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  • 64 messages
  • October 03, 2015 22:45
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October 03, 2015 22:45

I am always amazed at the high prices that are achieved on amber that I don't think is real amber.

As an example I will quote this lot:

http://veiling.catawiki.be/kavels/2877795-amber-beads-necklace-large-olive-shaped-beads

I have 5 of those identical chains here, but it is a kind of bakelite, everything is identical, come from very old household effects, 1950s.

The amber test done with black light, with salt water, with static electricity. Mine are fake.

What if you paid 1400 euros to a private individual who thinks it is amber and also the expert who can determine on a photo whether it is really amber?

I have my doubts about it.

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  • 2 messages
  • May 30, 2016 14:34
May 30, 2016 14:34

How come many people think that amber is the same as amber?

They are confused with the English word!

Amber is not made into jewelry it is a fragrance (gray to dark gray) and comes from a sperm whale.

And those who criticize the so-called amber are right, it is often copal (at best) or bakelite (also old) or very often phenolic resin or other plastic.

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  • Catalogue administrator
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  • May 30, 2016 17:02
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May 30, 2016 17:02
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  • 2 messages
  • May 30, 2016 21:50
May 30, 2016 21:50

You are absolutely right. I never thought of looking in the van Daalen.

But amber is a perfectly good and correct word if you don't want to get confused with the fragrance.

Your surprise about those prices remains justified, sometimes very strange. It does of course happen that an ethnic necklace from, for example, Morocco with, among other things, plastic amber beads is sold for a lot of money. The good old ones rarely have really amber beads. But also mostly melted and molded copal beads.

This makes it quite difficult or impossible to judge what is what from a photo.

Bakelite beads have the best value, the phenolic resin beads are often beautiful to look at but cheaper.

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  • 1,106 messages
  • May 31, 2016 09:33
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May 31, 2016 09:33
https://www.google.de/search? amber
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  • 1 message
  • January 17, 2017 14:10
January 17, 2017 14:10

Be careful with bracelets in so-called natural amber or amber.

They are just fake.

Also check the providers, as soon as they receive a negative review, they stop there and they start under a different name.

Much comes from Lithuania.

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