[NHCOLL-L:1836] Re: Conserving amber in mineral oil

[Linda Ellis]

Janet:
Contact Prof. Curt Beck, Dept. of Chemistry, at Vassar.  Without
exaggeration, he is the world's expert on amber.  Good luck!

****************************************************
Dr. Linda Ellis
Professor & Director, Museum Studies Program
San Francisco State University
www.sfsu.edu/~museumst/

On Fri, 14 Feb 2003, Janet Waddington wrote:

> Does anyone have any experience with conserving amber that has been stored in mineral oil?  We have several specimens, with insect inclusions, that have been in oil for several decades.
> Will the oil contribute to the physical degradation of the amber?
> Is there any way to remove the oil from the amber?
> Has anyone tried embedding specimens in bioplastic that have previously been stored in mineral oil? I suspect that the oil and the resin would be incompatible.
> I'd be interested in hearing other people's experiences.
> Thanks,
> Janet
>
> Janet Waddington
> Palaeobiology
> Royal Ontario Museum
>