1.Copal (immature resin) and plastic fake amber do not hold up to solvents. Take a few drops of acetone (fingernail polish remover) or alcohol and drip it over the surface of your piece. If the surface becomes tacky, or the fluid takes on the honey golden color of the substance, you can bet it's not amber. Amber is not harmed and will not dissolve under these solvents.
2.Amber does not melt. It will burn away like incense. Copal will melt, as will plastic. However, the plastic will release a horrible chemical smell upon burning, while copal may release a smell similar to that of amber. Amber smells sweet, piney and pleasant when burnt, the very reason it has been used for centuries as incense.
3.Amber is buoyant in salt water. That's why it is easy for locals on the Baltic Coast to find it washed up on beaches, especially after storm events. The amber gets stirred up from a layer known as blue earth, which is beneath layers of silt and clay on the ocean floor. To do this test, mix about 1 part salt to 2 parts water and dissolve the salt completely. Drop your piece into the mixture. Plastic and copal will drop out, while amber floats
Hello, the message I posted is to help to know if it's real amber or not, it did not post the message I wanted to share with you. It is from this website: http://www.ambergallery.com/Is_it_real_amber_/is_it_real_amber_.html I have learned to hard way buying fake amber for a pretty penny... Your auction are always amazing, you are my favorite seller ;)