Amber is one of the oldest gemstones used by man, and has enjoyed unchanging popularity for more than one thousand years. Very often on the shelves of stores you can find its imitations and skillful fakes. The most reliable way to test a stone for naturalness is infrared spectroscopy. Ordinary consumers can only use "folk" methods.
Instructions
Step 1
Place a drop of acetone or alcohol on the stone. If a stain remains on the surface or it becomes sticky, it means that there is a digging in front of you - "young" not persistent amber, which can be extracted from the resin of modern trees. Do not keep acetone on the stone for more than three seconds, so that the amber does not become cloudy from prolonged exposure to chemistry.
Step 2
Light amber chips or shavings. You should smell a pleasant scent, something like the scent of church incense. The artificial analogue of amber will exude the smell of burnt rubber, accompanied by dark smoke. Run a non-sharp knife over the surface of the stone. Small crumbs will be sprinkled from natural, and swirled shavings from imitation.
Step 3
Pour a glass of water, add 3 tablespoons of salt to it and lower a piece of amber to the bottom. The natural stone should float to the surface. Do not forget to rinse the stone with water after this so that a salt crust does not form on it.
Step 4
Rub the stone to transfer a negative charge to it. If in this state it will not show even a slight electrification, then you are holding a fake in your hands.
Step 5
Place the amber under UV light. Under their influence, the natural stone will glow with a bluish color. The milky white color distinguishes artificial stones such as ambroid and copal. Synthetic imitations will have any other shade.
Step 6
Examine the inclusions (inclusions) present in the stone, paying particular attention to the insect frozen in it. The wings of prehistoric beetles and flies must be opened, which is a sign of the struggle for the life of ancient insects stuck in the resin. When making fakes, already dead insects are placed inside the stone, filling them with plastic.
Pay attention to the type of insect: having even a very superficial knowledge of entomology, you can determine one that could not get inside the stone due to the inappropriate age, habitat and appearance.
