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Right on Emma! Copal smells far more like pine if heated, and doesn't scorch as much either.
Stones have been heat treated for a long time to alter or enhance their colour. The only thing your seller is obliged to tell you is if they have been altered in a way that could be affected by your working with them, wearing them or cleaning them.
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We had a lady come in this week with a pendant she wanted to match up with some amber earrings...but it didn't look like amber. I cut up some tissue paper and showed her one of my pieces would pick up the tissue. It held a charge.
We rubbed her piece and it didn't pick up tissue paper.
Repeated the experiment twice, just to be sure. She was dissapointed but glad to know the truth. Wouldn't fancy being the shop it was bought from! :(
Sure must be Jason!
Ben- interesting thoughts, you are right about pine resin....will have to go do some research....
Em
Turns out not pine after all....
"Copal is a type of resin produced from plant sap, often from members of the genus Copaifera. The term is particularly identified with the aromatic tree resins used by the cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica as ceremonially burned incense and other purposes.[1] More generally, the term copal describes resinous substances in an intermediate stage of polymerization and hardening between more 'gummy' resins and amber.[2] The word copal is derived from the Nahuatl language word copalli, meaning "incense"."
Copaifera actually means copal-bearer...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Koeh-047.jpg not too pine like at all :confused:
Em
"Amber should be distinguished from copal. Molecular polymerisation caused by pressure and heat transforms the resin first into copal and then over time through the evaporation of turpenes it is transformed into amber."
I guess so Ben, although some prehistoric plants are still around, so who know. I don't think amber is particularly species associated (but I stand ready to be corrected!)
Em
Wow wow, so much info but all so helpful , Jason you scare me you know so much, i feel like quite a thicko :'( I'm off to try that trick on amber that i have bought xoxox
OMG my beautiful little piece of what i thought was amber has gone down like the titanic, I am not impressed, thanks for the tip emma, i would have hated to have gone to the bother of making something with my fake fake fake :(|