Amber Listserv / Black amber
ambershop at heyme.nl
ambershop at heyme.nl
Sun Jul 2 15:24:40 EDT 2006
Hi y'all,
Black amber certainly does exist, we have a lot of beads and bigger pieces
which at least pass the floating in salt test, give off a nice fragrance
when heated and scratch with sticks of +3MOH..
They came from the baltic sea (or at least were sold by our man there), and
are actually totally black.
If however they are natural is a different story, on heating light amber
goes darker, and you can add coloring when pressing heated amber.
To do further scientific tests is not worth it on the pieces we have here,
but they sure do make beautiful necklaces: see
http://www.heyme.nl/amber/gallery/186.jpg..
Anyway, I love it, it's amber, and might or might not be real, but at least
can be discussed endlessly :-)
Ciao,
Heyme
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2006 08:06:26 -1000
From: "charles stearns" <stearnscharles at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / any information on this?
To: sayless at adelphia.net, amber at ambericawest.com
Message-ID: <BAY109-F13B4AC10E587E457D06859C1730 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
....I have seen amber so very dark that it looks like it might be black; but
when held up to the light you can see that delicious red color peeping
through.
Regarding the fine faceting, this is one of the factors that determines the
value of the amber. It will take an incredibly complex and fine amount of
faceting. The more facets, the more valuable. A lot of the older amber
pieces (necklaces) have this wonderful faceting.....
Les, you're right, rich red amber should appear black and only with back
lighting would you see the color. But for the supposed age, more than 100
years, it should be heavily crazed, a heavy spider web of black lines on the
surface and it appears free of any crazing. I have never seen faceted pieces
with any age that the facets don't exhibit signs of wear and rounding of the
edges. Everything I have seen that looks like this has been stone, glass or
some other synthetic material. Who knows, maybe it has been in a nitrogen
sealed case stored in a bank vault, but I don't think so.
Just my humble opinion. The companion diamond ring though, without any
grading of the stone, indicates to me that the seller doesn't have a clue,
again IMHO, I am not GIA certified, but I can grade diamonds. I have
financed my amber endeavors from working for diamond jewelry stores.
Charles
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2006 14:28:30 -0400
From: "Les Sayetta" <sayless at adelphia.net>
Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / any information on this?
To: "charles stearns" <stearnscharles at hotmail.com>,
<amber at ambericawest.com>
Message-ID: <004c01c69e05$52309ae0$adf0a545 at lesmachine>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
Actually Charles, I don't know if all amber crazes with age.
I have three deep red cabs, that I had set in 18k w diamonds that have not
started to craze or change in any way....... I have had them for 30
some-odd years. Not in nitrogen, but in a box in a drawer.
I also have amber stones of all colors about as old with no signs of
crazing.
Les
----- Original Message -----
From: "charles stearns" <stearnscharles at hotmail.com>
To: <sayless at adelphia.net>; <amber at ambericawest.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 02, 2006 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / any information on this?
> ....I have seen amber so very dark that it looks like it might be black;
> but when held up to the light you can see that delicious red color peeping
> through.
>
> Regarding the fine faceting, this is one of the factors that determines
> the value of the amber. It will take an incredibly complex and fine
> amount of faceting. The more facets, the more valuable. A lot of the
> older amber pieces (necklaces) have this wonderful faceting.....
>
> Les, you're right, rich red amber should appear black and only with back
> lighting would you see the color. But for the supposed age, more than 100
> years, it should be heavily crazed, a heavy spider web of black lines on
> the surface and it appears free of any crazing. I have never seen faceted
> pieces with any age that the facets don't exhibit signs of wear and
> rounding of the edges. Everything I have seen that looks like this has
> been stone, glass or some other synthetic material. Who knows, maybe it
> has been in a nitrogen sealed case stored in a bank vault, but I don't
> think so.
>
> Just my humble opinion. The companion diamond ring though, without any
> grading of the stone, indicates to me that the seller doesn't have a clue,
> again IMHO, I am not GIA certified, but I can grade diamonds. I have
> financed my amber endeavors from working for diamond jewelry stores.
>
> Charles
>
>
>
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2006 14:30:13 -0400
From: "Les Sayetta" <sayless at adelphia.net>
Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / any information on this?
To: <Tamber12 at aol.com>, <Maggiecatbird at aol.com>,
<amber at ambericawest.com>
Message-ID: <005b01c69e05$8f4533a0$adf0a545 at lesmachine>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Tammi...
Here is the difference. An amber necklace like this is almost weightless.
Onyx, jet and other materials have a bit of weight to them.
Les
----- Original Message -----
From: Tamber12 at aol.com
To: Maggiecatbird at aol.com ; amber at ambericawest.com
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 11:18 PM
Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / any information on this?
Maggie, I was thinking at first that it could possibly be jet. But after
seeing the last photo with the light coming through and the reddish tones,
well it could be cognac or dark red. Or it could be bakelite. But I think
most bakelite is opaque, is it not? What other thoughts are out there?
Tammi
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2006 11:32:53 -0700
From: "JOHN FUDALA" <ambersafari at gmail.com>
Subject: Amber Listserv / Fwd: any information on this?
To: "Amber Forum" <Amber at ambericawest.com>
Message-ID:
<911728540607021132s78959373wb93732bd5563efec at mail.gmail.com>
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: JOHN FUDALA <ambersafari at gmail.com>
Date: Jul 2, 2006 11:29 AM
Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / any information on this?
To: "Maggiecatbird at aol.com" <Maggiecatbird at aol.com>
I think I posted this picture a while ago, this shows samples of black
fossil resins showing up alongside Baltic amber. Both from the seashore,
south of Poland as well as Bitterfeld mine in Germany. Museum of the Earth
in Warsaw collection.
John
On 7/2/06, Maggiecatbird at aol.com <Maggiecatbird at aol.com> wrote:
> Thanks Andy, this is what I love about the list - gets a good
> conversation going and brings up different angles of people's knowledge.
> I've heard and read several different perspectives on the very existence
of
> "black amber" - though Glen's piece of black Chiapas is black enough for
me
> to prove that it does. I guess that's what's missing from my specimen
> cabinet at this point. So now, what makes them black? Condensed debris? Do
> both retinites and succinites produce black amber? Thanks all, Maggie
>
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