The Truth about AMBER

Real Amber is Millions of years old.

There are alot of Amber 'wanabees' out there, make sure you know what you are getting.

I have been a collector of amber my entire life, having inherited several pieces from my Great Grandmother who passed them down from her Grandmother.

Amber has been favored in my family for generations.

Feb 2008 - new note: People have started selling 'Raw Amber with Tree Bark attached' - The verdict is still out on this, until I obtain some samples - BUT I have Pine Trees growing in my own yard that have what looks JUST like the 'raw amber with tree bark still attached ' that I'm seeing hit the internet. THIS IS NOT NEW stuff - I've seen it attached to Conifier Trees all my life........................................ I always thought of this as modern day HARDENED SAP, that millions of years from now will be the futures generations version of the Amber - SO HEADS UP BUYERS - Do some research on this Amber Claim substance -------- Take a nice stroll through your own woods or back yard- I bet you will find it in your local area and not even have to buy it if you want a specimen -

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING - Hardened Sap from modern day trees have Terpenes in the Sap, Until nature breaks down the Terpenes, it isn't amber.

PRESSED AMBER IS MELTED DOWN AMBER - make sure you ask if it was mixed with Resin, if air was whipped/blown into it, if leaves or insects were added to it in the processing of the Amber ---if so - DON'T Pay Amber Prices. How to tell if Pressed Amber has had more help in being formed than a simple melting an forming process??? Well, It is getting harder to tell via just a photo - but here is a Tip- If there are too many 'bubbles' or 'things that look like internal chunks/slices', that's a dead give away that the Quality of the Amber is seriously compromised and/or just plain fake amber - Most amber I'm seeing in the last 2 years on the internet, is what I consider seriously Compromised Amber and the pieces are being Mass produced.

Please note: I can not control the various Sellers Auctions that are Showcased on this Guide or other Guides- I have no knowledge of these auctions, their validity, value , etc.

I want to give a quick 'collector beware' notice concerning an old product that is making a big comeback - Beeswax Amber - THIS IS NOT AMBER, THIS IS NOT COPAL, this is really specially processed beeswax - yep like in a beeswax candle - SO PLEASE , although it might resemble a butterscotch amber piece - this product has NOTHING to do with Amber nor does it have it's value , monetary or metaphysically. This is not a 'slam' at any seller offering Beeswax Amber Jewelery (many are not sure of the difference no doubt), and many of the Jewlery pieces are spectacular, but Amber It is Not - 12/08/06

REAL AMBER is between 30 - 90 million years old.

THE PICTURES HERE ARE OF REAL AMBER

Copal is not Amber. Copal is the immature resin of a tree, being only a few hundred years old to a several thousand years old. Amber is the mature fossilized resin of an extinct tree and is millions of years old. Copal is plentiful, real Amber is not.

There are so many Amber products (rings, pendants, bracelets, earrings, etc) for sale now adays, not just on Ebay but in shopping malls. It is hard to know what is REAL amber and what is manufactured.

Real Amber, no matter the color, will show up as a either Blue or a Yellow butterscotch Opaque color under an ultra-violet light (most often it will show up as the butterscotch yellow) Copal will show up as white.

So what else can you do to assure you are buying Natural Amber?

For one thing, bees, fish, scorpions, l izards, frogs, etc... are seledom found in Natural Real Amber. If you do find an insect in the 'amber' it will not look like a Freshly dead bug - remember you would be looking at a bug that has been dead for millions of years, and no doubt thrashed about trying to get out. If you see a bug that looks like one you've seen in your yard, chances are that amber is 'manufactured' not made by nature. Also pay attention to 'flora' trapped in the amber, if it is perfectly placed, if it looks like a plant from your garden, this is a dead giveaway that this 'flora' was put into melted down product and then hardened.

You can test the difference between copal and amber by applying a few drops of alcohol (or finger nail polish remover) to the item - Amber will be unaffected, Copal will become sticky.

Copal and resin mixed Amber will melt down, real Amber doesn't melt, but burns away like an incense. Amber smells sweet when it burns, Fake amber will end up smelling like a burnt plastic.

Copal and resin/plastic amber does not normally float in sea water, real amber normally does. But please be aware that many of the resin mix or plastics have had air blown into them during their manufacture, which does help them to mock the floating qualities of amber. In addition to this, if your real amber is full on inclusions, it will not float as well as amber without inclusions.

Most jewelry stating it is amber is one of the following 1) natural amber melted and poured in mold --- This is sometimes called Pressed Amber - but be certain nothing was added to it 2) pieces of natural amber melted and mixed with a plastic resin and then formed - also now falling into the category of Pressed Amber 3) plastic 4)natural amber melted down, mixed with resin, air blown into it, flowers and or bugs added and then formed -this is now also being referred to as Pressed Amber 5)nature formed amber that is in such a shape that it can be used in a jewlery piece. 6) nature formed amber that is hand carved or sanded and polished to fit in a jewlery piece 7) Copal

If you want real amber, avoid all but # 1 , #5, & # 6

COPAL AND AMBER RESIN (pressed amber) PIECES CAN BE BEAUTIFUL IN JEWELERY

COPAL CAN HAVE NATURAL OCCURING INCLUSIONS (but would not be from our modern day insect population and flora)

JUST MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING, AND IF IT IS REAL AMBER YOU ARE AFTER, BE PREPARED TO PAY HIGH PRICES. THE LARGER THE AMBER PIECE, THE HIGHER THE COSTS & IF IT IS GENIUNE NATURAL INCLUSIONS, GRAB IT AND KEEP IT IN YOUR COLLECTION, YOU'VE GOT A TREASURE.

99 cents will not normally get you real amber (it can get you amber chips), It can get you synthetic amber, reconstituted amber, amber with resin and copal etc....

Know what you buy, ask questions and mostly remember some of these tips and trust your own eyes when you view the 'amber'.

The best tip of all, is if it is beautiful to you and you just have to have it, then it will be a treasure no matter if nature or man made it. (just don't pay 'amber prices' for it) - I have a large chunk of Copal that I prize as highly as some of my Amber, because the natural inclusions are fascinating to me.

ENJOY YOUR COLLECTING

I hope that this has provided you with some insight into Amber.

If you have specific questions, please feel free to email me.

If there is other information concerning Amber that you would find helpful

and would like me to included here - Email me

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Orignal From: The Truth about AMBER