The standard for identifying amber is that it is firm, crack-free and beautiful in color. The most expensive amber is highly transparent and has insects. It differs according to the clarity, shape and size of the insects. The best grades can be classified as gems. Gold, yellow-red amber is the top grade. Amber with insects is used to make ring stones and chest pendants, which are of high value. The crack is more and the texture is looser.
The standard for identifying amber is that it is firm, crack-free and beautiful in color. The most expensive amber is highly transparent and has insects. It differs according to the clarity, shape and size of the insects. The best grades can be classified as gems. Gold, yellow-red amber is the top grade. Amber with insects is used to make ring stones and chest pendants, which are of high value. The cracks are more, the texture is softer, the color is dim, or the amber color is similar to the general stone color, and has no use value.
To falsify the truth is the most important purpose of identifying amber and other jewels and jade. Therefore, it is especially important to understand the characteristics of true amber and its imitations. There are several types of imitations: glass, plastics, resins (residual resins such as Coba resin) and synthetics. Imitations are called imitations because they mimic some of the characteristics of the real thing. The look and feel are similar to the real thing, so that people with less experience do not think it is true.
Amber is an organic gemstone that is warm and light to the touch, which makes it distinguishable from glass. The natural amber block floats in the brine and sinks in the clear water. The smell of natural amber is very special – natural amber gives off a pleasant resin odor when rubbed, heated or burned. This basic trait can help identify amber. The method of scratching the surface of the sample can also help to identify - scratching the surface of the natural amber will produce a fine powder, while the surface of the imitation of the scratched plastic will have a spiral scratch. Natural amber is easier to powder than synthetic resin blocks. If there is a large, rare and precious inclusion in amber, it is likely to be imitation. One of the characteristics of optimized amber, including those with inclusions, is that they only have a bright color on the surface, while the inside is almost colorless. Amber raw materials are precious – if its price is much lower than the current market price, we must realize that it may be a replica.
Natural amber reacts very weakly with diethyl ether and various solvents. The imitation of Coba resin reacts with diethyl ether and acetone (nail polish to remove water). In a short time, the surface will become dull and sticky.
Coba resin has a strong aroma. When the coke resin is contacted with a hot needle, it melts and sticks to the needle to form a long "line". Products made from Coba resin are exposed to sunlight and air and produce very small, deep hair-like cracks.
1. Experiment: The natural amber texture is very light, and it will sink to the bottom when you put it (without any inlays) into the water. But you don't have to worry about it. You will add dissolved brine to it. When the concentration of the salt is greater than 1 to 4 (1 part salt, 4 parts water), the amber will slowly float, and the fake amber will not float.
2. Sound: Amber chain or beads without inlays in your hands will make a soft, slightly dull sound. If the sound of plastic or resin will be crisper.
3. Fragrance: Amber rough stone that has not been finely polished can be smelled with a special scent after being heated by hand. The aroma of white beeswax is slightly heavier than that of other common amber, so it is called "Sweet". In general, amber that has been finely polished or engraved by hand is difficult to smell by hand rubbing.
4. Eye observation: This is a trick to identify true and false amber; the texture, color depth, transparency, and refractive index of true amber will change with the observation angle and illumination. This feeling is not found in any other substance. Just as we identify true and false people, such as superb artists can create a vivid figure of the wax, "just to the real thing" is just to talk about, even the best wax can not escape our eyes. Amber is transparent but very moist, not as unobstructed as glass, crystal, or diamond. Fake amber is either very transparent or opaque, with a color that is dead and fake. The artificial interior of the fake amber is very glaring, and it will feel a cold and chilly light.
5. Ultraviolet radiation: Put amber under the detector, it will have fluorescence, light green, green, blue, white and so on. Plastic fake amber does not change color.
6. Rubbing with static electricity: Amber can be rubbed on clothes to attract small pieces of paper.
7. Feel: Amber is a neutral gem, and generally it will not be too cold and too hot. The imitation of glass will have a colder feeling.
8. Thermal test: The needle is burnt red thorn amber is not obvious, there is a light and loose flavor. Bakelite and plastic give off a spicy odor and stick to the needle. (Friendly reminder: too hot will leave a black surface on the amber surface, affecting the appearance)
9. Knife needle selection test: the paper cutting knife will cut into a powder, the resin will fall off in pieces, the plastic will become a roll, and the glass will not be cut. Using a hard needle and a horizontal line to puncture amber at a 20-30 degree angle will have a bursting sensation and very fine powder residue. If it is a plastic or other substance with different hardness, it will either stick or be sticky. Get in. (Friendly reminder: This test will bring damage to your jewelry. If you pick out the cut, you can only find a professional to repair it. It is best not to do it or do less to avoid damage to the amber.)
10. Nail Polishing Potion: Wipe the amber surface repeatedly with a cotton swab and no obvious changes. There is no change in the plastic and the pressure and the amber, but the resin and the coba are corroded to form a sticky pit because there is no petrochemical. The rosin is put into the syrup and it will melt slowly. (Friendly reminder: Some amber has a layer of glazing material, it will become white spots under the rubbing of the potion, but this layer of white spots can be scraped off with a nail shell to expose the amber surface, and the potion is wiped on it without any change. There will still be 18%-20% melting of amber, and the surface of the bubble may become foggy.) The content comes from Beijing Shunshun Ying Jade
11. Eye scales: This is the most important way to identify amber. There are generally beautiful lotus leaf scales in the popcorn amber. It has different feelings from different angles, and the refractive power will not be the same, emitting a spiritual light. The transparency of fake amber is generally not high, and the scales emit dead light. The observation from different angles is almost the same, lacking the aura of amber. The scales and patterns of fake amber are mostly injected, so most of them are the same. The most common one in the market is red scales. Bjyll.com
12. Eye bubbles: The bubbles in amber are mostly round, and the bubbles in pressed amber are mostly long and flat.
13. Spend money for identification: Get the CMA Jewelry Appraisal Center to measure the refractive index, density, etc.
Amber bracelet
The best test method: eye, hand, salt water, other methods more or less even if amber is detected will cause certain damage to amber, the above identification method can not be used alone, using a variety of test methods layer separation .
Note: There are still reconstituted ambers on the market, also known as pressing amber and melting amber. Amber is a whole grain of amber rough, but reconstituted amber is sintered at a suitable temperature and pressure with a processed amber scrap or too small a raw material to form a large amber. This amber difference is in a syrup-like agitated configuration that can be seen to resemble a "blood-like" configuration.
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