Polished Natural Amber  with Insect Inclusion with Hand Pocket Magnifier and in Acrylic Collectors Box

 Natural Baltic amber with inclusion of tiny insect. Each piece different. CHOOSE FROM DROP DOWN MENU. Amber inclusions are pre historic , and contain insects which have by chance become trapped in tree resin many millions of years ago. Over time, the resin transforms to the beautiful  honey coloured substance we know as amber. This tiny insect was literally stopped in its tracks, allowing us to glimpse a moment in time literally millions of years back. " Deep time" refers to the geological time scale which is unimaginably longer than our human lives, which are a mere blink in the vast time scale ( Mc Phee 1981). Artists have tried to portray this concept in different forms. However, to hold this tiny piece in your hand  and see the perfect  insect, tapped inside, reminds us of the ephemeral nature of our own  lives. They can be hard to see properly with the naked eye. However, by using the pocket hand magnifier, you can  see the intricate details of the tiny insect inside. This takes a bit of skill and practice and it may take a little time  to be able to use it with ease  However, once mastered, you can use the hand lens to view other things of interest, such as petals, flowers, insects, coins and more.The small acrylic collectors box allows the amber to be kept safely.

The hand Lens Magnification ( Jeweller`s Loupe) 30 x -21 mm is  in a carrier case. Coated with a gold colour. It enables you to get a close view of even the tiniest objects. The lens is made from optical glass. The neat and compact size makes it easy to have in your pocket. Small items can be seen at magnification. It can open up an interesting world of seeing even the tiniest detail.  Makes a useful addition for collectors, and can help to view fossils, amber, stamps more clearly. Great educational tool to support an interest in collecting and looking at things in greater detail. It is important to recognise that it should be used differently form a magnifying glass. To get the best view, the lens needs to be held close to your eye, while at the same time, bringing the object closer and closer until it comes into focus. Making sure the light is good will also make a difference. It is important to point out that there are many varieties of jeweller’s loupes/ hand lens magnifying tools on the market. Some of them are of a very high specification and are used for examining expensive diamonds and gems. This is a basic and inexpensive model. I use it myself to view insects in amber and copal and for a closer look at my fossils.

 

Date: 56 to 33  Million  Years Old. Eocene Epoch.

Provenance: Baltic Sea

Size: There is a measuring scale in each drop down picture. The group ranges from around 1.7 x 1.2 cm to 3.5 x 2.5 cm and from around 1 gm to 5 gms 

Condition  Each piece has a genuine and  tiny insect. code 5251

What is a Fossil?

Fossils give fascinating prehistorical evidence of past life on our planet.

Usually, fossilization starts once the animal or plant has died. Most animals and plants are eaten or simply recycled back into the earth. The best fossils occur when this process happens rapidly, shortly after death has occurred. Conditions have to be exactly right for a fossil to be produced. Most commonly, this is below water. Decay and deterioration are slowed down because the specimen is covered or entombed in either sediment, muds, sands or volcanic ash or other material, layer upon layer, and over a period that is hard to imagine, usually thousands to millions of years.

Preservation takes place very gradually, as it compacts, it slowly turns to rock. Over time, the plant or animal is replaced by minerals and with chemical changes, leaving an extraordinary replica of the original. In some cases, the pressure and temperature increase, caused by sedimentation, can result in the release of hydrogen and oxygen, leaving a carbon impression of the specimen in sedimentary rock. This process is called carbonization.

Fossils can become preserved in various different ways. For example, wood can become petrified by a process of minerals seeping into the saturated wood, resulting in a gradual process of the wood becoming hard, and resembling stone, often with extraordinary colours. In perimineralization or petrification, after the soft structures have decayed, the hard parts, in particular bones, remain. In some cases, the other minerals completely replace the original specimen. Generally, most fossils represent the hard parts such as bones, shells, leaves, seeds or woody parts of plants.

Fossils can be internal or external moulds of the original specimen. They can also be the some of the original matter, impregnated with chemicals such as silica or calcite.

Fossils can also be indirect, such as in animal foot prints or burrows. These are known as trace fossils.