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Sucoinum, Amber

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SUCCINUM.
333
betrayed the fraud, it must, thus prepared, have passed for a pre­cious stone of unusual brilliancy, for in refractive power it is only second to the Diamond. In fact so great is the analogy be­tween both, that a theory has been started, and endorsed by emi­nent scientific names, that the Diamond also is no more than a fossil resin. This idea is supported by the late discovery in such abundance of its black congener the Brazilian Carbonado, which stands in the same relation to the Diamond as Jet does to Amber.
As in our own times the chief part of the Amber furnished by the Baltic finds its way to China, to be there used for burning in powder as incense (very little being now worked up in Europe into ornaments, no longer in fashion here), so Nicias describes the Indians as using it for incense in preference to any other per­fume. The Romans distinguished all the varieties we now find. The pale was believed to emit the most agreeable odour (when rubbed), but this and the wax-coloured was the cheapest. More valuable was the yellow (fulvus), especially if transparent and full of fire ; but the best was that called Falernian, from its simi­larity in colour to that wine (like golden sherry), transparent with a soft lustre.
Amongst the other monstrosities of his life, to use Pliny's words, Nero adopted this name in his verses to express the colour of his beloved Toppsea's hair, calling it Amber—no such very monstrous crime, one might think. Hence we may dis­cover that this famous beauty was a blonde with auburn hair, the colour ever esteemed (on account of its rarity amongst them) the most lovely by the nations of the South. Hair of this colour therefore became all the fashion amongst the Roman ladies, and false fronts were largely imported, obtained from the female savages of Germany, and doubtless without much cere­mony. They also changed their black locks into red by steeping them in a powerful alkali, thus described by Martial :·—
" Caustica Teutonicos aeeendit spuma eapillos : Captiva poterie cultior esse coma."
Pieces of Amber containing insects speedily attracted the notice of the Romans, and guided them, for once, to a correct theory as to its origin ; for it was evident that it must have enveloped these foreign bodies whilst yet a liquid exudation from the tree.
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