I'd like to share some methods shared by a young disciple to distinguish authentic Amber. It's difficult to differentiate authentic from imitation Amber, so everyone, please exercise caution!
Hint: we do not sell Amber in our meditation center.
----------
The Amber quality in the market alternates between authentic and imitation, and varies markedly, causing much confusion. As consumers, it is easy to be "tripped up" if we're less careful, letting our hard-earned cash go to waste. How then do we tell authentic Amber from imitation ones?
Below are 6 ways to help minimize your chances of being deceived. Note that it is not sufficient to use only one to two methods to determine Amber authenticity, because many quality imitation Amber bear some characteristics of real ones, so they may pass these tests partially.
In order to ensure your Amber purchase do not become a life-long remorse, it is recommended that you use the following methods to ascertain before the purchase. Passing one method does not mean the Amber is authentic ; but failing one of them implies it is imitation.
Authentication method:
1. Weight test
The density of Amber is 1.8g/cm^3, and it feels very light in the hand. If the Amber feels substantial, and dense on the palm, it is likely imitation, and could be constituted of glass.
Note: Many imitation Amber weighs just as light as authentic ones, so weight alone cannot distinguish authenticity.
2. Fluorescence test
Use an ultraviolet flashlight to shine on the Amber. Authentic Amber will display fluorescence, usually in blue. Depending on the Amber source and variety, the fluorescent intensity can vary, such as blue-green, blue-white, purple, and pink fluorescence. However, many quality imitation Amber on the market has been coated with fluorescent powder, and also display fluorescence; so this cannot absolutely affirm authenticity.
3. Salt water test
Place the isolated Amber in salt water that is saturated 1:4; authentic Amber will float while imitation ones will sink. Note that authentic Amber will still sink in plain water so it is necessary to use brine.
The brine test separates the glass from a variety of plastic imitation Amber (85% of all imitation Amber) because the imitation Amber will always submerge. Yet some friends with keen interest find that imitation Amber can also float in brine, such as those of quality plastic. What shall we do next?
Note: The first three authentication methods are easier to conduct, with no damage to the tested Amber. The three methods described below have a small degree of damage to the Amber, but the results are more conclusive. It is suggested that buyers choose two relatively inexpensive Amber for invasive testing at the merchant, and consider purchasing the more expensive ones if the Amber passes the tests.
4. Hot needle test (slight damage)
Place a hot needle on the Amber surface, and smell it; if there is a pine fragrance, it may be authentic; if there is bad burning plastic odor, it is fake, a plastic imitation. Authentic Amber need not necessarily have a pine fragrance, like those in Burma from the Araucariaceae variety that do not give off pine scent. Amber formed from the Podocarpaceae variety has the pine fragrance, such as those from the Baltic Sea.
Note that pine fragrance alone does not affirm authentic Amber, because imitation ones can contain added essential oil, with a pine fragrance to deceive consumers.
5. Knife scraping test (slight damage)
With a knife to scrape the amber surface, authentic Amber damage will appear like glass debris, while plastic quality imitation will have a rolled, sheet-like layer without debris. This test can distinguish all plastic-imitation "amber", but further validation is necessary for Amber from young copal resins and compressed amber.
6. Alcohol test
When alcohol is dripped on Amber surface, the authentic ones will not change in a short time, while the surface of the copal resin will become sticky and opaque. Copal resin is resin that is not petrified, with typical ages of less than 2 million years, and authentic Amber is resin fossils of beyond 10 million years. Copal resins are often used to pass off as authentic Amber because of their appearance and many similar properties, but the alcohol test can effectively separate copal from real amber.
After the above-mentioned tests, the Amber that remains can only be the compressed type. Compressed Amber is made from natural amber scrap and powder, almost to the extent of the authentic type, and oblivious to all test methods except for the knife scraping test. For the amateur, this is most challenging, and those who want to authenticate the Amber words are advised to seek help from professional gemologists.
Deceptive practices and importance of the need for appraisal:
And here's to share with you the deceptive practices by merchants to secure consumer trust; I'd personally experienced this. Merchants who sense that the buyer has basic knowledge of Amber may utilize an exceptionally poor imitation alongside a quality imitation and began to conduct tests to supplement your knowledge. Under this, the merchant will proof to you that her quality imitation "amber" can pass through tests, such as fluorescence, reaction, and buoyancy in brine (quality imitation plastic "amber" can be partially tested, though it will still not pass the invasive "scraping" test).
As a consumer, when you encounter merchants who show you the imitation amber for comparison, you might think he is honest, lower your guard, and start believing the Amber is authentic - at this stage, you would have fallen into the trap. Therefore, in Amber purchase, no matter how convincing the merchant is, how knowledgeable he appears, and even when he assists in the authentication, please remember that those are fluff, we still have to do our own tests, not a single less!
In summary：
Amber enthusiasts and collectors know very well that this line is exceptionally profound; the capacity for imitation is limitless. Most Amber enthusiasts have learnt the trade through the hard way, and even the contributor of this article had been subject to unscrupulous merchant in Myanmar, paying 300 US dollars for two plastic imitation "eggs". Having been deceived, this article hopes more consumers will have some preliminary understanding of Amber authentication and not be deceived by the lowest level of fraud. Lastly, we urge everyone to appreciate but buy less, especially in trades that we do not understand. Amber market is profoundly deep like the sea, so back off while you can!
给大家分享一个小弟子转发来的琥珀鉴定方法 。
真假琥珀难辨，大家小心！
提示：我们禅堂没有销售琥珀！
----------
市场上的琥珀质量真真假假、鱼龙混杂，做为消费者的我们一不小心就会“中招”，让白花花的银子打了水漂。那么该如何分辨琥珀的真假呢？
下面为大家介绍的六种方法会帮你减少上当受骗的机率。注意只靠一两种鉴定方法是无法判断出琥珀真假的，因为很多高仿琥珀都具备真琥珀的特性，这些假琥珀也可以通过部分鉴定实验。
为了不让琥珀成为你心中永远的痛，建议大家购买前用以下方法按顺序进行测定。只通过一种实验的琥珀不代表它是真的，但是如果有一个实验没通过，被鉴定的琥珀则为假琥珀。
鉴定方法：
1. 掂重量
琥珀的密度是1.8g/cm^3，掂在手里感觉是很轻的。如果琥珀拿在手里有压手、沉甸甸的感觉，这个琥珀应该是假的，可能是玻璃仿制品。
注意：很多假琥珀的重量做得像真琥珀一样轻，所以光靠重量不能绝对判断出琥珀的真假。
2. 荧光反应
用紫光手电筒照射琥珀，真琥珀会出现荧光反应，荧光通常为蓝色。不同地区及不同种类的琥珀荧光强度不同，也有蓝绿色、蓝白色、紫色、粉色的荧光。但是市场上的很多高仿琥珀已经被涂上了荧光粉，也有荧光反应，所以单凭荧光也不能绝对判断出琥珀的真假。
3. 盐水实验
将不戴任何镶嵌物的琥珀放在1:4的饱和盐水中，真琥珀可以浮起来，假琥珀会沉底。注意真琥珀在清水中也是沉底的，所以要用饱和盐水。
盐水实验可以将玻璃类和部分塑料类的假琥珀（占所有琥珀仿制品的85%）区分开，因为假琥珀始终沉于水底。但一些已经入门的朋友会发现，有一些假琥珀也可以在盐水中漂浮，比如高仿塑料琥珀。那接下来怎么办呢？
注：前三种鉴定方法都比较容易进行，对被测试的琥珀没有任何破坏。接下来介绍的三种方法会对琥珀有小面积损坏，但测试出的结果更有排除性。建议买家可以先在商家处随意选两颗便宜的琥珀进行破坏性测试，若测试成功，再考虑购买更昂贵的琥珀。
4. 热针实验（小型破坏）
用烧热的针扎琥珀表面，再闻琥珀被扎处的气味，如果是松香味则可能是真琥珀。如果是塑料烧糊的臭味，琥珀就是假的，是塑料仿制品。真琥珀不一定都有松香味，像缅甸的琥珀是杉科树脂形成的，就没有松香味。松科树脂形成的琥珀才有松香味，比如波罗的海的琥珀。
需要注意的是有松香味也不代表琥珀一定是真的，因为仿制琥珀中也可以添加松香精油，用松香味以假乱真蒙骗消费者。
5. 刀刮实验（小型破坏）
用小刀刮琥珀表面，真琥珀受损会出现和玻璃渣滓一样的碎粒，而塑料的高仿琥珀则会呈卷片状，无碎粒。此实验可以将所有塑料仿制的琥珀区分开，但年份不够的柯巴树脂和压制琥珀，还需要进一步验证。
6. 酒精实验
将酒精滴于琥珀表面，短时间内，真琥珀不会有任何变化，柯巴树脂表面则会因此变得黏稠和不透明。柯巴树脂是未完全石化的树脂，年份通常低于200万年，而真琥珀是有上千万年的树脂化石。因外形和很多特性与琥珀相似，柯巴树脂经常被用来冒充真琥珀，但是酒精实验可以有效地将柯巴和真琥珀分开。
经过上述几个试验后，能够存活下来的仿琥珀就只有压制琥珀了。压制琥珀是用天然琥珀碎料和粉末压制而成的，几乎可以达到以假乱真的程度，所有的方法都不能像刀刮一样直接把塑料类的合成琥珀排除。对于不懂的人，这里是最难的，想鉴定压制琥珀的话建议请专业鉴定中心帮忙。
关于被骗和做鉴定的重要性：
还要跟大家爆料一个商家骗取买家信任的方法，本人亲身经历哦。商家看买家对琥珀略懂一二并开始做一些测定实验的时候，会拿出一个做得特别假的琥珀，用这个特假的琥珀来跟她的高仿假琥珀做对比，来为你普及真假的“常识”。在普及的时候，老板会为你演示她的高仿琥珀是可以通过鉴定实验的，比如高仿假琥珀有荧光反应，能漂浮于盐水之上（高仿塑料琥珀是可以通过部分实验的，但是破坏性实验一定通不过）。
做为消费者当你看到老板把假琥珀都拿出来给你对比了，觉得这人太厚道了，就放低了戒备心，开始相信她的“真琥珀”或许是真的，然后你就上套了。所以，在购买琥珀的时候不管老板怎么跟你说的天花乱坠，怎么给你普及琥珀“常识”，甚至帮你一起做鉴定实验，请记住那些都是浮云，咱自己要做的实验一个都不能少！
总结：
尝试涉猎于琥珀收藏的玩家都知道琥珀这行水太深了，各种造假方法层出不穷，大部分琥珀爱好者都有过上当受骗的经历，小编本人也曾在缅甸中过不良商家的招，用300美金买回两个塑料蛋儿。在银子漂走之际，编写这篇文章希望更多消费者对琥珀鉴定有一个初步的了解，不至于被最低级的造假手段所蒙骗。最后还是劝大家多看少买，尤其是在不太懂的时候不要买。琥珀市场水深似海，回头是岸呐！
Article taken from Master Jin Bodhi Facebook Page 金菩提禅师 脸书
