I knew that I wanted to test our amber necklaces sold at Hippybottomus to confirm their authenticity. I didn’t know how much my 11 year old and his friend would enjoy helping out (and then taking over). I had done some research and found a range of tests to ensure that the necklaces are not plastic, glass, or corpal (which is the earlier step between tree resin and amber). My helpers and I scratched the amber with a needle which left a small mark. We put drops of alcohol on the amber which did not cause it to dissolve into a sticky film. After rubbing the amber on a soft cloth, the amber became electrostatically charged and could attract small pieces of paper. And we demonstrated that the amber necklaces could float in salt water, rather than sink to the bottom. An unexpected benefit of confirming our amber’s authenticity was the kids’ appreciation for how ancient amber is and the natural process required for its formation.
Susan (Canadian distributor for Hippybottomus) http://www.hippybottomus.ca/
