Amber Listserv / Provisional Form on Amber Preservation

[Maury Bramson]

A few weeks ago I asked a number of questions about the preservation of 
amber, to which a number of people have helpfully provided information on 
their personal experience.  This experience was not uniform, and it 
occurred to me that it might be a good idea to have a data base with 
people's experiences in one spot and easy to access.  A few people I 
talked with encouraged me to proceed with a questionaire.

The following is a provisional form.  DON'T FILL IT OUT - the purpose at 
this point is to get feedback to see if there is anything I missed that 
should be here, or if something is unclear.  Also, it would be helpful for 
me to get an idea of how many people are interested in filling out such a 
form.

Most of the items are self-explanatory.  Under name, I intend to enter a 
number or code corresponding to each person.  Unless someone wants to 
remain anonymous, his/her name will be given at the bottom with the 
corresponding number.  If someone has more than one type of amber or amber 
of different ages, he/she can answer the questions together or on separate 
forms, depending on what seems most appropriate (and least cumbersome).

Maury



Name (code):

Origin of amber (Dominican, etc.):

How long have had amber:

Storage conditions (moist/dry, warm/cool, lighted/dark, etc.):

Applications to amber (wax, epoxy, mineral oil, etc.):

Aging of amber (discoloration, crazing, cracking, etc.; general shape 
amber is in compared to when obtained):

Has some of your amber aged more gracefully than other specimens?  If so, 
what do you attribute this to?

Are there any techniques in preserving/treating amber that you think are 
particularly beneficial or damaging?