How to distinguish natural amber from fake

Today's market assortment of amber jewelry includes a large number of products. But how to check the authenticity of amber at home? In order to know the exact answer, it is necessary to remember several basic signs. However, by choosing amber products on the website ukrburshtyn.com, you can be sure of the quality and uniqueness of our amber.

Imitation and fake amber

Often, for large fakes, the ordinary cheap resin is used. How to distinguish amber from such a fake? the resin has a light coniferous smell, it is softer than real amber, such a fake can be easily scratched, even with a fingernail, artificial amber can be examined under an ordinary magnifying glass, where wavy clusters, which are formed as a result of partial sintering, will be visible.

It is very difficult to distinguish a real amber stone from a copal. It is also resin. His origin and place of birth are not yet known, but scientists are studying this issue. So, due to the color similarity, copal is often mistaken for amber. Its value, in any case, is much lower than that of a real gem. Products made of fake amber cannot compete with natural minerals, so the price is sometimes even overstated.

According to preliminary data, the fake gems are of East African origin. Researchers found grains and plates of copal in the southeastern lands of Africa. Since the beginning of the 40s of the last century, these stones began to be sold in large quantities. The pieces of resin are ball-shaped, but they look like river pebbles.

• copal is as hard as amber, but melts much more easily
  
• when heated, copal emits an unpleasant odor similar to medicinal drugs. Amber - when heated, has a very pleasant aroma, somewhat similar to cloves.
  
• pieces of this mineral are covered with an opaque weathered crust. Inside, they are quite clean and transparent, the same as amber, a beautiful yellow-brown color.

Only large and beautiful pieces of copal will fall into the hands of turners and carvers. Others will be made into varnish, oil, or copal varnish.

They also try to fake amber with such stones as cowrie or dammar. Real amber was formed over millions of years, it is imbued with the energy of the sun and the earth, and is endowed with healing properties. Artificial stones are also made from trees, but the procedure itself can take less than a day, so their value is much lower.

How to distinguish amber from a fake

Amber fakes made of glass can often be found in stores. How to distinguish amber from a fake in this case?

• Try to run a needle along it. No mark will be left on the glass stone, and a barely noticeable scratch will remain on the natural amber.
• But in order not to spoil the expensive amber jewelry, it is better to use another method of verification. It is necessary to prepare a saline solution from 300 ml of water and 50 g of salt. The real amber and its resin fakes will remain on the surface, and the glass stones will sink.

Sometimes you can find amber fakes made of plastic. The density of amber is lower than that of plastic, so it is easy to check the authenticity of such a stone. A natural gem will only crumble, and a plastic fake will break off with chips or uneven pieces.

Natural stone is often faked with pressed amber (abroad) in order to save money. It is obtained as a result of the vacuum pressing of small pieces of resin with a hydraulic press. Visually and in terms of physical properties, the ambroid is almost identical to the natural one. But, if you carefully consider this type of stone, you can find a difference. Various clots and small bubbles will be visible inside the ambroid. Its color is also uneven. Natural amber has smooth transitions from one color to another, embroid consists of completely different pieces. If, after examining the stone, you doubt its authenticity, rub it with essential oil. The embroid will become sticky, while the amber will remain the same.

The case when it is necessary to detect a fake already in the product (for example, in silver) is more difficult. Because no one in the store will allow "tests for fake amber". In this case, you need to buy amber jewelry only in proven and reputable stores. Any store that sells goods made of natural amber must have a quality certificate for the products, which indicates the deposit of the stone and confirms the environmental purity of the amber, which is especially important because it is an ornament that will be worn on the body.

From the above, we can conclude that there are many ways to distinguish amber from a fake, since there are many imitations on the market, therefore, when buying natural jewelry, you need to be as attentive and careful as possible. Buy amber jewelry only in reliable stores that have quality certificates. When buying TM "Yantar Polissya" jewelry, upon request, you will be provided with all the necessary quality certificates. We have been pleasing our customers for more than 15 years, which is a confirmation of the high quality of our products!