A client recently asked me: “How can you tell if Amber is real? There’s a lot of fake stuff on the market these days!”

I did some research and here ‘s what I came up with:

First, I’d like to discuss a bit about what Amber is so we know what we are looking for:

Amber is one of the lightest “stones” on the planet. It’s not even really a stone: it is fossilized tree resin. Amber is similar to a substance called copal, which is commonly used in smudge ceremonies, and as my research dictates, is being used as a fake amber on the market. Copal is much younger than amber is, and will turn into amber when all of the volatile terpenes have been released.

Amber is not made of sap, but of tree resin which is a syrup-like fluid that flows beneath the tree’s bark protecting the tree when it’s damaged. Sap provides nutrients for the tree and flows inside the main part of the tree, not just beneath the bark.

Amber is also one of the softer minerals so if you use a penny to make a scratch on the material it should leave one. Pennies rate at 3.0 on the MOHs scale while Amber is a 2.0

So when we are testing for real amber we are looking for a soft mineral with a light weight. Most ambers are red-yellow-orange and may contain parts of plants/insects inside the resin but they are rarely perfect looking, like many fake amber inclusions. Note that the price rises rapidly for pieces of real amber with plant or insect inclusions, easily well over $1,000 depending on the type and quality of the inclusion.

Now we are ready to talk about how to tell if its real.

Five ways to tell if your amber is real:

1) Safest and least common way: Wash the piece with soap and water, and after giving it a good rinse taste it. Amber has almost no taste to it, and may leave at most a light sensation on the tongue. Other plastics and copal will have a strong flavour!

2) Using nail polish remover: Amber will not be harmed with a small amount of nail polish remover, but plastics and copal will have a tacky surface after being gently rubbed with it. Sometimes the colour of the piece will disappear and you know its definitely not amber!

3) Salt Water: Boil 1 part salt with 2 parts water to create salt water. Make sure the salt is completely dissolved. Put the piece inside the water. Amber will float. Copal and plastics will sink.

4) Hot Needle: Heat a needle over a candle or match until its red and then poke the piece with the needle. Amber will emit a pinemtree-like scent.

5) Friction: Rub the piece of amber with a soft white cloth gently but quickly to create friction. Real amber may emit a resinous scent and will get charged with static electricity with which you can pick up small pieces of paper. Copal will become warm and sticky.

Now that you are empowered Amber shoppers and you know what to look for and how to test for real amber enjoy! Happy shopping!