a protection against sorcery and witchcraft.
According to Mohammed, a true believer's prayer beads should be made of Amber. In 79AD, Plinius wrote that the women of northern Italy wore Amber beads to protect them against thyroid disease and even Martin Luther was known to carry a piece of amber in his pocket to prevent kidney stones
The Arabians called it "Anbar" from which the name Amber derives. Its mysterious stone was given many different names, such as 'Gold of the North', 'Stone of Victory', 'Sun Stone' and 'Adornment of the Daughters of Rome'.
Much of the world's amber is found along the Baltic Sea where many Polish artists seized the opportunity to apply their skills to this medium. Craftsmen have created an exciting new range of Amber jewellery and now you can choose to wear brooches, necklaces, chokers, rings and bracelets that not only complement and enhance the fashion accessories of today but blend and contrast beautifully with stylish gold and silver settings.
Here, at Great Gold Rings you will find superb Amber rings and if you venture venture further into eBay, there a many other exciting examples of Amber to e found.
