beads not amber - but what are they?

I have a necklace supposedly bought in the 1930s.

Photo at

http://www.filepocket.com/users/51/Necklace1.jpg

The photo captures the colour and texture reasonably well. The more
orange parts are in fact just translucent, and the yellower parts
opaque inclusions.

The beads feel far to light to be glass, but not as light as amber.
This feeling is confirmed by a specific gravity of around 1.42
(kitchen physics by simple water displacement, but genuine amber beads
by this method give me a specific gravity of 1.11 which shows I am on
the right track).

Knocking the substance against the teeth chinks like glass, not
plastic.

It is obviously not glass (specific gravity around 2.6), but at 1.42
the beads are in range for some plastics.

My question is this. What is the substance likely to be?

Are there any denser, but genuine, ambers?

Try a bead or 2 dipped in very hot (just off-boil - be CAREFUL!) water
and smell them. Bakelite will have a chemical odor.

Carl
1 Lucky Texan


Richard Wright wrote:
I have a necklace supposedly bought in the 1930s.

Photo at

http://www.filepocket.com/users/51/Necklace1.jpg

The photo captures the colour and texture reasonably well. The more
orange parts are in fact just translucent, and the yellower parts
opaque inclusions.

The beads feel far to light to be glass, but not as light as amber.
This feeling is confirmed by a specific gravity of around 1.42
(kitchen physics by simple water displacement, but genuine amber beads
by this method give me a specific gravity of 1.11 which shows I am on
the right track).

Knocking the substance against the teeth chinks like glass, not
plastic.

It is obviously not glass (specific gravity around 2.6), but at 1.42
the beads are in range for some plastics.

My question is this. What is the substance likely to be?

Are there any denser, but genuine, ambers?


--
to reply, change ( .not) to ( .net)

Richard

I get this sort if thing in to rethread/repair sometimes and they are
always "grannies amber" and very valuable!
I prefer the hot needle test if the owner allows - the difference in
smell of pine (for amber) and burning plastic is obvious.
I usually end up doing a bad Jilly Goulden (sp?) impression at the
end!
Andy Parker, Agate House Lapidary
Ulverston, Cumbria, England

www.agatehouse.co.uk
Tel: 01229 584023

On Sun, 10 Apr 2005 20:08:06 GMT, Andy Parker
wrote:

Richard

I get this sort if thing in to rethread/repair sometimes and they are
always "grannies amber" and very valuable!
I prefer the hot needle test if the owner allows - the difference in
smell of pine (for amber) and burning plastic is obvious.
I usually end up doing a bad Jilly Goulden (sp?) impression at the
end!
Andy Parker, Agate House Lapidary
Ulverston, Cumbria, England

www.agatehouse.co.uk
Tel: 01229 584023

Andy,

Any idea what kind of plastic? Or of the vintage?

Richard

On Mon, 11 Apr 2005 03:49:57 GMT, Richard Wright
wrote:


Any idea what kind of plastic? Or of the vintage?

Only that it is not pvc - the chlorine component is quite obvious but
its over 30 years since I worked in a laboratory testing plastics!
Vintage I suspect is early 20th century but that is judt from
the stories told by owners.
This test doesn't help differentiate copal of course - that stills
smells of pine.
testing some known samples can help you get your nose in.

Andy Parker, Agate House Lapidary
Ulverston, Cumbria, England

www.agatehouse.co.uk
Tel: 01229 584023