A fossil need not always be a skeleton of a Stegosaurus with menacing jaws like the dinosaurs in the movie Jurassic Park. This popular notion of fossils, derived from well-known movies, is only one of the forms in which they are known to the human race. In addition to academic interest, there are a great many uses of fossils and their derivatives in our lives. One such fossilised tree resin which has been coveted by emperors and princesses to merchants, medicine men and perfumers alike is Amber.
Ranging from pale yellow to an occasional brownish, this translucent vegetable origin resin has a pleasant colour and has been in use by mankind for more than 10,000 years. The etymology of the word Amber originates from the Arabic word Anbar and was initially used in reference to Ambergris (grey Amber), which is obtained from the sperm whale. Amber is known as Electrum in Latin and Elektron in Greek, owing to its ability to carry a negative static charge. The process of formation of this petrified resin may take anywhere from 2 to 10 million years and depends on how quickly the resins are transported by natural means to form deposits in sedimentary layers in oceans or lakes. This is the reason for the high cost of natural Amber. At times, you may find animal fossils embedded in amber, which are called ‘inclusions’.
Amber is extracted through mining from Cretaceous rocks. In some instances, pieces of amber may be thrown up by waves from the floor of the sea. Amber has been used extensively in jewellery and traditional medicine. Amber has also been used in perfumery, though natural amber does not emit much scent. When heated beyond 200 degrees centigrade, Amber oil is produced which has been used along with nitric acid in ancient China to produce a musky smelling resin for use in customary rituals. Modern perfumery uses artificial amber, which is actually an amalgam of different scents, primarily Labdanum, to produce an “amber” like fragrance. Loosely defined, amber in perfumes represents a warm, musky sweet scent with powdery overtones. This explains the different patents for amber fragrances created by different people.
Hvnly brings you the following perfumes with the rich, musky sweet fragrance of Amber to light up your day.
|
Her |
|
|
His |
Author: Sandipani Padhi