AMBER ORNAMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16911, 9 December 1922, Page 14

AMBER ORNAMENTS.

PRIZED SINCE DATS OF ANCIENT ROME. The present-day craze for wearing amber beads and necklaces is certainly not. a new fashion •'says London “ Tjt-Bits.”) Tli is valuable substance was well; known and much appreciated in olden- times. It was the first of all the gem-like substances to be used for personal adornment, and was always considered very mentioned it in his writings, an'd it has been, found amongst very ancient specimens of Etruscan jewellery. Both the Greeks and Romans used amber, and the Greeks used to call it .“ Electron,' 1 from which comes our modem word “electricity” The Roluans made little figures and statuttes of amber, which fetched even greater prices than did living slaves. The manager of the great gladiatorial combats during Nero's reign sent a sx>ecial representative to Germany to obtain large supplies of this substance to be used for ornamenting all the weapons used by the gladiators. Even the litters on which the vanquished borne off were studded with amber. Many valuable specimens of amber ornaments have also been found in Roman treasure urns, together with other precious stones. In Shakespeare’s time amber was considered fashionable for personal ornamentation, and the great poet himself wrote ol “amber bracelets.” During the Renaissance period of our history this substance was extensively used by famous craftsmen for making jewel caskets ,and other valuable artistic articles. Amber has always been prized in the East, and China still imports large quantities. It is crushed into powder and then burned as inoens© in the temples. It is found in beds of lignite almost all over the world, but the greatest and most valuable deposits are found in East Prussia, between Alemel and Konigsherg on the Baltic Sea. Previous to the war this region yielded four thousand pounds’ weight of the valuable substance every year. A mber may be found at times on the seashore, particularly at some of the East Ooast towns. Danzig and Hamburg are two of the greatest centres for the manufacture of modern amber goods, including cigarette holders and beads, although quite a large quantity of these articles are made in Britain.