[Jewelry making - Article 00256] - Re: [Orchid] Trying to Educate Customers

[Elrond Rivendell]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

Hi ive and all,

    I have been a lurker but now that my favorite thing, "Amber" has been
    brought up I have to speak. There are several tests for checking
    amber. This is good because there is alot of plastic and copal out
    there being pawned off as the real thing. 

    1. Make a saturated salution of table salt. Drop in the test pieces
    if they float that is a good sign it is amber. Copal and plastic
    sink. 

    2. Wash a piece with mild soap and water then rinse well. Now lick
    the piece slowly and allow the taste to linger. Real amber should
    have just the most subtle taste almost a tingling sensation.
    Plastics taste terrible. Copal tastes very strong due to the volital
    terpens in the resin. 

    3. Amber does not melt when subjected to flame but burns with with a
    sweet pine smell like incense. Copal will melt. Plastic will stink. 

    4. A few drops of alcohol or acetone droped on a piece and then
    wiped on a cloth. There will be no effect to real amber. Copal will
    melt and become soft leaving a stain on the cloth. Plastic will
    become tacky. 

    I hope this helps. I sell amber and jet jewelry on ebay every now
    and then, happily I have not had your customer problem. 

E.R.

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________