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fluorescent amber
Years ago I purchased a large amber pendant called "fluorescent amber". It
was called this because when you put the piece in sunlight or under fluorescent lights, it would take on a bluish cast like opalescent glass does. However, over the years it has lost some of its fluorescent quality. My question is : What was done to it to make it fluoresce? Was it irradiated? What can I do to restore it? Smitty |
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On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 19:10:24 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Smitty"
wrote: Years ago I purchased a large amber pendant called "fluorescent amber". It was called this because when you put the piece in sunlight or under fluorescent lights, it would take on a bluish cast like opalescent glass does. However, over the years it has lost some of its fluorescent quality. My question is : What was done to it to make it fluoresce? Was it irradiated? What can I do to restore it? Smitty Much amber is at least somewhat naturally fluorescent, and while several colors are possible, a bluish or greenish blue color is common. The intensity of the fluorescence seems strongest on freshly broken or cut surfaces. My sources don't suggest why this is so, but amber, despite being a fossil, nevertheless contains at least some volatile oils in it's composition, which are slowly lost over time during wear, or just exposure to air, and sun. It could easily be that whatever trace constituents are responsible for the fluorescence are slowly lost when thus exposed to air and/or sun. That would explain the published observations that fluorescence is strongest on fresh surfaces, as well as your experience. So far as I know, amber is not normally treated to induce fluorescence, though it certainly would be possible, since it IS commonly treated to clarify cloudy material, or manufacture larger pieces from small ones, in the product called pressed amber. In the 'clarification" process, amber is heated in rape seed oil, very carefully, which allows some of the oil to diffuse into the material. the result is a generally clear/transparent material characterized by "sun spangle" fractures. But if the oil contained fluorescent dyes, then they possibly would be carried along with the oil perhaps only just barely penetrating into the surface, but this would be enough I'm not aware of this being done, however.. Note that "clarified" amber then looks different from most naturally occurring amber sold as 'fluorescent amber', since the natural material usually has fair numbers of inclusions and flaws, especially those pieces where the fluorescence is so strong as to warrant specific mention when sold. Personally, I'd not encourage you to try and restore the fluorescence. Doing it artificially is not an improvement if the original effect was natural. But if you insist, I'd guess that most any solvent based fluorescent dye would be able to at least adhere to the surface, if not penetrate it a little, imparting it's effect. And heck. If the science whiz kids can come up with genetically altered aquarium type zebra fish that now glow bright red, fooling with your amber is just as likely to give you some results... Peter |
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Thanks to BIL PULFORD and Peter W. Rowe. You were very informative.
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