Rus: Culture & Baltic Yantar (Amber)
By: Dr. Donald Houston
Amber is a warm & golden colored organic gem that is called yantar in the Rus. Amber is considered to be the tears of the gods, therefore it has secret & para-natural forces. Actually it is fossilized resin from ancient forests. Ancient tree resins frequently trapped debris such as mosquitoes, other insects, pollen, seeds, bits of leaves & other detritus that have created fascinating pre-historic windows of the ancient past.
Yantar is known to mineralogists as succinite. Yantar's soft & attractive hues have lured & captured gem & jewelry fans for hundreds of years.
It is a precious stone that was recommended for treating various diseases; anxiety, frustration, sleeplessness, muscle cramps, headaches, dizziness, colds, bronchitis, asthma, skin conditions ( open ulcers & suppurations), eczema, psoriasis, cardio-vascular diseases & female complaints, menstral cramps, bloating, PMS, hysteria & many others. Since the movie Jurassic Park, interest in this time-capsule gem has sky-rocketed.
Sometime between 140-65 millions years ago, somewhere on along the coast of what is now the Baltic Sea, drops of tree resin rolled down the trunks of gigantic, prehistoric trees. Immense rainfalls washed them down to the river. Within its waters, the resin tears traveled to shore & settled at the bottom of an ancient bay. In time the resin fossilized & although it hardened, its structure survived intact to our time in an unchanged form as a warm golden gem we call, amber. Although the translucent deep yellow form is most common, amber is actually found in a wide variety of colors, from almost black, through deep greens, to rare opaque white & ivory shades. Often seeds, pollen grains, leaves, feathers, insects, flower petals, fish scales & even bits of tiny animals are discovered embedded within the resin for millions of years & are readily visible. Amber jewelry has been crafted for at least 13,000 years that we can historically document & probably much longer than that.
Around 1600 BC amber became treasured in ancient Greece. Homer wrote in the Odyssey about amber as one of the most precious materials. Greeks called yantar/amber "elektron" meaning derived from the Sun & believed that amber was made from tears of a nymph. Since the Greeks first observed & recorded the electrostatic properties of amber, centuries later, the Greek name of amber, "elektron" became a root word for electricity. In antiquity, amber spread over the Mediterranean through trade & war spoils. Baltic amber artifacts have been found in the tomb of King Tutankhamon, in Mesopotamia as well as in Rome. Because amber very slowly oxidizes when exposed to air, it is preserved only under special conditions. Most amber deposits deteriorated throughout history & only about 20-25 actual sites around the world hold amber in sufficient quantities for mining. Because of its value & rareness, only the richest Romans could afford & enjoy amber jewelry & other amber items. A miniature amber sculpture of a man was more expensive than a real person,a slave wouild be. Even though amber looks like a stone it gives a strong sensation of warmth when handled or held. When heated, yantar emits a soothing resin scent. It is these sensations that made people believe in yantar's therapeutic qualities. Amber has been used to massage aching muscles. When it is powdered & then mixed with honey it was believed to cure asthma & other respiratory problems. Today there are still those who believe that an yantar bracelet will ease rheumatic pain. Many believe that the aura of yantar purifies the endocrine & digestive systems when worn. Tts electro-magnetic properties (rubbed against wool amber attracts paper & hair), are thought to be beneficial against fatigue & depression. When worn as a necklace or pendant, yantar boosts the heath of the wearer thus helping to fight colds & the flu.
One of the greatest sources of yantar is the southern shores of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It washes up on the beaches after storms, is dredged up in harbor works projects, & dug up by yantar hunters. There are many places one can find & buy "raw" yantar or besutifully cut & polished yantar.
Yantar can be carved, cut, polished & set in jewelry for men & women. It was a major trade itme for ancient Balts & was takne down river to such sites as Troy, Athens, etc. as trade materials as well as war booty. The ancient Scythians & later the Circassians used it set in gold as jewelry that was therapeutic in nature as well as beautiful.
Yantar/amber is an organic substance & needs more careful treatment as well as loving & tender attention than many other gem. Nonetheless, it has retained its beauty for millions of years & its polished luster can be retained indefinitely, if a few simple precautions are observed.
HOW TO CARE FOR YANTAR a.k.a. AMBER
Lukewarm water & a soft cloth are all that is needed to clean yantar.
Never use strong solvents or soaps on it however.
Please do not put your amber jewelry before applying hairspray or perfume.
Avoid putting amber in contact with strong solutions, strong soaps, detergents, and commercial jewelry cleaning solutions. These chemicals can dull the finish and/ or give an ashy coating. Some common kitchen substances, such as lard, salad oil, butter, or excessive heat of oven and burners can harm amber.
Avoid exposure to abrupt temperature changes.
Do not place amber objects near heating ducts or in direct sunshine for prolonged periods.
Amber jewelry should not be stored where it can rub against metal or other jewelry, and storage in a soft cloth is best.
Never put amber jewelry in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner.
To clean, use tepid water & a soft cloth. To restore the polish, please rub with a soft cloth and olive oil and wipe clean. In the event of surface damage, hand rubbing on a pant weight material will eventually restore luster.
Our amber is settled in sterling grade silver. It is a natural process that silver will tarnish with time.
Everyday wear of your jewelry will keep it clean and shiny.
Sources:
http://www.amberworld.com
http://www.ambergallery.lt/english
http://www.ambergallery.com
http://www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/amber.htm
http://archaeology.about.com/b/a/244159.htm?iam=momma_100_SKD&terms=%22Baltic+Amber%22
http://www.litamber.lt
Human Figurines in the prehistoric Art of the Eastern Baltic // The Indo-Europeanization of Northern Europe
Butrimas A. ,Vilnius, 1994. p. 4-5.
Stone Age Amber in the Eastern Baltic
Loze I. Praha, 1993, p.129-140.
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