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MATERIALS OF MINERAL ORIGIN 
Amber 
In treating amber, which is usually in the form of beads, it must be 
borne in mind that it is a fossilized resin, and has to be handled accordingly. 
It is soluble in alcohol, acetone, benzol, and other organic solvents and 
these should, therefore, be avoided in cleaning it. Rubbing is inadvisable, 
for friction will often cause amber to fly to pieces. Soap and warm water, 
with very gentle rubbing with the finger tips, are generally sufficient to 
clean specimens, and fragments of dirt can be removed from holes and 
crevices by means of a stiff bristle or a horsehair. Care must be taken 
that the small section of the bead through which the perforation runs is 
not broken off; it is usually more fragile than the rest of the specimen, 
having already been subjected to strain in the process of drilling. 
Amber is easily repaired with celluloid cement. When there is dis- 
integration and flaking of the surface, the solvent action of acetone may 
be taken advantage of. The specimen should be painted with acetone, 
moistening the edges of the minute flakes and loose particles and causing 
them to re-adhere to each other when the acetone has evaporated. It 
is well to give all amber specimens a coat of the celluloid solution before 
storing or exhibiting them. It will cause no discoloration, and they 
should then need no further treatment. 
Beads 
Beads, in Canadian anthropological specimens, are usually of glass, 
though there are also shell beads, frequently of native manufacture, also 
beads of bone, seeds, and other materials. The methods of treatment 
suggested for individual beads are to be found under the heading of the 
material employed in their manufacture. It often happens, however, 
that the beads themselves are less in need of care than the fibre on which 
they are strung. There are two methods of treatment available. One is 
to replace the original fibre with new, the other to strengthen the fibre 
without removing it. 
When it is necessary to substitute new fibre, it is of great advantage 
to be able to hold the beads securely in their correct relative positions 
while the work is in progress. A convenient method is to roll out a sheet 
of wax or plasticine about half an inch thick and of sufficient size to accom- 
modate the entire specimen. This sheet of plasticine is supported by a 
board, so that it may be turned and handled easily. The beads are then 
pressed firmly into the plasticine, care being taken to see that all the 
beads are actually touching it and held in place. The old fibre may then 
be cut and removed, either all at once or in sections as the work advances. 
It is advisable to follow the original maker’s method in re-stringing the 
beads, or the appearance of the specimen may be altered. If possible, also, 
they should be re-strung on the same material, whether it be sinew, cotton, 
silk, horsehair, or vegetable fibre. A note of the repairs made and of the 
substance substituted should be entered in the catalogue. 
In many cases it is not necessary to replace the fibre throughout the 
whole specimen, and new pieces can be tied or spliced in. All knots should 
be made on the “wrong” side of the specimen. Vegetable fibres may be 
