Post: Post Reply: Red Amber by Beadman

Original Message: Red Amber

Many of you know I have said over and over that there is very little red amber to be had from the amber marketplace. Most of the time, "red amber" is really only red (or reddish) plastic. Sometimes it may be normal amber that is heat-treated or dyed (or both). Rarely, actual red (or reddish) amber comes to us from México and the Dominican Republic (and a few other sources). But red Baltic amber is quite a rarity (unless treated to become red).
At one of the fossil shows, I found a Russian company, and on one of the rings holding strands, I gleaned two strands of spheroidal dark-colored beads. Holding them to the light, I saw that they were indeed translucent and deeply red-colored. I could tell the amber was real, but not whether it were natural or not (though of course I suspected not).
I asked if the amber had been heat-treated or dyed to make it red. The Russian lady was quizzical and/or pretended to not understand the question. Her male partner jumped in with "these are natural Baltic amber." Knowing that this was—if not impossible—very unlikely, I nevertheless decided not to press the issue. These strands were being sold by weight, at $1 per gram. So one strand was $37., and the other was $31. I selected the lesser cost. This is a really good price to pay for any real amber—but is phenomenal for RED amber....
One member of my group had already heard my morning lecture on amber, and how frequently it is faked and trumped-up. She was disinclined to buy ANY amber. However, noting that I was taking the risk, she followed suit and bought the other strand.
Having gotten it home, and now taken some time to examine it, I am inclined to believe these beads are heat-treated, which made them turn red. (Many of the beads have tiny fractures that indicate heating.) Also, though sold as "Baltic amber" I have to wonder if they might be Dominican or Méxican (based on the quality of the material and the sorts of inclusions I can see) (?). I plan to do a hot-needle test, and to have my friend Pat look at them.
In the photos, we see the strand in reflected light—so they look nearly black; and in transmitted light (two views), showing their translucent colors.
JDA.
Copyright 2024
All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users

Original Message: Red Amber
Many of you know I have said over and over that there is very little red amber to be had from the amber marketplace. Most of the time, "red amber" is really only red (or reddish) plastic. Sometimes it may be normal amber that is heat-treated or dyed (or both). Rarely, actual red (or reddish) amber comes to us from México and the Dominican Republic (and a few other sources). But red Baltic amber is quite a rarity (unless treated to become red). At one of the fossil shows, I found a Russian company, and on one of the rings holding strands, I gleaned two strands of spheroidal dark-colored beads. Holding them to the light, I saw that they were indeed translucent and deeply red-colored. I could tell the amber was real, but not whether it were natural or not (though of course I suspected not). I asked if the amber had been heat-treated or dyed to make it red. The Russian lady was quizzical and/or pretended to not understand the question. Her male partner jumped in with "these are natural Baltic amber." Knowing that this was—if not impossible—very unlikely, I nevertheless decided not to press the issue. These strands were being sold by weight, at $1 per gram. So one strand was $37., and the other was $31. I selected the lesser cost. This is a really good price to pay for any real amber—but is phenomenal for RED amber.... One member of my group had already heard my morning lecture on amber, and how frequently it is faked and trumped-up. She was disinclined to buy ANY amber. However, noting that I was taking the risk, she followed suit and bought the other strand. Having gotten it home, and now taken some time to examine it, I am inclined to believe these beads are heat-treated, which made them turn red. (Many of the beads have tiny fractures that indicate heating.) Also, though sold as "Baltic amber" I have to wonder if they might be Dominican or Méxican (based on the quality of the material and the sorts of inclusions I can see) (?). I plan to do a hot-needle test, and to have my friend Pat look at them. In the photos, we see the strand in reflected light—so they look nearly black; and in transmitted light (two views), showing their translucent colors. JDA. Copyright 2024 All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users

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