~37 inches long, ~77 grams. They have been re-strung with knots between, but using string too small; some of the knots slip into the beads. The 409 test gives no color on the Q-tip; UV turns most of them a pasty ocher-yellow, opaque an' without any character...except for the four either side of the closure, which show a bright, opaque red. Those 4 are drilled in an unusual way that allows the closure to lay flat against the skin, a feature I've not seen before (pics 3 & 4). That closure is marked Sterling on its back, but is obviously plated, as the plate is flaking. They're not mine; a friends wife owned them. Aside from a couple that are strung out of order, they are nicely graduated; the largest is ~0.960" long by ~0.715" diameter, the smallest ~0.420" long by ~0.333" diameter. the 4 adjacent the closure are round, ~0.380" diameter. All of them are translucent, a few have swirls an' almost transparent areas. Color across the string is inconsistent, but not glaringly so. What, if anything, have I got? Your help will be gratefully received; thanks for lookin'!
It sure looks like amber from here. Not all amber reacts to blacklight. Does it feel heavy, normal, or lighter than it looks?
I've not had enough exposure to amber to know...but it seems slightly heavier than any plastic. I'm gonna re-string them, an I'll do a salt water test while they're loose. Results here...soon, I hope.
Sounds like amber. Definitely not amber. Probably some kind of man made material. Maybe added for extra length? Are these the swirls, or are there beads that are more 'swirly'? These are fine for pressed amber. Amber is often heat pressed into shape to form beads. It could be rhodium plated sterling. They do that so the silver doesn't tarnish, but the rhodium layer can flake over time. I have a passionate dislike of rhodium, I prefer silver as is.
Rather than an extra-length addition, they appear (due to the unusual manner of drilling) to be for wearer comfort & cosmetic appeal; the closure lays flat against the skin as a result of the drilling. There are some other variations in these; quite a few with more subtle color an' density evidence. If these are pressed amber, will that render the salt water (specific gravity) test unreliable?
No it won't, because they are still amber. Most amber beads are pressed, and they all pass the test with flying colours.
Thank you, AJ...I'll be awhile with this, but when complete, results an' pics will be appended to this thread.
I have removed all the (nylon,double) strings an' knots. 15 grams of salt fully dissolved in 100ml of room temp water floats all the beads nicely, save the 4 with off-center drilling. So, whether pressed or natural, these beads appear to be real amber. I'll rinse thoroughly, dry well (overnight, to allow water in the drilling to evaporate) an' weigh them en masse. I watched an excellent YouTube video about double-stringing an' knotting pearls...but I'm just gonna use waxed flax six-cord, single strung. I won't attempt to reuse the closure, as these beads will be offered for sale on eBay to benefit the fellow who owns them; the buyer will have plenty opportunity to get more creative with 'em. Pics will be added here when the job is as complete as I can manage.
