quote Jamey: " Most modern imitations of amber are made from thermosetting phenolic plastic that was developed in 1926 (in the US). Beads of this material, from any context, must postdate this year. The thermolabile or thermoplastic beads are harder to date, because this TYPE of material is older. However, most of the beads we see are most likely 20th C. products.
I would estimate that thermosetting (phenolic) plastic imitations outnumber thermoplastic imitations by at least three or four to one. That is conservatively speaking. The phenolic percentage may be (or may have been) even higher.

Nevertheless, I am writing about the beads I have documented since 1972, that were presumed to be (and most likely were) "older" plastic imitations of amber from Africa. In recent years (in the past ten years particularly), amber fakes have been coming out of China, that clearly were intended to copy older African fakes—and many of these are thermoplastics. So the statistics are now different from what they were in the recent past. I can't estimate how much new Chinese plastic has been taken to Africa, and insinuated into the beads of local people. It may be a considerable quantity." end-quote

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Hello Jamey,

if you agree that "thermosetting phenolic plastic" is what I call "Phenolic Resin", I have to disagree - just for the record - with the date, you´ve given in your post. According to my information this material has been invented only in 1928 (Catalin Corporation, USA), not 1926. Could you check on that?

There is no question about most plastic beads, sold to imitate real amber, are 20th century products in most cases.

France, but mostly Germany has been a very active producer of fake amber, starting big-time production as early as 1918/19, right after WW-1, exporting raw materials (rods in various lengths, widths, colors under varying "trade names - also big, kilo-heavy pieces in square and rectangular shape) as far as India, Russia and America, to name a few. Several big and many small factories, spread all over Germany, were not only permanentally experimenting with new materials, but also production technics and machinery for higher output and better-looking materials. Not only beads, many-many other items of daily use have been manufacured!

Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler himself signed a law in 1934, to protect natural amber (Succinit) against "amber-products" (Reichsgesetzblatt Nr. 48 vom 4. Mai 1934, S. 355). If this is of personal interest to you, I can send or post the complete text (5 rather short paragraphs).

Already since the middle of the 19th century "plastics" had been in strong competition to real amber (and other biogene materials, like ivory, horn, gagat and schildpatt). To such a degree this "plastics" were competing (Loebner, 1934), that Hitler finally issued the new law - to protect the German BERNSTEIN PRODUCERS - I was quoting above. Only natural amber and "pressed amber" were now allowed to be called "Bernstein", the German word for amber. Phenolic resins, artificial horns and all other materials resembling real amber, were no longer allowed to use the word "Bernstein" (amber) in the product description. The "Amber Manufactorer of Königsberg (Kaliningrad) was using a little red-golden sticker reading: "Echt Bernstein" (real amber) since 1934.

I assume the difference between natural amber (Succinit) and pressed amber (smaller pieces of Succinit pressed together, to get one bigger piece), and how to detect them, are no longer a secret in this forum, with you guiding and teaching readers for quite a while.

Instead I would like to quote from "Plonait" (1926) and "Fraquet" (1987) both of whom did a great job listing early and more recent materials used to function as amber imitations:

Early materials:
1) Cellulosenitrat -oldest plastic used in bigger amounts - Patent 1855
trade-names: "Parkensin", "Celluloid" (used as ivory, horn or
schildpatt)

2.) Acetyl Cellusose (or "security celluloid") - 1894 - Patent 1920
(USA)

3.) Casein plastics - 1890/1897 (?) - invented in Germany
trade name: "Galalith" (Gala=milk + lithos=stone in Greek) being a
very popular amber imitation, especially in Germany and
continental Europe in the 20´s

"Erinoid" in England

4.) Phenol-Formaldehyd-Resin
trade names: "Bakelite" - Patent: Leo Baekeland, USA - 1907

5.) Phenol(ic)-Resins - Catalin Corp. - 1928

6.) Urea-Formaldehyde - very popular for amber-imitats and beyond,
very health damaging - 1928

Recent materials:
1.) Polystyrene - ca. 1935

2.) Polymethylmethacrylat (PMMA)
trade names: Plexiglass, Perspex, Diakon - time ?

3.) Slocum imitation amber (Acrylic Resin) - Slocum Labs, Michigan -
time?

4.) Polyester - Berzilius AG, Germany - first attemps in
1847/production ca. 1940

5.) Bernat/Bernit (Polyester-Resin) - Wilhelm Co., Germany - time ?

6.) Epoxy Resin - Rozhdesterniskii (USSR) - 1957

7.) Natural Resins (Copal)

If you want to know more, especially about chemical details, but much more than only this, let me know!

I guess this is enough for now!

VARA!