| Identifying an original amber gemstone can be quite | | | | stone, place a drop of acetone. Let it sit for three |
| difficult. This is because there are many amber | | | | seconds, and then wipe it off. Copal will have the |
| imitations found in the market which confuse the | | | | surface damaged by the acetone, while amber will |
| buyers. | | | | show little or no change from the brief exposure. |
| One of its numerous imitations is called 'Amberdan'. It | | | | Another easy method to separate this gemstone |
| has properties fairly near to natural gem. The way to | | | | from its plastic imitations is with a specific gravity |
| test the originality is when the stone is heated and | | | | solution. Boil water and add as much salt as you can |
| gives off a certain odor. When the odor smells like a | | | | dissolve in it to create a handy testing liquid. Most of |
| mixture of plastic and amber, it suggests that a | | | | the imitations will sink in this solution. This is because |
| natural resin has been mixed with a plastic binder. | | | | few plastics have a density as low as 1.05 and many |
| Amber is often confused with copal. These two | | | | can be lower than amber if they have air bubbles |
| stones are composed of very similar materials with | | | | inside. So, if your sample sinks, you can be sure it is |
| nearly identical origins and so it is difficult to identify | | | | not real. If it floats you, need to determine if it is |
| the original amber. The main difference is that while | | | | plastic or amber. |
| copals are just a few hundred thousand years old, | | | | There is another destructive test to separate real |
| ambers are several million years old. | | | | amber from the fake ones. However, it must be |
| Another imitation that is found in the market is made | | | | done with care. The best part is that it can be done |
| up of pressed amber, or 'ambroid'. This is created by | | | | almost invisibly. Discover a place on the stone where |
| fusing smaller bits of the gem under heat. This can | | | | a mark would be as less visible as possible. This can |
| be distinguished from original gem when you examine | | | | be on the edge, bottom or on an area with |
| it under a microscope. | | | | scratches. Next, heat the tip of a needle until it glows |
| Ancient techniques for identifying this gem are still | | | | red. Touch the selected spot just enough to release |
| useful today. When it is rubbed vigorously on a piece | | | | a tiny whiff of smoke. Now smell the smoke. If it is |
| of wool, it generates a static charge, which is enough | | | | genuine amber, the smell is of fine incense. It is plastic |
| to pick up a small piece of ash. When this gemstone | | | | if it is chemical and offensive. This is a good reason |
| is warm enough, it tends to give off a distinctive | | | | for making your test on a very small scale as |
| odor. These techniques will separate it from plastic | | | | possible! |
| imitations but not distinguish it from copal. | | | | Another test of discovering a fake piece is to |
| To distinguish this gem from copal is difficult. They | | | | identify the insect inclusions present in the stone. If |
| share the same refractive index, specific gravity, and | | | | one finds this stone which has an inclusion of say, a |
| most other properties. However, Copal tends to | | | | modern house fly, this can easily alert you to the |
| fluoresce whiter than amber under UV light. So, it is a | | | | fact that the stone may be a fake. This is because |
| judgment call which one needs to make based on | | | | the house fly did not exist millions of years ago, |
| having examined a sufficient number of samples so | | | | which means that the inclusion has been fused into |
| as to recognize the difference. | | | | the stone, and that the stone is not genuine. |
| If one is not able to make the distinction based on | | | | With these tips and techniques, it thus becomes |
| fluorescence, then one will have to resort to a | | | | easier for you to identify and spot a genuine amber |
| destructive test. On an inconspicuous area of the | | | | gemstone from among the fakes. |