Raw amber is an organic gemstone formed from the fossilized resin of ancient trees, a transformation process that takes millions of years. Because genuine raw amber is a finite resource, the market is filled with various imitations, making accurate identification a necessary skill for collectors and buyers. Learning to distinguish true fossilized resin from modern counterfeits requires a close look at physical characteristics combined with simple scientific tests.
The Natural Appearance of Raw Amber
Raw, unpolished amber retains a rugged exterior that reveals its organic origin, unlike the smooth, glossy finish of processed pieces. The surface is typically dull, matte, or chalky, often covered in an oxidized crust that formed during its geological journey. This outer layer frequently displays natural imperfections such as tiny pits, fine cracks, and an uneven texture.
The color spectrum of raw amber is wide, ranging from creamy white and pale lemon yellow to deep cognac, brown, or even rare greenish and bluish hues. While the exterior might be opaque due to a high concentration of microscopic air bubbles, the interior can sometimes reveal flashes of transparency. Examining the piece against a light often shows these internal features, which include natural inclusions like trapped air bubbles, ancient plant matter, or sometimes even small insects. The lightness of the material is another immediate clue, as amber has a low density, giving it a light feel compared to a mineral or glass of the same size.
Essential At-Home Identification Tests
One of the most reliable, non-destructive home tests is the saltwater float test, which uses amber’s specific gravity. Genuine amber has a density between 1.05 and 1.10, slightly heavier than fresh water but lighter than highly saline water. To perform this, dissolve approximately seven to eight teaspoons of table salt into one cup of warm water, ensuring the solution is fully saturated. Real amber will float effortlessly on the surface of this dense saline solution, while most heavier imitations, like glass or plastic, will sink immediately.
The static test utilizes a property observed by the ancient Greeks, who noticed that rubbed amber could attract small objects. To test this, rub the piece vigorously against a natural fabric like wool or cotton for about 20 to 60 seconds to build up a static charge. If the material is genuine amber, it should then be able to attract and pick up tiny, lightweight items, such as small shreds of paper or strands of hair.
A minimally destructive method is the scent test, which requires heating a needle until it is red-hot and carefully pressing it into an inconspicuous spot. Real amber is a fossilized resin that, when briefly heated, will release a faint, distinct, aromatic odor, often described as a pine or turpentine scent. Conversely, the needle will penetrate fake materials easily, with plastics giving off a sharp, chemical, or acrid odor. This test must be conducted with prudence, as prolonged heat can damage the material.
Why Fakes Are Confusing
The most common materials used to imitate raw amber often visually mimic the natural product. Copal, a younger form of tree resin, is a frequent counterfeit that looks nearly identical to amber, sometimes even containing trapped insects. The main difference lies in its age; copal is only thousands of years old and has not completed the polymerization process of true amber, which is millions of years old.
Copal is softer and less stable than amber, a difference revealed with a simple solvent test. A drop of acetone or rubbing alcohol on copal will cause the surface to become tacky or sticky, while genuine amber remains completely unaffected and inert. Furthermore, when exposed to heat, copal will melt at a relatively low temperature rather than merely softening or burning slightly like amber.
Other common imitations are made from plastic, phenolic resin, or glass, which lack the organic structure of amber. Plastic and resin fakes are often too uniform in color and texture, lacking the natural variation and imperfections characteristic of raw amber. Unlike amber, most plastics are denser than saltwater and will sink in the float test, and they will produce an unmistakable smell of burning chemicals when heated. Glass imitations are easily detected because they are significantly heavier than the lightweight amber and feel cold to the touch.