Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="Bronwen, post: 345491, member: 5833"]I'm not particularly knowledgeable about amber at all, but do know that it is surprisingly light for its size.  Since you do not have anything other than the cord adding to the weight, you can make one (Goldilocks) assessment: when you weigh it in your hand, is it lighter than you would expect if the beads were made of any of the other materials under consideration?; heavier?; about right? The more I look at the great photos of drill holes, interior & exterior surface texture, shape of chips, the more I think it is some kind of early imitation amber.  I don't how to characterize the material in chemical terms. I posted this pic on another thread a while back, beads that were sold to me as just that, an early attempt at artificial amber. [ATTACH=full]116643[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]116644[/ATTACH] The metal caps prevent getting a really good sense of size for weight, but I would say, allowing for the metal elements, they feel heavier & denser than I would expect if they were natural amber. I'm confused by the irregular, bumpy shapes of most of the beads, as if the pieces had been tumbled, but the appearance, especially in that last photo, of having been turned on a lathe.[/QUOTE]