Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-01-28
ABOUT AMBER.

Curious and Expensive Lumps OF th9
Transparent Substance.
Amber is used considerably in minor
decorative work, as in jewelry and
knick-knacks. Its expense, of course.
precludes its employment on an ex-
tended scale, though one can easily ina
agine that heading of it around q room
decorated in yellow would add dainty
charm to it, and that small fragments
of it might be combined in mosaic orna-
ment on a surface of stippling or of linz
crusta Our decorators, if they care to
take the hint, might save up amber
beads and fragments of the mouth
pieces of cigar-holders that fall in their
way, to see what they can accomplish in
this direction. A beautiful design exc
cuted in bits of amber, and sunk into a
wall something after the fashion of the
pieces of glass that form the leading
notes of color in jeweled window,
would be novelty at all events, and
that it would be an artistic one there is
little doubt. In small pieces this sub
stance is not expensive, but the price,
as in the case of diamonds,
augments in geometrical rather than
arithmetical ratio, as the size increases.
Thus a piece as big as ones little finger
joint would be worth about quarter of
dollar, but piece twice that size
would be worth several hundred per
cent. more, and if the size were again
doubled the increase in value would be
in a still higher proportion. The larg-
est piece in the world that is without
blemish is in the Mark Museum in Dant-
zic, and weighs eight pounds. The own
er refused seven thousand FIVE hundred
dollars for it.
Frederick the Great bought thirteen
pound lump. as a curiosity, for about
that sum, but though heavier, it is i'm
pure and is cracked and porous. 1t is
kept in meteorological museum in Ber-
lin. The Empress of Russia has price,
less tea set made of amber, but it is
presumed that she does not drink tea
from it very often. A complete
pipe, carved from the same material,
was smoked by Frederick William LII,
of Prussia, father of the reigning Kali
ser, and the bowl of it is decorated with
an excellent relief portrait of its owner.
Frederick the Great owned beautiful
flute of amber-the flute was his pet in-
strument-and this, together with a
pipe, is preserved in Berlin collection.
Amber with insects in it is quite COM
mon, the unfortunate bugs and flies
having alighted on the gum as it was
flowing down the back of the trees, and
sticking fast as it slowly enveloped
them, while fragments of bark and
leaves further attest it's vegetable origin.
But it remained for A. T. Stewart to
discover piece that inclosed perfect
fish, or rather to discover man who
owned that unique specimen. Mr..
Stewart bought it for four thousand
five hundred dollars. Some very pretty
jewelry is made of amber, its rich,
sherry-like color and high polish en-
titling it to be more used in personal
adornment than it ever has been. If it
were more scarce such jewelry would be
eagerly sought for. There are ear-drops
like transparent gold; necklaces of am
Der buttercups and daisies; pins in the
form of wild roses, and backs for combs
studded with little globes of amber. It
has been combined with frosted silver,
filigree work, gold and pearls with good
effect. Clouded amber, showing streaks
of white and gray that marked the slow
convolutions of the gum as it trickled
down, is much esteemed by some and
costs more than transparent amber, but
the clear article is most pleasing as dec
orative material, as it has the most bril-
liancy, softness and color. There are
some possibilities in amber worth test
ing.-Decorat0r and Furnisher.