How to Test for True Amber ?

Any contemporary jewelry aficionado knows that testing for the authenticity of any gemstone is important, and the same is true for amber jewelry. Impostor amber jewelry is not uncommon, as the look of amber is fairly easy to approximate with glass, manufactured resins, and other substances, including, quite surprisingly, simple plastic. Whether you’re buying an amber bracelets, earrings, an necklaces, a ring, or an amber pin or brooch, you want to know that the piece of jewelry you are acquiring is really amber and you’ll want to make sure you have it tested, particularly if you are looking at a more expensive piece with plant or insect remains inside.

Each type of stone has its own test, and a good jeweler will not hesitate to test your piece of amber jewelry for authenticity. In the case of amber, the easiest tests for the authenticity or true amber are two tests you could quite easily conduct yourself. One test involves striking a match and placing it to the amber. If it passes the test for true amber, you will notice a pleasant and rich smell, which will be emitted because of the true amber’s rosin content. Obviously, if you light the match and it smells synthetic, like plastic, or like nothing at all, despite repeated tests, it has failed the test for true amber. The other test for true amber involves scratching the amber; amber scratched by metal will produce a pronounced blemish. The most common method used by a jeweler, though, is to place the amber beneath the light of an ultraviolet lamp. If your amber jewelry is true, then the stone will radiate with a deep blue luminescence.

There are other methods for testing amber jewelry, as well, including conducting a chemical analysis of the amber and identifying the concentration of succinic acid, which indicates the origin of the amber. Obviously, this technique is not as simple or as immediate a test for determining the authenticity of an amber piece as the ultraviolet method. Be sure to have your amber jewelry tested for authenticity before you purchase.