What does untreated amber look like? Polyester products. How to distinguish pressed amber from natural

Instructions

Counterfeits that do not have the properties of amber, but successfully imitate it in appearance, are very common. Natural amber can be distinguished by color, shape and degree of transparency. There are three types of amber: (this category includes foam and bone amber), translucent (in this category of amber there are accumulations of voids that give cloudy opacities) and completely transparent. All three categories are counterfeited with equal success.

If natural amber is rubbed with clean wool, it will become electrified and attract pieces of thread, dust, and paper. With a fake one, the effect will be much weaker. Imitation can be determined using a saline solution, but this method is only suitable for unmounted amber. The stone is placed in a salt solution, the fake will sink, and the amber floats on the surface. Authenticity is determined using a magnifying glass; the power must be at least tenfold. Wavy formations that appear during sintering of particles indicate a fake. In this way, you can distinguish amber from various types of polymers and plastics.

It can be much more difficult to distinguish amber from copal, with which they are similar in color and shape. Copal is a fossil resin used in the manufacture of varnishes. When heated, the smell of copal is unpleasant, and amber releases a clove-like aroma. Copal melts more easily and does not become electrified by friction. In essence, it is an unripe resin, and its composition is identical to natural amber, but it is very soft, sometimes even a fingernail can leave a dent on it. If you apply a drop of alcohol to a stone and the surface becomes sticky, it is copal. Acetone stains remain on copal, but not on amber. If copal is processed in an autoclave, it acquires all the properties of natural amber and it is even more difficult to distinguish a fake.

Pressed amber is another common alternative to amber. The product is obtained by processing small pieces of amber with amber flour and adding dyes. At a temperature of 200-250°C and high pressure, the amber crumb melts and becomes a homogeneous mass, retaining almost all the properties of amber. Using a microscope, experts note the changed shape of the bubbles and the general nature of the structure, which now resembles a mosaic or patchwork quilt. This kind of amber, unlike natural amber, softens under the influence of ether - the surface becomes sticky. It is believed that after heating, the special natural sequence and polarity of the molecules is lost, and it is this that is distinguished by its ability to cure many diseases.

In order to distinguish copal from full amber, apply a drop in an inconspicuous place of the product and place your finger on this place. The sticky surface will give away the copal. The second way to identify copal is to apply a drop of acetone to the surface of the material being tested. If a stain appears in this place, we are dealing with copal. This method should be used carefully, since prolonged exposure to acetone may leave a stain even on natural amber (this can be removed by polishing).

Keep in mind that plastic fakes should be distinguished from natural pressed amber. Only a small part of the extracted natural stone is large in size; a significant part is small pieces of stone processed by pressing. Upon closer examination, such amber will seem to be composed of small pieces, but it is still a natural material with its inherent natural properties.

The most reliable way to distinguish natural amber against counterfeiting - show the product to a gemologist with the appropriate equipment. If there is no time for this or the purchase decision needs to be made quickly, there are a few simple rules that will allow you to understand the real amber or not.

Instructions

Never focus on the price of a product. Making counterfeits requires money, and if the seller does not reduce the price, this does not mean that he has only natural products. Fake amber made from plastic, rubber, rosin. A small part of low-grade natural resin is added to the composition of the artificial resin and the effect of frozen bubbles is even achieved.

Copal and Kauri "Young" copal resins and modern copals, obtained from kauri resin, are much softer amber. Press the product with a hard object. If there is a mark left on it, there was someone digging in front of you. Copal resins are not electrified by friction; when heated, they emit an unpleasant medicinal odor. Unlike natural amber, they dissolve in the ether. Drop ether onto the surface of copal: it will become sticky and then cloudy.

Sources:

Amber is one of the oldest precious stones used by humans. Due to its low hardness, this stone is perfectly polished and polished. Amber jewelry has been made for hundreds of thousands of years and is unlikely to ever cease to be fashionable and relevant. However, recently, more and more often, fakes and high-quality imitations are found in products made from this stone. There are several ways to recognize the real one.

You will need

• - 250 ml water
• - 10 teaspoons table salt

Instructions

Make a saline solution. To do this, take 250 ml of water and add 10 teaspoons of table salt into it. Dip amber into the solution; if it floats to the surface, you have not purchased a fake. Modern resins and plastics differ from amber in their higher density, so they will sink to the bottom.

Try to determine the authenticity of amber using the heating method. Take a small item. Place in a closed test tube and heat. If you notice a strong synthetic smell, know that you purchased plastic products. A strong aroma will indicate that the product is made of resins. Real amber smells like pine needles.

Sometimes when purchasing amber products you can purchase copal. Copal is young amber, which is estimated not in millions, but in hundreds of years. Copal can also be made from modern resin. To distinguish copal from real amber, drop a drop of alcohol on the product and apply it with your finger. If the surface is dry - amber, sticky - copal. If there is no alcohol, use acetone: drop it on the product and leave for 3 seconds. After this, wipe off the drop; if a stain remains, dig it.

Use the statistical method. It is most common when choosing amber products. Rub the amber, it should become negatively charged and begin to attract various small pieces, such as paper. True, many plastics have the same properties, but if the product is not “electrified,” then it is an obvious fake.

Pay attention to inclusions in amber in the form of plants or insects. In genuine amber, the wings of the flies are open, but in fakes, flies caught on sticky are already dead and filled with resin or plastic. Groups of insects that simply could not get into it, either due to their habitat or age, look funny in the product.

Amber from the Baltics adorned Tutankhamun's crown and was considered one of the most valuable stones at that time. Information about amber is found in Homer's Odyssey. Phoenician merchants called the stone sahal, that is, drops of resin, which is what it actually is.

During a storm on the Baltic, small objects are lifted even from the bottom, so in the sea grass that sways on the surf, you can find floating ones. Pebbles are also found in pebble bays underwater. It’s stormy in these places only in cold weather, so “Yantar” wear special wetsuits to avoid hypothermia.

Some locals catch amber with wire nets attached to long poles. With these gears, fishermen scoop up grass from the shore. The algae is carefully sorted in search of amber. Grass that is close to the shore is easier to pick up with a regular rake.

Amber fishing is gradually turning into fun or sport. Competitions are held in Russia (mainly in Kaliningrad), Germany, Lithuania and Poland. Catching this petrified tree resin is more like mining for gold. To gain access to the competition, you just need to show up at the right place and time.

About a hundred people take part in the competition in Kaliningrad, who, from early morning until late evening, use special equipment (a net and a scoop) to sort through nearby algae and sand. It is not necessary to go into the sea or quarry itself.

Sometimes competition organizers prepare a special rubber pool in advance, around which amber crumbs are scattered. The winner is the one who collects the most fossilized resin in a certain period of time.

Amber fishing is becoming more and more popular. Poland has already hosted 11 world championships in this unusual sport. At the last of them, the Russian team took first place among foreign teams. The European Amber Fishing Championship is planned to be held in Kaliningrad.

Experienced catchers of petrified tree resin claim that the most successful attempts are made during a northwest wind and a large wave. A lot of amber gets stuck in the clay near the shore.

Amber is the fossil resin of ancient coniferous trees. Its age is not known exactly; it is estimated at millions of years. Amber is one of the first gems that was used to make jewelry. The extraction of this beautiful and mysterious “stone” is actively carried out at the present time.

Instructions

The main deposits of amber (about 90% of the world's reserve) are located on the coast of the Baltic Sea near the city of Svetlogorsk, in the area of ​​the village of Yantarny. It is from here that sea currents bring it to the shores of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

The most ancient method of extracting amber is manual collection on beaches and shallows. Since the 14th century, another method has become widespread - fishing with large nets on eight-meter poles. To do this, they went into the water or swam out to sea on a boat and caught algae with entangled in them. Later, they began to practice extracting amber from the bottom of the sea using hooks, tongs and scrapers.

In 1871, the first mine was laid in the area of ​​​​the current village of Sinyavino, about 30 m deep, for the industrial extraction of amber. In the 19th century, with the help of open-pit mining, amber fishing became more productive.

The only enterprise in the world that has brought amber mining to an industrial level is the Kaliningrad Amber Plant, founded on July 21, 1947. Mining is carried out by open-pit mining from a depth of 12 to 50 meters. The work is carried out in two open pits - a regular one and a beach one, located almost on the seashore.

Approximately 400-500 tons of amber are mined per year. Mined stone is divided into three types: ornamental, pressed and varnished. The most valuable is ornamental amber, which is used as material for the jewelry industry.

The main task is to provide access to the blue earth - a layer rich in amber, located under a forty-meter thick layer of waste rock. For this purpose, hydraulic guns are used; as a result of their operation, rock suspensions in water are transported through a pipeline to the processing plant. In a saturated salt solution, amber is separated from the rock and sorted by size.

The largest specimens are used for unique works (for manual processing), medium ones - for making jewelry and souvenirs, and small ones - for beads, amber paintings or for further processing.

After sorting, the amber is polished in special drums. To grind stones of complex shapes, the drum is filled with a special grinding paste and small pieces of wood are added. The final stage of processing is polishing in a drum with felt walls.

The amber then falls into the hands of craftsmen who create the final product. Over the years of its operation, the Kaliningrad Amber Plant has produced tens of millions of jewelry. Along with jewelry, the factory’s artists created a whole series of thematic compositions, unique vases, decorated boxes and souvenirs.

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Amber was known to mankind many centuries before the advent of the new era. Archaeologists have repeatedly found fragments of this mineral in its raw form at ancient human sites. Probably, primitive people believed that amber had magical properties and was able to relieve ailments.

Instructions

Amber is the resin of coniferous trees, which is in a petrified state. The trees that gave life to pieces of this organic material grew on the planet several tens of millions of years ago. After death, they often ended up in marine sediments. The wood slowly became like brown coal, and the resinous substance turned into amber. Sea waves gradually washed the mineral out of the remaining sediments.

Amber mined in natural conditions is largely represented by small stones, no more than 3 cm in diameter. Less commonly, larger specimens can be found, weighing up to 3-5 kg. Amber is characterized by a yellowish color, although this mineral can have a reddish, brown or even white tint. When exposed to open air, amber becomes darker and more fragile. Cracks may appear on the stones.

It is believed that the largest reserves of amber are in the Baltic Sea basin. Millions of years ago, this territory was occupied by dry land, where majestic coniferous forests rustled. In those days, the climate on the planet changed frequently. Trees actively responded to such changes, abundantly releasing resin during warming, which hardened, turning into a material with properties reminiscent of stone.

The resin-resin flowing out of the wood took on the most bizarre forms, resembling drops, clusters, nodules and growths. These intricate figures separated from the trunks and fell into the soil. The process of resin release could take quite a long time; it would often stop and then resume after a while. This led to the formation of many layers that determined the texture of the future amber.

Being in the forest floor after falling from the trees, the resin became stronger and its resistance to aggressive environmental factors increased. But those samples that developed in wetlands most often remained fragile. At the last stage of formation, the future amber was washed into the water basin, where biochemical processes continued.

The formation of amber was strongly influenced by the geochemistry and hydrodynamics of the aqueous environment into which the mineral fell. The waters, rich in silt and potassium, were perfectly suited for the gradual transformation of the resin of coniferous trees into a bright and unique mineral, which later became known as amber. Looking at products made from this material, fabulous in its beauty, it is difficult to imagine how long a journey ordinary resin had to travel before it could turn into amber.

Tip 9: How and where to find natural amber in the wild

These beautiful stones are not lying right under your feet. However, if you have an idea of ​​the principle of distribution of deposits of this mineral, you can still find amber yourself in the wild.

Until recently, the only amber deposit on the planet was considered to be the well-known Baltic. However, recently about 200 more locations of this sunstone have been discovered and studied. Most of them are located within Europe. But there are also such deposits in Asia, South and North America, and Australia.

Where to find amber in Russia

In Russia, as well as throughout the world, the main deposit of sunstone is still Baltic. It is located near the village of Yantarny on the Baltic Sea. Hundreds of tons of amber are mined here every year. However, in Russia there are also small deposits of this stone in the Urals and Sakhalin. A very large deposit - Kolesovo-Dubrovitskoye - was discovered not so long ago in Ukraine.

To find out more precisely where to find amber, you should first study the location of its deposits on the map. Sunstone deposits are located on Earth in the form of a grid of straight and broken lines. Below is the amber grid for Central Europe.

The richest amber-bearing vein on this map, as you can see, runs from the Jutlad Peninsula through the Kaliningrad region and Finland. Then it stretches towards the Kola Peninsula, and then passes through the Arctic Ocean towards the “Amber Crown” of the planet.

Is it possible for private individuals to mine gems in Russia?

Freelance mining in our country, unfortunately, is prohibited by law. You can search for gems and gold, but only after concluding an agreement with some large mining company. Although the authorities, for example, in some regions of the Urals periodically promise to allow the free mining of gems by ordinary people, such a law has not yet been adopted at the moment (2017). Therefore, we provide the information below to the reader for informational purposes only. Of course, it is not worth engaging in black mining before the adoption of the relevant law. This can result in a large fine or even lead to criminal liability. In Ukraine, gold mining is also prohibited by law.

Features of offshore mining

The simplest answer to the question of where to find amber is, of course, the Baltic Sea. In this region, the extraction of sunstone can, in principle, even be carried out simply using nets. In particular, there are a lot of stones on the shore and shallow water appears during small storms. During this period, the water throws out a lot of sun pebbles. The net catches silt and debris. Then they are simply scanned for the presence of amber. In this way you can get quite a lot of stones, including quite large ones. Most of the amber in the Baltic was once found in those places where a lot of black mud washed up by the sea.

Sometimes amber in the Baltic Sea after a storm can be found right on the shore - in the sand. Of course, you won’t get too much sunstone this way. But with a certain amount of patience, it will still be possible to find several small ambers (and possibly large ones).

Water tube mining

This method of searching for amber is used mainly in Ukraine. Water tubes (mines) are located in this country along the banks of rivers. Finding them is quite difficult. But this is still quite doable. There are water tubes, by the way, not only in Ukraine, but also in many other places on the planet. In Russia you can also look for them along river banks. By the way, you can find not only amber in water pipes, but also other gems and even diamonds. Such mini-mines can be hollows on the shore, flooded with water, stone “rivers,” etc. Experienced prospectors also identify pipes by color (usually it is darker or lighter than the main rock). Such mines can be located both on the shore and directly in the water. In Ukraine, natural amber lies at a depth of about 5 meters. The companion of the sunstone in this country is always blue or light blue clay.

Amber in the forest and near the river

Unfortunately, there is no reliable information about amber finds in the forests of Russia. However, it is known for sure that in the Zhytomyr region, prospectors find amber right in the coniferous forests. In this case, their assistants are often, oddly enough, moles. When digging tunnels, these animals “bring” blue clay to the surface. And she, as already mentioned, is a constant companion of amber. Seeing blue clay in a molehill, prospectors simply excavate at this place several meters deep.

We found out how to find amber in the forest. But sometimes this stone can be found simply on the surface of the earth along the banks of rivers. In this case, it is better to conduct searches in the spring after a flood or after heavy rain. At this time, the water washes out from under the ground many stones located in it, among which there may be. It is also believed that the best time to search is early spring. During this period, there is still no vegetation on the banks. And therefore, the stones are more noticeable.

The easiest way is to find amber yourself on the river bank using an ultraviolet flashlight. Such a device can be purchased today at almost any kiosk. Under ultraviolet rays, amber, unlike other stones, begins to glow with a very beautiful blue light. You can also distinguish sunstone from other minerals by weight. The stone is actually very light. In terms of weight, it resembles, for example, the same rosin.

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How to distinguish natural amber? Identification of amber. How to distinguish natural amber from a fake?
If there is a demand, then it must be satisfied. For modern business this is the law. Do you want an amber necklace made from a beautiful yellow stone? Please! If you can’t afford a necklace, we can find a cheaper jewelry option for you - just buy it!

The realities of the amber market are such that anyone who wants to purchase jewelry made from precious petrified resin can afford it - regardless of their level of material income. However, when you are at a sales counter, you should remember: the cheaper the amber and jewelry made from it, the greater the likelihood of buying a fake. Especially if trade takes place somewhere in an underground passage.

Alas! The market is full of fake gems! Some artificial resins very closely imitate the color and texture of natural amber. When purchasing fossil stone jewelry, an uninformed buyer often runs the risk of being, if not deceived, then misled.

Some people mistakenly believe that the chance of buying amber fakes in an antique shop is zero. This idea is wrong! Counterfeits have existed before. Artificial amber was made from bakelite, casein, polyester and epoxy resins mixed in different proportions. Other materials that have nothing to do with amber are also used.

What to do in such a situation? How to distinguish true amber from fake?
Knowing some techniques and tricks, you can easily determine the authenticity of amber. The main assistant in this matter is the “culprit of the investigation” itself - amber with its unique and inimitable physical and chemical properties.

Here are a few methods that will help you distinguish a true gem from an imitation. Each of these methods is based on the specific properties of amber.

Appearance
Often fakes have clearly visible multiple inclusions of air bubbles, easily visible to the naked eye.

Densely packed so-called “spangles” in the thickness of the stone (different from round bubbles) can indicate both a fake (burnite material) and natural calcined amber.

Uniform – without color transitions and without any textures – the coloring of amber beads should alert the buyer. Craftsmen, however, make fakes with a characteristic amber texture! Bakelite beads, for example, have a highly directional layered pattern, most often oriented along the thread hole.

Natural amber, especially one that has not been refined by heat treatment, looks richer than fake amber. Natural stone has an interesting color with chaotic transitions of shades one into another. Its array is always endowed with a unique pattern characteristic of amber of natural origin.

Weight
Amber is a gem of organic origin. Its density is low. Large beads made of natural amber (with a total weight of 70 - 80 grams) look very impressive. Counterfeits made of plastic and glass, having a high density, are modest in size - but weigh a lot.

Amber is warm to the touch, as it has low thermal conductivity - unlike glass, which has much higher thermal conductivity.

Amber hardness test
The density of amber on the Mohs scale is 2.0 – 2.5. This means that it cannot be scratched with a fingernail. But copal, an amber-like resin from legumes, on the contrary, is easily damaged by the same nail. Its hardness is only 1.5 Mohs units. Glass is noticeably harder than amber: this difference can be felt even with your fingers.

Scratch test
Use the edge of a knife or razor to make a scratch in an inconspicuous place. Real amber will crumble into small fragments that can be ground into powder. The plastic will leave elastic shavings. The glass will not be scratched.

Swimming amber in salt water, or so-called “water procedures”
Natural amber in most cases floats in salt water and sinks in fresh water. The density of amber, according to sources, is 1.05 - 1.09, maximum 1.3 g/cm. The maximum density of saline water solution is 1.1972. Purely theoretically, it turns out that some amber samples may still be denser than a saline solution. In this case they will drown. If there is a suspicion that the test sample is still natural, it is worth checking it in other ways.

Attention! The test with amber floating in salt water is not possible if the amber is set in metal or decorated with heavy decorative elements made of other materials.

How to prepare the solution? Dissolve 8-10 teaspoons of table salt in a glass of water. If you need more water, make a supersaturated solution (with undissolved salt crystals at the bottom of the vessel).

Natural amber should float in salt water. Counterfeits will drown in such a solution.

This test will identify glass, bakelite, celluloid, epoxy and burnite imitations. But it will not help you identify copal and pressed amber.

After the experiment, the amber must be washed with fresh water and dried.

Electrostatic charging
If natural amber is intensively rubbed against wool or silk, it becomes negatively charged. This property can be tested by applying electrified amber to small pieces of paper. They should rush to the surface of the amber or stick.

Some types of plastics have a similar property. But in amber it is more clearly expressed. The electrostatic method makes it possible to identify counterfeits that completely lack electrification properties. Copal (it is sold under the guise of “young” or “immature” amber) does not become electrified when rubbed.

Odor when rubbing and burning
Vigorous rubbing of amber against a cloth or palm until the temperature of the stone increases significantly helps to perceive a faint resinous aroma, reminiscent of the smell of pine or turpentine. If you do the same with copal, it will soften and its surface will become sticky. Any synthetics will give off a strong chemical smell.

If you apply the hot tip of a needle to the surface of amber, white smoke with a characteristic rosin smell will appear. The rosin aroma is strong enough to tell you whether you are holding plastic or real amber. However, different amber has differences in shades of smell. All varieties of amber are united by a pleasant, slightly sour, resinous aroma. In such an experiment, synthetics will melt faster, giving off a chemical, unpleasant smell.

Is it possible to set fire to amber? This is what you should see if the stone is natural.

Amber begins to ignite approximately three seconds after contact with fire. If you keep it on the fire for a second or two longer, and then take it away from the flame, it will continue to burn on its own, quite intensely. Amber boils in the combustion center. Amber smoke is black - that is, when burned, amber smokes. Once you extinguish the burning amber, the remaining smoke emitted by the heated fragment will amaze you with the purity of its whiteness.

Solvent test
Amber is relatively resistant to alcohol and solvents - while almost all plastics are subject to destruction upon contact with acetone. Acetone or nail polish remover can damage plastic imitations, changing their color or creating a rough, matte surface where they contact.

By placing a drop of ether, solvent or 95% ethyl alcohol on the surface of amber, you will not see any reactions. Real amber will not disintegrate and will not become sticky.

Otherwise, pressed amber will behave. If you rub pressed amber with a cloth soaked in ether, the surface of the stone will become sticky. Some plastics do not react with alcohol, but dissolve in acetone. Glass counterfeits do not react with any of these reagents. But the dig will be hopelessly damaged by any reagent!

On a note! Do not get carried away with chemical experiments with the front side of amber jewelry. With prolonged exposure to reagents, stains may remain on natural amber. Usually 3-5 seconds are enough to recognize a fake.

Light, luminescence
In the light of an ultraviolet lamp, amber luminesces to one degree or another. In transparent samples, a bluish glow of varying intensity is visible. As the transparency of the stone decreases, the glow effect weakens. Smoky translucent ambers glow pale blue.

Under the influence of ultraviolet light, the structure of wavy amber deposits, banding, and transitions caused by different degrees of turbidity are clearly visible. “Cloud” and “bone” amber glow milky white with a faint bluish tint. Untreated amber with a so-called sugar crust luminesces in brown tones.

Synthetic resin based on bakelite is inert in ultraviolet rays, casein imitations glow yellow.

Finally...
When purchasing amber jewelry in a store, you will not always have the opportunity to perform the above-mentioned manipulations. The seller simply will not allow you to damage the jewelry with a hot needle or sharp metal edge.

However, nothing will stop you from examining the amber jewelry in detail! If the seller has a counterfeit bill detector, ask him to check the amber for luminescence. A respectable merchant should not refuse you.

Common sense and a little theory will help you understand the situation. The chance of buying a fake will be reduced to a minimum.

Read about all kinds of fakes and imitations of natural amber in the detailed illustrated article “Varieties of Amber Imitations”

Amber jewelry is very popular among the fair sex and among men who believe in their healing and magical properties. They are not expensive and will never go out of fashion.
But how not to be deceived when choosing a product? How to avoid stumbling upon a fake and distinguish it from the original? There are several methods that you can resort to both at home and in the store.
It must be remembered that amber is a fossil stone, a fossilized resin and has certain characteristics and properties.

How to distinguish amber from a fake:

- Fakes made from cheap resins

The most commonly used material when counterfeiting amber.
First of all, the smell gives away a fake made from cheap resins - it is a light forest aroma. Real amber has no smell!
The second obvious sign of such a fake is that the resins are softer, unlike amber. Simply run a sharp object, such as a needle, or your fingernail across the surface of the stone. If there is a mark or a small scratch left, this is a fake.
Use a magnifying glass. In a fake made of pressed resin, you can see clots of coloring substances and accumulation of air in the form of long bubbles, and not spherical, as befits real amber.

- Copal fakes

Copal is a hardened resin, similar to amber, but without succinic acid.
The aroma can give away a fake. If copal is placed on a hot surface, it will begin to melt and release a medicinal odor, while heated amber resembles the aroma of cloves.
Remember that amber can accumulate a static charge. If you rub a piece of stone, for example, on clothing, it will become electrified, but copal does not have such properties.
Acetone or alcohol will help you identify a fake. When they get on the surface of copal, they leave stains and make it sticky. But amber is not subject to their influence.

- Glass fakes

A copper needle will help you distinguish a fake glass product. It is necessary to move it along the surface of the stone. If the stone is real, a slightly noticeable mark will remain on it, but a glass fake will not be afraid of the needle.

If you are afraid of ruining your natural stone by leaving scratches, there is a safer way.
Mix three tablespoons of table salt in a glass of water and lower the stone into it. The density of natural stone and its resin imitations is lower than that of water, so they will not sink. While heavy glass items will sink to the bottom of the glass. After such an experiment, you should wash the amber so that its surface is not spoiled by the salt raster and does not become crusty.

- Plastic fakes

They are no less rare on store shelves. It is very easy to define.
The density of plastic jewelry is higher than the density of amber. Therefore, if you pick out a piece in an inconspicuous place, the plastic will begin to peel off, shavings will appear, but real amber will crumble.

- Pressed amber

It is easiest to confuse real amber with its pressed fakes - ambroids. Ambroid is a small fraction of amber, so its physical properties and appearance are very similar to natural stone. But there are still a few differences.
Look carefully at the color of the product. It has an uneven color, as if it consists of several pieces. The color of amber, on the contrary, is uniform and uniform.
When examining pressed amber in detail, you can notice the wavy structure that appears as a result of the impact of the press.

If these two methods do not help, there is another correct option. Drop ether onto the surface of the stone - the fake stone will become sticky, but the natural stone will not change its properties.

Ultraviolet light will help determine the naturalness of the stone. Natural amber, when transilluminated, gives a delicate blue color, but its fakes have a milky color.
Sellers of amber products resort to very sophisticated ways to hide the fake from the eyes of the buyer. They place an insect inside it. But there is one little trick here too. An insect that naturally fell into a stone has its wings spread out, as it was trying to escape, but those artificially placed in a fake have folded wings.

At all times, swindlers of all kinds have sold gullible buyers jewelry with fake stones. Amber confidently occupies one of the leading positions in terms of the number of fakes. So how can you distinguish real amber?

Unlike other gems, it is easy to imitate natural amber. All sorts of materials are used. To ensure the “purity” of the product, fraudsters place an insect or small reptile inside the stone. Most often, this indicates that this is a fiction: the insect, trying to escape from captivity, vigorously beat its wings, they must be straightened, all legs must be intact. And the lizard could easily escape. After several hundred years, only the chitinous frame of the insect should remain in the stone.

What is used to produce “amber”?

They tried to put the production of solar stone on stream back in Ancient Rome. Residents of Arab countries have succeeded most in resolving the question of how to make amber. Modern industry has also made its contribution. For counterfeiting, materials are used that often do not have even a remote resemblance to natural stone.

Amber - in Ukrainian “burshtyn”

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Also resin, but natural amber is several million years older. These are secretions from legumes and plants growing in the tropics. By simple manipulations - boiling or baking - copal is given the properties of a sun stone.

Amber is the fossilized resin of ancient trees, formed millions of years ago. The value directly depends on the size, transparency and color. The most expensive one is with frozen prehistoric insects or animals.

Despite the large volumes of production, there are a considerable number of fakes on the jewelry market. Some of them are made from natural materials, but there are also completely artificial ones that have nothing in common with real stone.

• This is interesting:

Basic methods of counterfeiting

Pressed amber– produced from waste and small specimens that have no commercial value. In terms of their properties, such stones are no different from their natural counterparts. It can be determined by its appearance upon visual inspection; a fake is indicated by the presence of small air bubbles formed during the production process, as well as less transparency and uneven color.

Kopal or "young amber"– has a less ancient origin, the formation comes from the resin of tropical legume trees. It is often used as incense; the cost is significantly lower than its more ancient relative, but it is very difficult to distinguish such a fake, since the volumes of copal production are not so significant; they are quite rare in our country.

Epoxy resins- a widespread fake of a precious gem, which is of artificial origin, unlike previous examples. You can identify a fake by the smell released when heated or intense friction. Natural samples have a pronounced pine aroma, while synthetics have an unpleasant chemical smell.

Plastics– quite often they try to sell it as amber, but a fake can be easily identified upon careful inspection. In most cases, such imitations have a pure, uniform color and a uniform transparent structure, which is practically not found in amber of natural origin.

Glass– not often, but still used as an imitation. In addition to transparency and color uniformity, the main difference is the significantly higher density of the glass, almost twice as much. Beads made from this material will be noticeably heavier than amber ones.

• This is useful to know:

How to determine whether amber is real or not at home

There are several very important qualities that a natural gem has, and fakes lack such properties.

Electrification

The unique ability to become electrified is one of the main signs when identifying a fake. If you rub amber vigorously, it will begin to attract small pieces of paper or lint. This property has been known since ancient times, even the origin of the term “electro” is associated with the Greek name for amber.

Smell

Amber has a pronounced aroma of coniferous tree resin, which manifests itself even with slight heating using the same friction. You can also lightly burn the stone on the inside of the jewelry using a needle heated with a lighter or any other metal object.

Visual inspection

As already noted, natural amber can be distinguished at home by its heterogeneous structure, the presence of inclusions and microcracks. Plastic imitation will not have a play of light, while glass, on the contrary, has good transparency and light refraction.

Not so long ago, the presence of insects, plant fragments, and small animals in amber was considered the main distinguishing feature that guaranteed the authenticity of the gem.

However, modern technologies make it possible to place anything inside a fake, for example, made of epoxy resin. Without deep knowledge of ancient fossils, it will be quite difficult to identify such a deception.

Density

If you place amber in an aqueous solution of salt (100 g per 0.5 liter of water), it will sink slowly, but the copal will not sink at all. Glass imitation sinks to the bottom noticeably faster, while plastic has almost identical density. The method is not the most reliable, and given the lack of possibility of checking amber set in jewelry, it is not very effective.

Acetone

To use this method at home, it is necessary only on the inner surface of jewelry. When a drop of acetone is applied to the surface of a plastic fake, the material will dissolve, it will become viscous, sticky, real amber will not react in any way. It is important to carefully remove any remaining acetone after testing; prolonged exposure may damage the insert.

In order to distinguish amber from a fake at home with high accuracy, you need to use all methods in combination, and not rely on the results of only one test, then you can get a guaranteed result.

• It is important:

Amber is very widely used for making not only jewelry and beads, but also as an ornamental material from which boxes, cigarette cases, and interior decoration are made. The most famous masterpiece is the “Amber Room”, which, unfortunately, was lost during the Second World War. It would be quite possible to restore such a work of art, since Russia accounts for 90% of sunstone production.