Fishing for amber on the coast of Baltic Sea. Pytheas says that the Gutones, a people of Germany, inhabit the shores of an estuary of the Ocean called Mentonomon, their territory extending a distance of six thousand stadia that, at one day's sail from this territory, is the Isle of Abalus, upon the shores of which, amber is thrown up by the waves in spring, it being an excretion of the sea in a concrete form as, also, that the inhabitants use this amber by way of fuel, and sell it to their neighbors, the Teutones. 330 BCE), whose work "On the Ocean" is lost, but was referenced by Pliny, according to whose Natural History: Theophrastus discussed amber in the 4th century BCE, as did Pytheas ( c. These words, and the Slavic jantar and Hungarian gyanta ('resin'), are thought to originate from Phoenician jainitar ("sea-resin"). In the Baltic languages, the Lithuanian term for amber is gintaras and the Latvian dzintars. The Low German term became dominant also in High German by the 18th century, thus modern German Bernstein besides Dutch barnsteen. In Middle Low German, amber was known as berne-, barn-, börnstēn (with etymological roots related to "burn" and to "stone" ). This is confirmed by the recorded Old High German word glas and by the Old English word glær for "amber" (compare glass). Pliny the Elder says that the German name of amber was glæsum, "for which reason the Romans, when Germanicus commanded the fleet in those parts, gave to one of these islands the name of Glæsaria, which by the barbarians was known as Austeravia". The word elektron gave rise to the words electric, electricity, and their relatives because of amber's ability to bear a charge of static electricity. According to myth, when Phaëton son of Helios (the Sun) was killed, his mourning sisters became poplar trees, and their tears became elektron, amber. The classical names for amber, Latin electrum and Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον ( ēlektron), are connected to a term ἠλέκτωρ ( ēlektōr) meaning "beaming Sun". Ambergris is less dense than water and floats, whereas amber is too dense to float, though less dense than stone. The two substances ("yellow amber" and "grey amber") conceivably became associated or confused because they both were found washed up on beaches. As the use of ambergris waned, this became the main sense of the word. At first called white or yellow amber ( ambre jaune), this meaning was adopted in English by the early 15th century. In the Romance languages, the sense of the word was extended to Baltic amber (fossil resin) from as early as the late 13th century. The word, in its sense of "ambergris," was adopted in Middle English in the 14th century. The word referred to what is now known as ambergris ( ambre gris or "grey amber"), a solid waxy substance derived from the sperm whale. The English word amber derives from Arabic ʿanbar عنبر (ultimately from Middle Persian ambar ) via Middle Latin ambar and Middle French ambre. Amber occurring in coal seams is also called resinite, and the term ambrite is applied to that found specifically within New Zealand coal seams. Because it originates as a soft, sticky tree resin, amber sometimes contains animal and plant material as inclusions. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents. Amber is used in jewelry and has been used as a healing agent in folk medicine. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects. "grey amber".Īn ant inside Baltic amber Unpolished amber stonesĪmber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. We have sold hundreds of these rings and most customers don't have any problems, but these rings must be treated with care.Not to be confused with Ambergris, i.e. A wood inlayed ring is not suited for harsh conditions, and is susceptible to chipping, scratching and cracking if not cared for. *While we stand behind out rings, please keep in mind that Buckeye is not nearly as durable as Tungsten. See special warranty information on the warranty page below.) (THIS RING IS A CUSTOM RING, SO IT DOES NOT HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY. All custom wood rings are protected with our own ring armor*. This ring was featured in the 2012 GA jewelry showcase and received top awards. While we cannot guarantee exactly what color you will receive, we can guarantee that it will look unbelievable. We custom inlay the wood on our infinity polished black tungsten ring. The yellowish wood color ranges from bright to dark is always hand selected by us to create a stunning custom ring. It is an exotic hardwood and is also known as black and white ebony. Pale moon ebony is a dense wood used by wood workers and craftsman for centuries due to it's unique wood grain pattern and color.
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