January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
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 Post subject: Green amber from Ethiopia
PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 11:50 am 
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Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:29 pm
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Location: Paris
I bought this specimen recently.
Never seen anything greener ! And quite clean.
I was skeptical at first, thinking "treated amber".
Then I found links on the internet, such as :
https://www.marcusmccallum.com/2017/05/ ... em-ketema/
So it looks like it is the real thing.
Plus, several pieces I watched had pretty bugs as inclusions. A delight of amber !
So far, the green color seems to remain unexplained. Or did I miss something ?


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 Post subject: Re: Green amber from Ethiopia
PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 7:44 pm 
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Location: North Carolina
Several of the opal dealers at Tucson this year had some. I also saw a faceted specimen that was quite spectacular. Much brighter thsn I had expected.

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 Post subject: Re: Green amber from Ethiopia
PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:46 am 
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Yeah I saw a faceted piece too, and would never have guessed at first sight that it was amber. Big, clear, bright, and a very pleasant peridot-like color. I nearly bought it (it was quite expensive) but then I wondered how it might evolve with time, and I preferred to stay away for now.


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 Post subject: Re: Green amber from Ethiopia
PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:25 pm 
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Can the green color somehow be sap related?or are all Amber of gem quality produced by the same type of tree/sap? Can the color be related to other environmental factors or pollution? Guess I'm wondering if, for example, the accident at Chernobyl may have in any way affected the Baltic Amber found by the sea . Also: is all Amber "electric" when rubbed with specific cloth, like fur?


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 Post subject: Re: Green amber from Ethiopia
PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:19 am 
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Tygurrr-I wrote:
Also: is all Amber "electric" when rubbed with specific cloth, like fur?


I think so. The very word "electric" deriving from the ancient greek word "elektrum" which was then the name for amber. It is an intrinseque property of this material, and known since Antiquity.


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 Post subject: Re: Green amber from Ethiopia
PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:48 am 
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I remember doing a demonstration years back rubbing amber with wool and having it attract small bits of paper.
Then I took a plastic comb with a faux tortoise shell look and rubbed it with the same wool.
It picked up all the paper bits too.
Total fail #-o


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 Post subject: Re: Green amber from Ethiopia
PostPosted: Sat Oct 20, 2018 12:51 pm 
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Not a total fail at all, just a demonstration that plastic has similar electrical properties to amber. Generating static electricity by rubbing on wool or silk doesn't segregate amber from all other high resistance materials.


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