Fake or Real Amber

Because Blue Caribbean Gems Larimar, Blue Amber, Fossil Amber and natural Amber are high quality, very rare and from the finest Dominican Republic mines, we try and keep our customers appraised of global imitations. For example, the fake Amber is difficult to identify, but are unfortunately sold throughout the world at trade shows, retail stores, and on the internet. And in some cases the not yet fully fossilized to Amber, the young Copal has distinctions from the real Amber and is also passing as the real thing.   

There are a number of simple tests that can be made on Amber to prove its genuine:

1. Amber and Copal will both sink in regular or fresh water, but will float in salt water.
2. Amber will burn a black smoke and give off a resin smell. Copal will burn a whitish smoke and melt quicker then Amber.
3. Amber is fluorescent and when exposed to a black light the Amber will glow a light blue color, the very rare Dominican Blue Amber will radiant a much darker blue. Copal barely changes color. 
4. Copal will dissolve or its surface will get sticky in acetone, real Amber will not be effective as it is not soluble.
5. When scraped Amber will splinter and easily powders, plastic and polymers will scratch and spiral curve shavings will come off.
6. When fake Amber is drilled, a present day insect inserted and sealed off with Copal it could be quite difficult identify from the real article.

There are three reasons why Blue Caribbean Gems Dominican Amber is considered the most valuable of all Amber. First our Amber is 90 percent more transparent than Amber found in the Baltic and other parts of the world. Second, the chances of finding an ancient insect in the hardened tree sap are 10 percent more likely than in other types of Amber. The third reason involves color. While yellow Amber is common in the Dominican Republic, additional colors can be found, including deep red and extremely rare smoky green and blue.

A brief comment about Blue Caribbean Gems Larimar. The only place on earth where the opaque blue semi precious gem Larimar can be found is the Western region of the Dominican Republic. The result of ancient volcanic activity, the stone is mainly blue with hints of green and white, while shades of brown, grey or red can be woven throughout.

Our “genuine” Amber and Larimar jewelry makes wonderful and lasting souvenirs