Posted 12 years ago
papa
(184 items)
Going through old auction boxes and think this is real amber stone; definitely not plastic, these are stone, but necklace is broken. Thought they were agates but they have stuff stuck inside the stones. Any value to real amber or are these no value because of plastic ones?
I am not an amber expert, but I love amber, and expect that it has some value to collectors or jewelry enthusiasts. It wouldn't be difficult at all to have it repaired, or perhaps reset with different fittings. Very lovely stones!
Thanks, stefdesign. Found some Russian baltic cognac amber on eBat that is close, but looks more like plastic and they have perfect mosquitoes in every stone? Nothing perfect about what is trapped in these stones. Most I have found are one nugget and a chain, some pierced and between glass beads; makes me think plastic. Jewelry is way over my expertise.
There are a few ways to see yourself if its amber: you can rub it real hard against your thumb. Real amber has a nice smell.
If you have rubbed it real hard, it should be static and attract small pieces of paper.
You can put it in a basket of water with salt. Real amber should float.
Here is a website that can help:
http://www.amberartisans.com/realornotamber1.html
Just don't do the hot pin test. I wouldn't do that test on any type of jewelry.
Thanks Newtimes; I decided to sacrifice one stone to testing seeing the necklace is all broken anyway. Hot pin test smell is sweet smell like flowers. Tried salt in a glass of water and does not float, might not be enough salt but went straight to the bottom like a rock. Could not get it to pick up or move small pieces of paper either. Hot pin would not penetrate stone but left a fracture inclusion under the surface and a sweet smell, not like plastic, hard like agates. Pocketknife does scratch the stone so not glass. Twenty one stones 3.5 onces, not lightweight. Thinking they are not manmade.
Hey papa,
Im by no means an expert, but I think you might have copal.
This is what I found:
Amber is buoyant in salt water. That's why it is easy for locals on the Baltic Coast to find it washed up on beaches, especially after storm events. The amber gets stirred up from a layer known as blue earth, which is beneath layers of silt and clay on the ocean floor. To do this test, mix about 1 part salt to 2 parts water and dissolve the salt completely. Drop your piece into the mixture. Plastic and copal will drop out, while amber floats.
Just put some salt in the water, not 2 to 1 parts. That's alot of salt. Dissolve the salt completely? That should be a challenge.
You can do few simple tests to check if this is the real amber. Here is nice article i found recently. There is interesting information about real and artificial amber <a href="https://amberqueenstore.com/know-more-about-amber/how-to-distinguish-natural-amber-from-artificial/">https://amberqueenstore.com/know-more-about-amber/how-to-distinguish-natural-amber-from-artificial/</a>
Hello guys, I know you already found a solution, but keep to remind you in this time, you can always check them with these guys (https://amberhomemade.com). They are professionals and they can help you to fix these kind of issues. Thanks
Here is there website:
https://amberhomemade.com