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Golden Ambers


Golden Ambers
Photo Information
Copyright: Joanna Wieczorek (cafecrem) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1204 W: 60 N: 1392] (9248)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-01-29
Categories: Trees
Camera: Olympus 740UZ
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 40 points or more (Chapter 5). [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-02-01 3:55
Viewed: 1882
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I found this ambers walking on the beach of Baltic See. It was a great time... summer, sun, see, and somebody with me with sunrise.
In Poland you can buy a lot o jewellery made of amber but this which I found myself is wonderful.

Million years ago large stands of forests in some parts of the world began to seep globs of sticky resin! This aromatic resin oozed down the sides of trees, as well as filling internal fissures, trapping debris, such as seeds, leaves, feathers and insects. As geologic time progressed the forests were buried and the resin hardened into a soft, warm, golden gem, known as amber. Amber is the fossilized resin of ancient trees which forms through a natural polymerization of the original organic compounds. Most of the world's amber is in the range of 30-90 million years old.

Amber is known to mineralogists as succinite, from the Latin succinum, which means amber. Heating amber will soften it and eventually it will burn, a fact that has given rise to the name of bernstein, by which the Germans know amber. Rubbing amber with a cloth will make it electric, attracting bits of paper. The Greek name for amber is elektron, or the origin of our word electricity. Amber is a poor conductor of heat and feels warm to the touch (minerals feel cool). The modern name for amber is thought to come from the Arabic word, amber, meaning ambergris. Ambergris is the waxy aromatic substance created in the intestines of sperm whales. The substance is related to cholesterol and is formed to protect the sperm whale from the sharp beaks and stings of its major food source, the giant squid. Ambergris was used to make perfumes. Ambergris and amber are only related by the fact that both wash up on beaches.

Amber studies are truly interdisciplinary. Geologists and paleontologists are interested in amber because it is a fossil, evidence of prehistoric life. Archeologists look at trade routes and the barter view of amber. Organic chemists investigate the physical and chemical properties. Botanists and entomologists examine the botanical sources of amber and embalmed insects and debris. Poets, writers, and artists look to amber for sunny inspirations. Gemologists and jewelers desire amber for its beauty and rarity. Curators and conservationists preserve and archive amber.
puffy, Janice, thistle, sAner, Lesley, extramundi, liquidsunshine, Callie, Signal-Womb, Luc, red45, olar, touristdidi, magiqa has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • puffy Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 291 W: 0 N: 339] (1351)
  • [2005-02-01 4:31]

wooo... are you going to be rich Joanna? that is wonderful..I love the colour, they are beautiful I can't believe that you can just pick it up from the beach. Great shot girl, and your note is really useful. Thanks for sharing.

Great post very nice colours and very good note. I think a black Bg would have been better.
Well done.
TFS.

Something more colourful at last ;-)
I love ambers. There are so beautiful and so Polish. Great note and very nice photo.
Well done!

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2005-02-01 4:58]

Pretty amber Joanna. What a variety of colours too. In NZ buried forests of Kauri trees were found in swamps and in the 1800's people made lots of money digging the gum/amber up and selling it for varnish, etc. Good reading too. TFS.

  • Great 
  • olar Gold Star Critiquer [C: 137 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-02-01 5:29]

Piekne bursztyny. Przypominają o lecie, o słońcu i o dawnych dziejach Bałtyku.

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
  • [2005-02-01 6:48]

Wonderful shot. Fantastic and loads of different colors. Very sharp! Extremely well done!

Northern Gold....I love amber jewelry and have several pieces from my visit to Danmark. I wear my amber frequently. Looks like you have quite a treasure trove of amber here...what fun it must have been walking the beach picking it up. Very nice image of it...I am sure it isn't easy to capture well.

Nice and colourful shot to complete your husband´s post. Must be nice to collect this in the beach and to look inside them.
Good and interesting note too. Thanks!

  • Great 
  • puciu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 519 W: 0 N: 16] (2603)
  • [2005-02-01 10:05]

Bardzo ładnie Ci to wyszło fajna kolorystyka ogólnie dobry pomysł.

Very good shot Joanna,
wonderful colours and details. Clarity is excellent
interesting notes
Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • Callie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1132 W: 105 N: 2609] (7531)
  • [2005-02-01 13:36]

Hi Joanna
Yout for the note alone, you deserve 10/10, I really enjoyed it. The amber looks like sweets we used to get as kids. TFS and brightening my day.

Very colorful shot Joanna and a great read. Thanks for sharing this.

  • Great 
  • NINIX Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 161 W: 48 N: 347] (2887)
  • [2005-02-01 18:47]

Hi Joanna,

Beautifull. Very interesting picture and nice stucture and colours.
Did you ever found an insect insite?

Rgds,
Hendrik

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1873 W: 304 N: 4300] (14729)
  • [2005-02-03 3:51]

Good idea, Joanna.
I like this very much.
Thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2005-02-04 3:57]

I like hunting for treasures like those on the photo. This is very special feeling when you are walking on the beach with sight on the ground and sudennly jump like a panther and shout 'Hahahaha!!! I've got one! Look at that - isn't it beautiful! And mine! My treasure!!!' :-) Erm. Isn't it Gollum's way of life ;-)? Anyway - I love walk to beach of our Baltic Sea and hunt for amber. Great photo and great feelings. TFS Joanna!

Points later.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2156 W: 322 N: 4258] (16906)
  • [2005-02-11 6:11]

Joanna, a colorful and pleasant shot. Vivid shades in another nice composition. Once more, simple and effective. Great idea.

  • Great 
  • ian Gold Star Critiquer [C: 65 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-03-01 2:55]

Pretty photo. I like. You do interesting photos.

So beautiful. I love amber, I had lots of it (stolen) at one time. It is very expensive everywhere I go.....

  • Great 
  • ewa Gold Star Critiquer [C: 62 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-04-21 11:50]

NIesamowite. Mnie jeszcze nigdy nie udało sie znaleźć bursztyna. A bardzo bym chciała.

Wonderful stones and wonderful picture! Poland is famous for its amber, but I never thought you had so many - at one place!

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