bcrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2014
Posts: 418 
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Post by bcrockhound on Nov 14, 2014 15:34:31 GMT -5
Hello,
I am wondering if anyone has nice amber specimens (with insects if you have them) they would be willing to sell. I am interested to buy. Thanks!
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Post by captbob on Nov 14, 2014 19:45:30 GMT -5
Hey Stew, When buying "amber", know that most of what is for sale - ain't. And, if it has insects in it, it's probably 95% or better odds that it's fake. If you see something for sale with a bee or spider in it... yeah. Super risky buying. Can you tell amber from copal? I wouldn't touch this stuff, the market is just too flooded with fakes.
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bcrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2014
Posts: 418
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Post by bcrockhound on Nov 14, 2014 20:46:50 GMT -5
Hey Stew, When buying "amber", know that most of what is for sale - ain't. And, if it has insects in it, it's probably 95% or better odds that it's fake. If you see something for sale with a bee or spider in it... yeah. Super risky buying. Can you tell amber from copal? I wouldn't touch this stuff, the market is just too flooded with fakes. Thank you, Bob. I have had trouble finding resources I trust, as amber has seemed a little bit sketchy to me too. I am no amber expert but have been wary of "Columbian Amber" sold at my local rock store (is that copal?). This site has seemed the most trustable: www.ambericawest.comProbably best for me to stay out and I will wade carefully, but if someone on here has a piece that might be up my alley, I'm all ears. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2014 21:18:24 GMT -5
and the problem with copal is... what? May I ask?
Stewarts website seems to be honest about copal vs. amber. Yes, I know there is a difference, but both are similar except age and both have cool thinks like bugs in them.
How would one "fake" that?
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Post by glennz01 on Nov 14, 2014 21:29:22 GMT -5
I'm going hunting for amber tomorrow night... everything is very small... I only found one piece with part of a bug wing. I will also puck up petrified wood if i find nice chunks that I can lift and carry (most petrified wood is black). Heres a pic of all that I collected last year (in a few hours) and my largest piece which comes mostly from Agathis trees. Most amber has moss / grassy stuff in it. If you want some you can throw my an offer but if your looking for raw amber this is what it looks like around my area. I would hunt this spot more If I had a vehicle I don't care about as people like to smash windows in (sadly). I bought a nice chunk of amber from Geological Enterprises (well I paid my co-worker who went to AZ). I only paid $5 for the chunk. They have large chunks although it does not fluoresce as well as alaskan amber does. The amber does not contain any junk on it like mine does. This is your best bet in my opinion heres a link linkAll my amber (that doest contain good stuff) some day I am wanting to melt into one large clear amber blob if possible... I just need to find out how exactly  I burnt up a few small pieces with a soldering iron accidentally. It gives off a nice small though!   |
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Post by kk on Nov 14, 2014 21:36:36 GMT -5
and the problem with copal is... what? May I ask? Stewarts website seems to be honest about copal vs. amber. Yes, I know there is a difference, but both are similar except age and both have cool thinks like bugs in them. How would one "fake" that? Its the same than , lets say Diamond versus Zircon. Unfortunately, amber's price has gone through the roof (Good Baltic amber is now at about 1000$ for a 100gr), so lots of fakes try to cash in. |
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Nov 15, 2014 1:11:25 GMT -5
AMBER C10H16O+H2S: Amber up to 2.5cm. are found in yellow colour with a greenish tinge and occasional plant inclusions along the Quesnel River near Quesnel. Nodules are found in shaly sandstone along the Peace River Canyon, and sizable nodules off the Pacific coast on Graham Island of the Queen Charlottes. goldprospectorsnetwork.com/Gold-Prospecting-Forum/thread/18/bc-gemstones/Hope this helps. I have done business with www.ambericawest.com Pricey but good quality. I will check and see what I have. They are small Baltic pieces. Be patient though, I have hardly had time for my computer this year. the oil patch is fricking nuts here. i have had barely enough time to sleep. For all the people who have messaged me, I will reply eventually. Try the deadbug in amber club.http://snakefly.tripod.com/index-2.html Very good site to learn about Amber. Shotgunner. Copal does not polish very well. The only thing it is good for is a fire starting kit. Burns nice. |
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Post by glennz01 on Nov 15, 2014 3:25:43 GMT -5
This person also sells amber... I bought grit from this person before. Its some of the cheapest i have seen. link |
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Nov 15, 2014 9:56:20 GMT -5
I agree with busnhmanbilly about the Copal. It is not for polishing. The traditional use around here used to be for incense...
I have a few display pieces of insect-included Dominican Republic 1980s sourced polished amber but they are not cheap and I wouldn't be willing to sell them through the mail to someone I didn't know who hadn't seen them first. I can't compete on price with all the fakes out there! In fact, I stopped buying amber altogether in the early 90s when a once-trusted dealer delivered a load of fakes. (He did take them back.)
I'll look around in an hour or so and see if I have any uncut Amber nuggets left from times gone by that I can let go cheap or as a swap but they'd look like Glennz and be heavily included with plant matter rather than bugs as I used to pick out the pieces with bits of bugs to hand polish and sell at shows 20+ years ago.
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Post by glennz01 on Nov 15, 2014 14:17:52 GMT -5
This is the piece I bought... has the mailing address on for the company I mentioned earlier. It has no bugs or plant matter, only bubbles.  |
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bcrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2014
Posts: 418
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Post by bcrockhound on Nov 15, 2014 14:19:51 GMT -5
Thank you very much for all of the replies. My girlfriend got a big hand-sized piece with a bunch of little insects while we were in Utah last winter for $50. Might be copal now that I realize how expensive the good stuff is.
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Nov 15, 2014 19:09:09 GMT -5
Someone bought me a hand-sized piece of Amber as a gift. Yeah, it was copal. I think it happens a lot...
I also thought but won't say 100% for sure since it was so many years I was buying, selling, & swapping that I *thought* the 14 million year old specimens in Colombia were also copal.
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Post by glennz01 on Nov 15, 2014 19:24:14 GMT -5
Someone bought me a hand-sized piece of Amber as a gift. Yeah, it was copal. I think it happens a lot... I also thought but won't say 100% for sure since it was so many years I was buying, selling, & swapping that I *thought* the 14 million year old specimens in Colombia were also copal. now you gut me curious... I'll do the salt water test... if it floats its amber if it sinks its copal. At least i know all my local stuff is real. |
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Post by glennz01 on Nov 17, 2014 2:20:50 GMT -5
Heres a good pricing guide... according to it my piece is worth between $200 and $75 (my new piece) link |
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 12:16:01 GMT -5
Shotgunner. Copal does not polish very well. The only thing it is good for is a fire starting kit. Burns nice. THAT is a good reason!! and Yay!!! Billy is back!! kk - your diamond vs. zircon analogy is en pointe it seems. Without DeBeers' expert market manipulation; supply and demand would likely make Zircon more expensive than diamond. Perhaps the same is true with amber? |
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juzwuz
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 526
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Post by juzwuz on Nov 17, 2014 15:00:28 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 15:05:47 GMT -5
In my life's quest to learn every day I researched this topic. Here is a tidbit that keeps coming up
The instructions vary from this rather precise measure to "saturated salt solution" to "1 measure salt & two measures of water". Likely this is saturated as well.
What puzzles me is this.
The general consensus is copal is lighter at SG of 1.03-1.08 and amber heavier at SG 1.05-1.10
Two problems with this:
A) because they overlap floating them wont work, because you could have copal OR amber at SG 1.05-1.08.
B) because copal is less dense it will float BEFORE amber. Unless I completely do not understand specific gravity, the floating pieces will NOT be AMBER just the opposite of what is being taught online.
----------Could this be the reason copal is being mis-represented and NOT dishonesty?
Just a thought.
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Nov 17, 2014 18:23:24 GMT -5
Shotgunner, it was my belief that the difference between Amber and Copal is based on the AGE of the material. Therefore it was my belief that you distinguish between the two on the basis of where they were found and the age of the deposit, which would also speak to the age of the fossils that could be found naturally included within them. If the origin of the find is open to question, frankly, at this point it's all a little suspect as far as I'm concerned. But now I'm wondering if I had the wrong idea. It doesn't help that so much fake amber has been produced going back to at least the 1920s.
I never took the flotation test seriously but I am very far from being an expert.
When I was checking over my hobby supplies this weekend, I found a disappointing batch of "craze crazy" nuggets I once ordered through the mail which were represented to me as amber. I think they too are copal. They are certainly of *&%$*! quality although you can get a polish on them with some swearing...
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Post by glennz01 on Nov 18, 2014 3:20:40 GMT -5
well my amber piece from that company I can scratch with my fingernail so i guess its copal... oh well its still cool. They need to rename copal to amber and amber to ancient amber... problem solved  I know where to get the real deal stuff for a good price, so i'm happy |
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Nov 18, 2014 12:25:44 GMT -5
Shotgunner. Copal does not polish very well. The only thing it is good for is a fire starting kit. Burns nice. THAT is a good reason!! and Yay!!! Billy is back!! kk - your diamond vs. zircon analogy is en pointe it seems. Without DeBeers' expert market manipulation; supply and demand would likely make Zircon more expensive than diamond. Perhaps the same is true with amber? I'm kinda back, between the oil patch and prospecting my gold claim I've being busy. Now that its just the patch I will have more time than just pop in and read a little using my phone. |
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I burnt up a few small pieces with a soldering iron accidentally. It gives off a nice small though!
