I guess you learned some of this from me about six years ago, but I have been teaching this stuff since 1976. (I don't want to encourage the perception that six years ago is when I learned it--you see. I have been advocating for a better understanding of the amber marketplace since the series of articles I wrote for The Bead Journal when I was twenty-four.)

I don't think boiling cast phenolic plastics in oil would be a toxic process. Unpleasant, yes. But as long as it's done in good ventilation, it's probably harmless. There is some tendency for breakage, however. Beads with internal flaws or cracks can break apart. So it's not always successful—and not every yellow phenolic bead turns red.

The Chinese began selling African fake amber beads in the 1980s, usually without saying the beads were from Africa—but definitely misrepresenting them as "amber." I am not surprised that they eventually began manufacturing their own versions—and I recall when I began to see them in the marketplace. However, I believe most of these beads are not phenolic plastic. The makers have just achieved a similar look for their fakes, but using other (more modern) plastics. Generally, these seem to be thermolabile, whereas phenolic plastics are thermosetting. The differences can be spotted visually, and demonstrated physically.

Jamey