occurring
in irregular masses with no cleavage and having a conchoidal fracture.
Colour yellow, some specimens reddish, brownish, whitish, or cloudy
and occasionally fluorescent, with a blue or green tinge; hardness, 2
to 2.5; specific gravity, 1.05 to 1.09; brittle; lustre, resinous to
waxy; transparent to opaque; negatively electrified by friction. Amber
is inflammable with a rich yellow flame and it emits an aromatic odour;
heated to 150 degrees C. it softens, and melts at about 250 degrees C.
giving off dense white pungent fumes. In alcohol it is soluble. The
chemical constituents of amber, in one hundred parts are: carbon
78.96, hydrogen 10.51, oxygen 10.52.
Amber is found on the Baltic, Adriatic, and Sicilian coasts; in France, China, India, and in North America.
Always
within man's memory or knowledge, nodules of amber have been cast up on
the shores of the Baltic Sea, especially along, the Prussian coast, and
their collection and sale has afforded a livelihood for the local
inhabitants. This is called " sea stone," or " sea amber," and it is
usually uniform and, being uncontaminated by associated substances, is
superior in quality to that which is mined.
