Is this amber?

[CandaceMarie]

So I found this years ago at a thrift store in Palm Springs,CA. I almost threw it over my head when I picked it up because it was so much lighter than expected. It’s just been collecting dust and periodically I’ll return to it trying to figure out what it is. My son pointed out that the line along it might be a break that was glued back together, I cant tell. To me the underneath looks like the texture of tree bark. I’ve tried shining a light through it and can’t see any insects or anything but it’s not super clear. Sorry if I’m not posting correctly but this is my first post, trying to follow the rules. Thanks in advance.  

[jikohr]

Hi,

Welcome to the fossil forum! Have you tried shining a UV light on it? Amber fluoresces a really distinct color under UV. It's like a mixture of green, blue, and turquoise.

[snolly50]

A small drop of acetone placed on the surface and allowed to evaporate will help ID actual amber. Amber is impervious to the acetone; modern, younger resins will be made "sticky" by the acetone.

[anonaddict]

i dont recommend either of these methods, most people don't have an UV light and acetone is destructive albeit only slightly.

 

amber has the special property of having a specific density only slightly higher than that of normal sea water, however if you fill a container with tap water and keep pouring in salt until its fully saturated, then amber should float on top of the water. its a very cheap, easy and non-destructive.

 

most importantly it doesnt rely on subjective judgement, ive had several people tell me you "just get a feel for it" or "just know" with amber, and after finding a couple pieces i tend to agree. however before you reach that stage its really nice to have a non-ambiguous method of testing

 

 

edit: this is under the assumption this is actually amber or rock of some form. it will not help you distinguish between real amber and human made fake amber, but it is a very reliable way of determining whether its just a stone if you are unsure

Edited 35 minutes ago by anonaddict

[snolly50]

1 minute ago, anonaddict said:

amber should float on top of the water

Copal will float as well, that is why acetone is the preferred method for distinguishing amber from "almost" amber. Of course, there are other materials that are sometimes confused, plastics and minerals; so acetone is not the only test needed for a full armamentarium..  

[anonaddict]

6 minutes ago, snolly50 said:

Copal will float as well, that is why acetone is the preferred method for distinguishing amber from "almost" amber. Of course, there are other materials that are sometimes confused, plastics and minerals; so acetone is not the only test needed for a full armamentarium..  

i'm aware, but in my opinion this test is _reliable enough_ for most people. in majority of cases the actual question people are looking for an answer to is "is this just an orange rock, or is it something more special"

 

I've added a disclaimer which should be sufficient incase people care about the technicalities