amber-buying-art - 12/30/96 How to buy amber. How to detect fake amber. An article by Mistress Gunnora Hallakarva. NOTE: See also the files: Norse-msg, jewelry-msg, lapidary-msg, A-Lapidary-art, beads-msg, amber-msg, Norse-crafts-bib, V-Arts-and-A-art, cl-Norse-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with seperate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the orignator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: Lord Stefan li Rous mark.s.harris at motorola.com stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ From: gunnora at bga.COM (Gunnora Hallakarva) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Yule Shopping Advice for Buying Amber Date: 28 Nov 1996 06:27:27 -0500 Here's a file from the archives of The Viking Answer Lady that I believe will prove useful for those of you who plan on purchasing amber as a gift for yourself, a friend, or someone you love this Yule. ======================================================= Dear Viking Answer Lady: I know that the Vikings wore amber, and that it was sacred to Freyja. I like it myself, and am very envious of those people I see walking around wearing enough amber to choke a horse! My question to you is this: amber is expensive... I was quoted something like a dollar per gram! How do I know that I'm getting real amber? I've heard that there's a lot of different imitations of amber out there and that some dealers will try to swindle a naif like me. Can you give me some rules of thumb that I can pass along to those folks who will be shopping for me this Yuletide? (Or just for me---I may buy myself a Yule gift this year to make sure that I get some of the amber that I've been coveting!). Please, Viking Answer Lady, help me out! (signed) Necklace Envy Gentle Reader: Pray do not despair! Yes, it is true that there are many imitations of amber on the market (imitations have been attempted since at least the time of the ancient Egyptians), but the Viking Answer Lady believes that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The demand for amber over the ages is a testament to the lasting beauty and mystic lure that the gem known as Freyja's Tears exerts upon many. Since amber is so highly prized, it is natural, albeit unfortunate, that unscrupulous traders will attempt to pass off less valuable substances as the true Gold of the North. There are several related fossilized resins and some "recent resins" which are commonly called amber. The Queen of the Ambers comes from the Baltic. Baltic amber is a fossilized resin, deposited as sap oozing from now-extinct resinous trees as much as 50 million years ago in the Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic era, and laid down in deposits through what is now the coast of the Baltic Sea as well as parts of Russia. Next most prized is Dominican Amber, .which is a fossilized resin deposited from now-extinct resinous forests in what are now the Dominican Islands approximately 10 to 25 million years ago in the Miocene epoch of the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic era. More recent, but still valuable are "young amber" deposits laid down by deciduous trees in what is now Poland, from 10,000 to 1 million years ago in the Pleistocene epoch of the Quaternary Period of the Cenzoic era. The youngest substances known as amber are not properly amber at all, since the resin they were formed from is not fossilized: these are the so-called "recent resins" and include copal and kauri gums. There are a few other true fossilized resins, but they are almost never encountered except in museums, the Orient, or in some collector's private possession. Below I will give a few hints that should help the Yule shopper while actually "out in the field" hunting amber for purchase. Alas, some of the most valuable tests for discriminating the real Queen of Gems from lesser amber imitations require either more equipment than is easily transportable, or in the case of hot point or knife testing, the trader offering amber for sale may be reluctant to allow even a tiny test in an inconspicuous location. At times, the only way to tell for certain if a given material is truly amber is to thoroughly test your purchases when you have returned home. It is for this reason that the Viking Answer Lady advocates, if at all possible, that the purchaser ask if the person who is selling amber to you will allow you to return your purchase in a day or two, "if it doesn't work out." One does not usually inform the proprietor that one intends to go home and conduct a battery of tests upon their wares, rather, one expresses some concern that the person for whom these gems are being purchased may not care for the stone, or for the exact color, or the stones may not exactly match an existing piece which one already owns but does not have with one at the present time. The Viking Answer Lady offers these cautions in the spirit advocated by the Allfather in Havamal (Lee Hollander, Poetic Edda. Austin: Univ of Texas Press. 1962, pp. 14, 21): (1) "Have thy eyes about thee when thou enterest be wary alway, be watchful alway; for one never knoweth when need will be to meet hidden foe in the hall." (5) "Of his wit hath need who widely fareth --- a dull wit will do at home..." (6) "To be bright of brain let no man boast, but take good heed of his tongue: the sage and silent come seldom to grief as they fare among folk in the hall. [More faithful friend findest thou never than shrewd head on they shoulders.]" (45) "If another there be whom ill thou trustest, yet wouldst get from him gain: speak fair to him though false thou meanest and pay him lesing for lies." SHOPPING FOR AMBER =============================================== The best test in most casesl, and the one that is the easiest to conduct while shopping, is to carefully examine the item offered for sale using a small magnifying glass and comparing the piece you are considering to one or more pieces of amber which you already own and know beyond doubt are genuine. TOOLS TO TAKE WITH YOU WHEN SHOPPING FOR AMBER ---------------------------------------------- 5X or 10X magnifying glass a couple of pieces of real amber for comparison purposes (ideally one with sun spangles, another with a bug or two, a piece of "fatty" or "milk" amber would be helpful as well, and maybe even a piece of copal) Your fingernails and a copper penny for testing hardness. Possibly a backpack or satchel containing your hot point testing equipment, a pocketknife, a 6" square piece of wool or velvet, a small vial of confetti/paper shreds, and maybe even three floatation test jars prefilled with salt solution, well padded to prevent breakage. Another excellent component of the Compleat Amber Stalker's Kit would be a copy of Dr. Patty Rice's book, "Amber: the Golden Gem of the Ages," (see full citation at the bottom of this document). DO NOT go out wearing all of your amber! It is helpful in some instances to appear to be less informed and intelligent than one actually is in order to drive the best bargain (see the words of the Allfather, above!) THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN SHOPPING FOR AMBER ------------------------------------------ SWIRLS: natural amber is formed by slow, gradual oozing, while imitation ambers are either poured swiftly or even injection molded. Comparing a real piece of amber side by side with an imitation will show differences in the swirl patterns. MOLD MARKS: Imitations may show irregular back surfaces caused by curing in open air, seams left by a mold, bubbles elongated to a point on either end near the center left by injection casting, or even little raised runes that read "MADE IN TAIWAN." HARDNESS: Baltic amber rates about 2 to 2.5 on the Moh's Scale of Hardness (see bottom of document). The average human fingernail likewise rates 2 to 2.5 on this scale. It should be extremely difficult to scratch a piece of amber with your fingernail. A penny rates 3 on this scale, and will scratch amber. Gentle Reader, do be discreet about gouging the proprietor's purported amber with your nails or copper pennies! Ideally one would obtain permission first, or at the very least test in an inconspicuous spot and lightly. TESTING METHODS TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE GENUINE AMBER ===================================================== There are several tests which will definitively identify the chemical makeup of a purported piece of amber. Alas, one needs chemicals and possibly a gemological testing lab to use these methods. However, the Viking Answer Lady cautions her Gentle Readers not to despair, for there are several good tests for determining real amber which can be performed in an ordinary home, or even while on an amber-shopping expedition. HOT POINT TESTING ----------------- While there are expensive gizmos sold with which to perform this test, the Viking Answer Lady favors using a 2" - 3" long piece of copper wire clamped firmly in a pair of hemostats or using needle nose pliers. (The Viking Answer Lady has used an unbent steel paper clip in a pinch, but don't hold it in your bare fingers!). This wire can then be heated in a flame (your Bic lighter will do just fine) until the end glows. One then touches the hot end to some inconspicuous place on the item being tested, such as just inside the hole of a bead, in an area on the back, or perhaps hidden or obscured by the mounting of the stone. Gentle Readers, please do be very careful while performing this test, so as not to burn yourself or any assistant who may be helping you to conduct your tests. Remember that the hot wire should be set on a non-flammable, non-meltable surface after testing, and that the wire may still be hot enough to cause burns even after it stops glowing. When hot pointing, the Gentle Reader should observe whether the substance being tested burns, melts, or shows no effect. Try to waft a bit of any smoke produced towards your nose, and note the odor produced. Note whether any of the tested substance sticks to the end of the hot point. The differing responses of amber and of the various types of amber imitations are listed below in the "Test Matrix." An advantage of hot pointing is that the testing equipment is very portable. Take it with you when you go shopping, but do ask the proprietor before you hot point anything in his establishment: the Viking Answer Lady has found that in her own experience no one at Gem and Mineral Shows will allow hot pointing (although some vendors have their own professional hot point rigs and will conduct the test for you so that you can observe the results), but almost all garage sales will, and about half of flea market or swap meet vendors. SCA merchants are unpedictible on this account. FLOATATION TESTING ------------------ Gentle Readers, the floatation test is a fairly simple means of determining an approximate specific gravity of the substance being tested. A drawback of this method over hot pointing is that in order to get valid results, one must have loose stones or beads, for metal findings and settings will greatly increase the average density, and stringing materials in necklaces may cause unpredictable variations in testing. An advantage of floatation over hot pointing is that no damage is done to the material being tested. The differing responses of amber and of the various types of amber imitations are listed below in the "Test Matrix." While floatation testing is generally performed at home, the Viking Answer Lady, when embarking upon trips to garage sales, flea markets and swap meets with serious intent to purchase amber, has often made up three large-mouthed jars (peanut butter jars work beautifully) as follows and padded them with open cell foam so that they might be carried in a backpack or satchel and used for testing before purchase. Most proprietors will allow floatation testing, as it does not harm the substance being tested and all one needs to do is wipe the amber off with a cloth after removing it from the test containers. In order to perform the test, take the piece being tested and drop it gently into Jar [A], and note whether it floats or sinks. Remove the piece, pat it dry with a clean paper towel or cloth, and repeat with Jar [B] and again with Jar [C]. FOR FLOATATION TESTING YOU WILL NEED: [A] one jar filled with a solution of 1 tablespoon salt to each 10 oz H2O. [B] one jar filled with a solution of 2 tablespoons salt to each 10 oz H2O. [C] one jar filled with a solution of 3 tablespoons salt to each 10 oz H2O. STATIC ELECTRICITY TESTING -------------------------- The Greek philosopher Thales made an important discovery while studying amber ca 600 B.C. which has had profound effects upon our modern civilization. Thales found that amber which had been vigorously rubbed against a material such as wool or fur would attract small bits of straw, lint or pith (static-electricity generation). Interestingly enough, the Greek name for amber was ELEKTRON, a word whose derivatives have come to mean so much to our modern way of life.. To test for static electricity generation, the Gentle Reader will need a small piece of wool or velvet cloth and some small bits of shredded paper or confetti. The Viking Answer Lady recommends trying this test at home with a piece or two of amber which is known to be genuine, so as to determine the optimal confetti diameter to use in testing. It is extremely easy to carry a 6" square of wool or velvet and a small vial or old plastic pillbottle containing small paper bits. The method is identical to that used by Thales 2600 years ago. Vigorously rub the material being tested with the cloth, then bring the purported amber near a small scattering of paper bits. If the paper is attracted by to the stone, then the material has tested positive for static electricity generation. The various imitation ambers which do or do not possess this property are listed below in the "Test Matrix." KNIFE TESTING ------------- A knife blade averages about 5.5 on the Moh's Hardness scale, and can be used to cut amber. If one scrapes a bit of genuine amber (which is brittle) in an inconspicuous spot, small granules or powder are produced. Many imitations shave off small curls of material instead, as noted in the "Test Matrix" below. While most proprietors will not allow the Gentle Reader to perform knife testing, some will if it can be done in an inconspicuous location without unduly damaging the piece, therefore it's a good idea to include a pocketknife along with the other tools of the Amber Stalker's trade. ======================================= ======================================= TEST MATRIX ======================================= ======================================= AMBER will only float in [B] and/or [C], depending on the exact variety of amber. Real amber will take a static charge when rubbed with wool, does not burn readily, gives off a piney odor when hot pointed, and tends to be "warm" to the touch unlike the chill from hard gems or glass. Sp. Grav = 1.03 to 1.10. Hardness - Baltic = 2 to 2.5, Burmese or pressed amber = 3, Dominican = 1.5 to 2. Knife testing results in granules or powder. COPAL While vigorous rubbing with wool or velvet will impart a static charge to true amber, and sometimes release a faint scent of pine due to heat generated by friction, vigorous rubbing to the point of heating will cause heat softening of the surface layers of copal, making them slightly sticky.. Like amber, copal may have embedded bugs or plant bits. Copal is a "recent resin" meaning it has not been fossilized, and is most commonly found in Africa, Brazil, East India, and a similar substance, Kauri Gum, is found in New Zealand. Sp. Grav = 1.06 to 1.08 IMITATION COPAL (African Amber, Afghanistan Amber, Egyptian Amber, Prayer Beads) floats in [A], [B] and [C], and may even float in plain H2O. Usually pale yellow, turbid red, or "heat-reddened" (true copal cannot be heat-reddened -- it just melts). The "Egyptian" or "Afghanistan" variety usually are found in conjunction with old Middle Eastern silver beads. Imitation copal is made of synthetic resins. This imitation of an imitation of amber may be distinguished by noting flow lines where the material was formed into long rods than cut into beads, and is especially noticable if one obtains several beads from the same rod at once. A uniform grain running parallel to the axis of many similar, large-sized, tubular or barrel-shaped beads indicates that they were originally one long piece of plastic. Hot pointing results in melting and a burnt plastic odor. Sp. Grav = 1.05. POLYBERN may float in [C] or in a saturated solution of salt water. Polybern is made of real amber chips, amber dust, and some polystyrene resin. Usually made in a mold with a layer of resin, chips then resin. Look for mold marks, layering from the three-stage resin pour, and tiny air bubbles around the embedded chips. Hot pointing polybern can often smell just like amber due to high quantity of amber dust in the matrix. Be suspicious of any chunky, square-edged looking "amber" especially if it originated in Poland or sometimes Germany. It looks good, but should cost 1/3 or less of real amber. Sp. Grav = varies. POLYSTYRENE (plastic, thermoplastic) floats in [A], [B] and [C], and may even float in plain H2O. Generates static electricity when rubbed on wool or velvet. Hot pointing results in melting and a burnt plastic odor. Sp. Grav = 1.05. Knife testing results in curls or shavings. CELLULOID (cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate) sinks in [A], [B] and [C]. Adheres to hot point w/camphor odor (warning, may be extremely flammable!) Fluoresces yellowish-white in UV light. Sp. Grav = 1.29 to 1.42. Knife testing results in curls or shavings. May be valuable in and of itself as an antique imitation amber. HORN sinks in [A], [B] and [C] and often sinks even in a saturated salt solution, though rare examples may float due to trapped air in internal layers. Most often originates in Ireland, frequently appear as rosaries or rosary beads, usually dyed to a yellowish color, made into small barrel-shaped beads. Hot point gives a definitive identification as horn due to the burnt hair odor. Sp. Grav >1.10 BERNIT sinks in [A], [B] and sometimes [C]. An imitation amber containing "stress spangles" or "sun spangles"... you have to get a real piece of amber with real spangles next to it to see that Bernit is fake, usually Bernit spangles are bent and do not have the radiating rays in the disk of the spangle. Some Bernit pieces have plant bits or bugs, but if you look with a magnifying glass, you will see there are not any of the tiny bubbles left by a live bug that suffocated in the sap, or little swirls left by the bug's legs as it struggled to free itself. Be especially suspicious of "amber" with big bugs. SLOCUM IMITATION AMBER sinks in [A], [B] and sometimes [C]. Sold in blocks to lapidaries. Usually orange or red with spangles and/or bugs, spangles look "frosted" under 5X or 10X magnification and the bugs are usually way too numerous. Hot point gives off burnt fruit odor. Sp. Grav = 1.17. Hardness = 3. BAKELITE sinks in [A], [B] and [C] and even in a totally saturated salt water solution. Usually red or sometimes black in color, even pieces 100 years old show no wear by the string at bead holes. Bakelite burns reluctantly or not at all when hot pointed, and generates an acrid odor. Generates static electricity when rubbed on wool or velvet. Bakelite is the same stuff telephones are made of. Sp. Grav = 1.25. May be valuable in and of itself as an antique imitation amber. CASEIN sinks in [A], [B] and [C]. Fluoresces white in UV light. Produces a scorched milk smell when hot pointed. Made of a hardened milk protein. Does not generate static electricity when rubbed on wool or velvet. Sp. Grav = 1.32. May be valuable in and of itself as an antique imitation amber. GLASS sinks in [A], [B] and [C] Glass beads will be cold to the touch, have a harder gloss to the surface, and two glass beads make a clinking, scratching sound when rubbed against one another. Usually faceted when imiotating amber. OTHER SUBSTANCES WHICH MAY BE CONFUSED WITH AMBER OR USED TO IMITATE AMBER: ------------------------------------ Meerschaum Sp. Grav = 1.10 to 1.20 Jet - (Black Amber) Like pearl, nacre, coral, and amber, jet is an organic gem. Jet is a variety of lignite coal, a fossil wood. The Vikings considered jet to be "Black Amber," while the Chinese beleived that in time amber became transformed into jet. Sp. Grav = 1.10 to 1.38 Acrylic Plastics - plexiglas, lucite, perspex. Sp. Grav = 1.18 to 1.19 Tortoiseshell - Sp. Grav = 1.1.26 to 1.35 Vegetable Ivory - used to mimic "fatty" or "milk" ambers, may be dyed. Sp. Grav = 1.38 to 1.40 Mineral Coal - Sp. Grav = 1.40 Ivory - used to mimic "fatty" or "milk" ambers, may be dyed. Sp. Grav = 1.42 ======================================= ======================================= Moh's Scale of Hardness (Used to calculate Hardness Values for minerals and other materials) --------------------------------------- 1 = Talc 2 = Gypsum 3 = Calcite 4 = Fluorite 5 = Apatite 6 = Orthoclase 7 = Quartz 8 = Topaz 9 = Corundum 10 = Diamond ========================================== The Viking Answer Lady wishes to acknowledge her enormous debt to: Patty C. Rice. Amber: the Golden Gem of the Ages. New York: Kosciuszko Foundation. 1987. ISBN 0-917-00720-5. (softcover, $19.95 new). [The article above is merely a book report which has presented volumes of fascinating information provided by Dr. Rice. I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in amber or the folklore of gems, or anyone who intends to collect amber or even to purchase a single piece obtain a copy of this book. Most jewelry and lapidary supplies stock copies in both hard and softcover.] ========================================== This Article Has Been Extracted from the Files of the Viking Answer Lady ========================================== Gunnora Hallakarva Herskerinde From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva) To: ansteorra at eden.com Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 19:23:34 -0600 Subject: Fwd: More Yule Shopping Advice for Buying Amber Heilsa, all. I thought I'd pass this useful bit of info along... >From: sjaqua at ix.netcom.com (Scott Jaqua) >Subject: Re: Yule Shopping Advice for Buying Amber >To: gunnora at bga.COM (Gunnora Hallakarva) > >Dear Viking Amber Lady- > I have discovered an extremely useful tool to use in hot pointing >amber. It's a jeweler's battery operated wax welder. It's not much >bigger than a pen, uses one small battery, and has a needle fine loop >of wire at the tip. It comes with a cap, so you can throw it in the >bottom of your purse. All you do is hold the button down on the side >while holding it like a pen, and the tip heats up to red hot in an >instant. It costs about $20. > Allesaundra de Crosthwaite Wassail and God Jul, Gunnora Hallakarva Herskerinde Edited by Mark S. Harris amber-buying-art Page 9 of 9