How to recognize an Amber Gemstone

It is very difficult to identify an original amber gemstone. This happens because the shop is filled with several imitations of amber which confuse the buyers.

One of its numerous imitations is called 'Amberdan'. It has properties fairly near to natural gem. The way to test the originality is when the stone is heated and gives off a sure odor. When the odor smells like a blend of plastic and amber, it suggests that a natural resin has been mixed with a plastic binder.

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Amber is often confused with copal. These two stones are composed of very similar materials with nearly identical origins and so it is difficult to identify the original amber. The main discrepancy is that while copals are just a few hundred thousand years old, ambers are several million years old.

How to recognize an Amber Gemstone

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Another imitation that is found in the shop is made up of pressed amber, or 'ambroid'. This is created by fusing smaller bits of the gem under heat. This can be remarkable from original gem when you examine it under a microscope.

Ancient techniques for identifying this gem are still useful today. When it is rubbed vigorously on a piece of wool, it generates a static charge, which is adequate to pick up a small piece of ash. When this gemstone is warm enough, it tends to give off a distinctive odor. These techniques will separate it from plastic imitations but not distinguish it from copal.

To distinguish this gem from copal is difficult. They share the same refractive index, exact gravity, and most other properties. However, Copal tends to fluoresce whiter than amber under Uv light. So, it is a judgment call which one needs to make based on having examined a adequate amount of samples so as to identify the difference.

If one is not able to make the discrepancy based on fluorescence, then one will have to resort to a destructive test. On an inconspicuous area of the stone, place a drop of acetone. Let it sit for three seconds, and then wipe it off. Copal will have the covering damaged by the acetone, while amber will show minute or no convert from the brief exposure.

Another easy formula to separate this gemstone from its plastic imitations is with a exact gravity solution. Boil water and add as much salt as you can dissolve in it to generate a handy testing liquid. Most of the imitations will sink in this solution. This is because few plastics have a density as low as 1.05 and many can be lower than amber if they have air bubbles inside. So, if your sample sinks, you can be sure it is not real. If it floats you, need to decide if it is plastic or amber.

There is someone else destructive test to separate real amber from the fake ones. However, it must be done with care. The best part is that it can be done practically invisibly. Find a place on the stone where a mark would be as unobtrusive as possible. This can be on the edge, bottom or on an area with scratches. Next, heat the tip of a needle until it glows red. Touch the prime spot just adequate to issue a tiny whiff of smoke. Now smell the smoke. If it is genuine amber, the smell is of fine incense. It is plastic if it is chemical and offensive. This is someone else fancy to make your test on as small a scale as possible!

Another test of discovering a fake piece is to identify the insect inclusions present in the stone. If one finds this stone which has an inclusion of say, a contemporary house fly, this can in fact alert you to the fact that the stone may be a fake. This is because the house fly did not exist millions of years ago, which means that the inclusion has been fused into the stone, and that the stone is not genuine.

With these tips and techniques, it thus becomes easier for you to identify and spot a genuine amber gemstone from among the fakes.

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