Having now almost completed our different collections. I thought I would look at amber jewellery and also amber brooches.
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We have included both real tree resin amber and also amber coloured items in the collections.
So here is a little about the fossilized tree resin amber which is a natural plastic and was formed from trees that grew many million years ago.
It is used in jewellery but also in perfume and as a medicine by some cultures.
Amber is mostly seen as a glorious orange yellow colour and material. But there are other amber colours such as blue, cherry amber to nearly black around. The shades can vary so much, which makes it interesting to collect. Occasionally the amber would have captured an insect during its liquid state. Though this is rare, but a manufacture will sometimes add an insect to raise the value of the amber as it is highly prized. It is a thermoplastic resin that can be heated to soften and then remolded many times. Tests for amber include heating a pin - which will go easily into the material, but this needs to be done in a place where it can not be seen and is not recommended.
Genuine amber vintage jewellery is now harder to find. So we sourced some new pieces that had a vintage style to them.
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Amber coloured glass and other plastics have been popular across the decades. From the 1950s to the 1980s, produced large glass stone brooches, necklaces and earrings. The colour amber is used for spacer beads as they enhance other coloured beads. In fact if you look closely - the colour amber may not be the main colour in today's jewellery but often lurking in the background.
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Thankfully we leave February behind. Not a great month in more ways than one, but at least I have now lost weight with a regime of diet and exercise. Not wanting to buy any new clothes until I drop 2 dress sizes I am having difficulty finding a pair of non belted trousers that stay up!
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Amber glass vintage bracelet
We have included both real tree resin amber and also amber coloured items in the collections.
So here is a little about the fossilized tree resin amber which is a natural plastic and was formed from trees that grew many million years ago.
It is used in jewellery but also in perfume and as a medicine by some cultures.
Amber is mostly seen as a glorious orange yellow colour and material. But there are other amber colours such as blue, cherry amber to nearly black around. The shades can vary so much, which makes it interesting to collect. Occasionally the amber would have captured an insect during its liquid state. Though this is rare, but a manufacture will sometimes add an insect to raise the value of the amber as it is highly prized. It is a thermoplastic resin that can be heated to soften and then remolded many times. Tests for amber include heating a pin - which will go easily into the material, but this needs to be done in a place where it can not be seen and is not recommended.
Genuine amber vintage jewellery is now harder to find. So we sourced some new pieces that had a vintage style to them.
Amber rhinoceros brooch in silver
Amber coloured glass and other plastics have been popular across the decades. From the 1950s to the 1980s, produced large glass stone brooches, necklaces and earrings. The colour amber is used for spacer beads as they enhance other coloured beads. In fact if you look closely - the colour amber may not be the main colour in today's jewellery but often lurking in the background.
Black and amber plastic necklace
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| Cairngorm glass stone in a grouse foot vintage brooch. A yellow amber coloured stone typical in Scottish jewellery |
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| Beautiful amber coloured five strand vintage necklace |
Thankfully we leave February behind. Not a great month in more ways than one, but at least I have now lost weight with a regime of diet and exercise. Not wanting to buy any new clothes until I drop 2 dress sizes I am having difficulty finding a pair of non belted trousers that stay up!
