How do I identify raw amber?

The most effective test is the hot needle test. Stick a heated needle into discreet place in the Amber (a hole of a drilled bead, etc.). If you smell definite pine-tree resins it means it is real amber.

How do you tell real amber from glass?

Simply take a hot needle and press it gently against the amber stone. Baltic amber is usually quite fragile. If you were to insert the needle into a plastic stone, then melting would occur. If you have a real amber stone in your presence, then the needle will show signs of cracking the object.

What does real amber look like?

Amber has existed for millions of years and is made from the resin of pine trees and, as its name would suggest, appears deep yellow. Real amber is warm to the touch and has a wax-like shine to it -- it will not appear as a glossy shine.

How can you tell where amber is from?

Does amber float or sink in water?

Real Amber should float in this water easily while majority of fakes will sink fast. The main drawback of this method is that it is not very suitable for testing Jewelry that has some metal or other components in it; however it works well for loose beads.

How to Identify Amber Without Damaging It

Does amber glow under black light?

UV or Black Light Test:

Real amber will fluoresce under UV light. The amount of fluorescence varies from piece to piece. In a dark space, shine a UV black light on the samples in question, and if it is authentic amber it will fluoresce a bright blue or yellow green.

Is amber worth any money?

Amber prices can range from $20 to $40,000 or more.

What does Baltic amber look like?

These amber beads tend to have very exact shapes (i.e. oval, faceted), the color is very similar to real amber (dark red, cloudy yellow). However after heating it doesn't diffuse the smell of pine-tree resins, which is the key characteristic of Baltic amber.

How do you judge the quality of amber?

Probably the most reliable test is the burn test. Amber burns but does not melt, unlike copal and plastic. You may not want to do this to your amber jewelry but if you touch a red-hot needle to amber, watch to see if it burns, releasing white smoke and pine fragrance. If it does so, it is genuine amber.

What is the difference between amber and Baltic amber?

Contrary to popular belief, amber is not a rock or gemstone. Amber is actually fossilized tree resin and can be found in many regions throughout the world. Baltic amber is specifically amber from the area near the Baltic Sea, including areas in Poland, Lithuania, Germany, and Latvia, just to name a few.

What is the rarest color of amber?

Blue amber is the rarest of all the colors of amber. However, blue amber is fairly new to the gem industry. It must be caught in the right light, or it will look like every other piece of yellow-brown amber.

Can amber go in water?

Many wearers of Amber jewelry also frequently ask if they can wear it in the water. Amber itself can be in water and it won't get damaged. However, many Amber jewelry pieces are made with a string, clasps from other materials or it contains other gemstones.

How can you tell amber from copal?

You're really interested in the smell. If it smells like pine trees, then it's either amber or copal. Amber's fragrance is stronger than copal's fragrance. If it smells like burning plastic, then it's burning plastic.

What is the best amber?

Baltic Amber is the highest quality Amber in the world, with more than 250 different natural shades available on the market.

Can you melt amber?

Amber becomes soft at 150 degrees celsius and melts around 300 degrees celsius. However, rather than "melting" its actually decomposing.

Is amber lightweight real?

Genuine amber is lightweight and slightly warm to the touch. This is due to it being underground for millions of years and because of its chemical composition. You can distinguish fake amber that is made of glass from the real thing because glass is harder, cooler, and heavier than authentic amber.

What is Zebra amber?

Zebra Amber — sometimes referred to as Royal Zebra Amber — originates in Indonesia and earns its name from the many inclusions in each piece that form bands that can range from blacks to browns and reds. Amber is one of the few organic tumbled stones featured at fox&toad which is neither a stone or a crystal.

How do I sell amber?

There are three basic ways to sell Amber. You can sell Amber retail off-line, wholesale off-line, or online. All are discussed here.

How much is a gram of amber worth?

$13-15 per gram. Smaller beads cost a bit less and larger ones more. Clear Amber is more valuable than pieces that look cloudy or opaque. Baltic Amber is unique among gems for its ability to contain other once-living things within it.

Where is amber most commonly found?

Amber is found in many places around the world, from Alaska to Madagascar, but the largest deposits exploited for jewelry and science are in the Dominican Republic, the Baltic region of Europe, and Myanmar, also known as Burma.

How can you tell amber and Bakelite?

Amber is lightweight, warm to the touch and sometimes has inclusions like insects, leaves and maybe even air and water bubbles. Amber is fossilized sap from extinct pine trees. It actually feels more like plastic or Lucite than rock or glass. Bakelite is very heavy.

Can you soak amber in salt water?

8 oz of water and 2 tablespoons of any salt will do. Recharge your amber by leaving it in the sun or moonlight all day/night to dry. Amber is soft and can be brittle; it's important to be careful that it does not come in contact with chemicals.

Is amber light or heavy?

Genuine amber is lightweight and warm to touch, not cold nor heavy like glass. Loose amber beads can be tested in salt water. Add 25g of salt to 200ml water in a glass and drop your amber into it. Genuine amber should float, not quickly sink to the bottom.