Amber
Pinus succinifera
Description:
Amber resin is fossilized tree sap that has been used in incense and aromatic applications for millennia.
It was first discovered in the Baltic region of Europe and has been used for millennia as incense and aromatic.
It was highly prized by ancient Egyptians, with amber sarcophagi found in the tombs of Pharaohs.
The Ancient Greeks believed amber resin to connect them to the Sun god. It is believed that amber resin was burned in the temples of Apollo and used as an offering to him.
The Romans also valued amber greatly, using it for jewelry and adorning their buildings with amber panels.
In all three cultures, amber was believed to have protective qualities against evil spirits and its sweet scent helped people relax during meditation practices.
Today, amber resins are still widely used as incense and aromatics due to their pleasant smell.
They are popular in incense blends, particularly when combined with copal or frankincense.
Amber resins are also used to make essential oils for aromatherapy applications.
Amber is often a confusing ingredient due to the manufactured cake-like soft resins made in India and sold worldwide under the same name.
True amber is anything but soft and larger pieces of it is widely used in jewelry and pieces with insects trapped inside are highly prized and collected as art (also used in the movie Jurassic Park as the premise for how they obtained Dinosaur DNA).
Monograph:
Family: Pinaceae
Synonyms: sun stone, hu po
Origin: Baltic Sea, Russia, North and Central America
Parts Used: fossilized resin
Aroma Description: penetrating, biting, smoky, tar-like resinous, resembling tanned leather
Cosmetic Uses: perfumery, aromatherapy; used in skin rejuvenating creams, etc.
Culinary Uses: none
Medicinal Attributes: ancient Greeks and Egyptians used amber as a healing remedy for respiratory and urinary tract infections, fever, coughs, bronchitis, decongestant, rheumatism and muscle spasms
Essential Oil: Yes, produced by destructive dry distillation then rectified by steam distillation.
Mixes Well With: cedar, frankincense, guggul, labdanum, myrrh, opoponax, pine, etc.
Attributes
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