Amber jewellery, is one of the oldest and most astonishing creations for jewellery lovers. Fashion has a strong role to play in sustaining amber jewellery and every year. Combined with precious metals, amber can become an exquisite jewellery piece. Amber jewellery was not always in fashion. A long time ago, the amber stone was considered to have flaws and was rejected from an esthetical point of view. Although it had periods in which its beauty was denied, there were moments in time in which amber jewellery was used as a diplomatic gift for princesses and princes. In the meantime, people used it in powders for curative purposes as well.

As it began to gain prominence, rip-offs of amber jewellery started making gateway in the market. Fake amber jewellery is everywhere nowadays, but there are some inexpensive ways to see if your stone is man-made or not. You can test your amber gem’s authenticity by putting a heated needle on it. If the smoke smells like pine the gem is amber, but if it smells like plastic it’s definitely fake. For a non-destructive way of testing, you can also rub the amber gem with a piece of cloth and smell it. If it smells like pine, it is a natural resin. The bad taste can tell you whether it is made of plastic not. If obtained through a chemical process, the just washed amber can taste poorly. Some other clues can also tell the truth about it. Amber does not melt, but it will burn. It will float in a bowl where you put one-part salt and two-parts water, while plastic and copal will sink.

Identifying fake amber jewellery

The beauty of amber jewellery is a result of good polishing and precise cut of a variety of amber stones. The color of the stones used to make amber jewellery is often gold, but amber can also come into many various unusual colours like: black, green, ivory, yellow, red, orange and even white. Natural amber may contain insects, feathers or flowers. Its colours are a feast to the eye and it is unique.

Natural Amber

This unusual stone is not used only for jewellery. It is in fashion and, therefore, artists use it to create amber sculptures and to decorate beautiful unique items with it. Amber jewellery is often used in amulets to ward off bad luck. It is also thought that amber jewellery possesses healing powers.

Amber sculpture

Amber jewellery has to be protected from heat or excessive cold because extreme temperatures may deteriorate it. A soft cloth is needed for wrapping each piece of amber jewellery in order to avoid contact, get scratched or become dirty. As aspiring jewellery designers, students must know how to protect amber jewellery. All you need is warm water and a clean piece of cloth. The use of soap or detergent must be avoided on amber jewellery as it might ruin the amber’s structure. Even salad oil, butter or lard can destroy the resin.  Learn about different stones and precious metals in the 1-year Diploma in Fine Jewellery Design at one of the best jewellery designing institutes in Punjagutta.