dianajones Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 Hi, I would really appreciate any advice on the following. I recently bought a set of amber on a well-known auction site (sent from Lithuania). I have read up on how to test for authenticity and did a salt water test, the amber floated- so I guess all good there. I then burnt one, it released a nasty chemical/kerosene smell. Is there anything else I can do to check for authenticity? I bought the amber as a graduation gift for my students, so would hate the idea of giving them a piece of plastic! All advice appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 Welcome to TFF from Austria! 33 minutes ago, dianajones said: I then burnt one, it released a nasty chemical/kerosene smell. This doesn´t look good, err, doesn´t smell good. Amber gives a pleasant odor upon heating. And visually, most of the pieces also don´t look good. Are you able to get a refund? Franz Bernhard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianajones Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 Thanks Franz, I also don't have a good feeling about them. They weren't exactly cheap either but I wanted to give my pupils something special as they are fab kids! Just glad I found out now, rather than giving them a bit of plastic on their graduation day!!! I'll take it up with the auction site. Thanks for the advice, Diana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 10 minutes ago, dianajones said: They weren't exactly cheap either That´s clear! The pieces are not particularly small and selling cheap would be the first red flag! 11 minutes ago, dianajones said: I'll take it up with the auction site. Hope, this works out! 11 minutes ago, dianajones said: Thanks for the advice, You are welcome! 54 minutes ago, dianajones said: as a graduation gift for my students Why have you chosen amber? Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianajones Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 I chose amber as it was part of a gift package based on the idea of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue". don't know if you know this in Austrai? Something a bride receives on their wedding day- obviously they're not getting married but it is a special occassion and the graduation is in an old church. So the something old I wanted to be a fossil (I love ammonites but my teacher's salary doesn't stretch far enough to buy 20 ammonites), the "something new" are seeds for either a tree or flowers, the "something borrowed" will be some of my favourite books and "the something blue" will be the blue packaging they'll be in. Sorry- long story!! Well that was the idea anyway. Will have to re-think the "something old" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves64 Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 The kerosene or turpentine smell usually comes from Burmese amber, whereas Baltic, Indonesian and others tend to give off a piney scent. Another test would be uv light. Should fluoresce a greenish or blueish hue. Plastic stones wouldn't float in salt water, so I'd say so far, so good. 1 Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.cheese Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 3 hours ago, dianajones said: I chose amber as it was part of a gift package based on the idea of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue". don't know if you know this in Austrai? Something a bride receives on their wedding day- obviously they're not getting married but it is a special occassion and the graduation is in an old church. So the something old I wanted to be a fossil (I love ammonites but my teacher's salary doesn't stretch far enough to buy 20 ammonites), the "something new" are seeds for either a tree or flowers, the "something borrowed" will be some of my favourite books and "the something blue" will be the blue packaging they'll be in. Sorry- long story!! Well that was the idea anyway. Will have to re-think the "something old" If you are stuck I can send these over for you? Perisphinctes Ammonites, they are only little, but hey what do you want for free?!! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianajones Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 Oh my god, that's so sweet thank you ever so much! I'm still holding out a tiny bit of hope that the amber may be genuine, will try the UV light that Dave suggested, and hopefully will get some refund if not. Have found a recommended seller here in NL through a friend, who has some small pieces of amber for a good price. Once again thanks for the kind offer! Love this forum already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 I'm with dave64. They look about like I would expect them too with the exception of 1 or 2 pieces. Some amber does give off a bad smell when heated. The saltwater test was good. But the blacklight is normally the most accurate and the one I depend on the most. Under blacklight they can floresce a variety of colors with milky greenish or milky bluish as the most Common. But reds are also seen sometimes. Good luck! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 This becomes very interesting! I thought, it should be Baltic Amber, because it was sent from Lithuania. Well, this need not be the case, of course. Now I took a look - and there is Baltic Amber in the tags. @dianajones, did the seller give any provenance (country of origin) for these pieces? Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianajones Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 Yes, from Lithuania. I have had contact with the seller and they were very adamant that it is 100% genuine. They also (with the exception of one) have very good reviews on the site. So am doubting my original suspicions, maybe it's just me and I can't smell properly, but it certainly doesn't smell like pine fragrance. Monday I have access to a UV light, so will do that check. Thanks for all the help everyone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 So they are indeed saying its Baltic Amber? And not from somewhere else? Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianajones Posted June 13, 2022 Author Share Posted June 13, 2022 I've done the UV test and the amber is turning an opaque yellow colour, with some red speckles (this photo is not a good one sorry). I think it looks okay. Any ideas? Diana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 The milky color I see in the picture is about what I’d expect to see. So if its close to what you’re really seeing it looks good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianajones Posted June 14, 2022 Author Share Posted June 14, 2022 Thanks for the reply! I am quite confident now that contrary to my initial thoughts, the pieces are in fact genuine. I had a colleague, who is an avid fossil collector, look at them and she was pretty certain they are authentic. I've learned that smell alone is probably not a good indicator. Thank you all for the help and advice. I'm super happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.cheese Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 that is good news, I think your students will love them. A very thoughtful idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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