Threat to the Baltic Amber market
In the preparation period before AMBERMART, there was a meeting of the Gdańsk International Fair Co. (MTG SA) Executive Board with the Consultants Council and the representatives of voluntary and economic organisations which work in the Baltic Amber industry. The aim of the meeting was to identify means to protect the market from Amber Forgeries. It was acknowledged unanimously that imitations of products and gemstones made of Colombian Copal modified by roasting in autoclaves (or sometimes pressed) pose currently the greatest threat.
Despite what Dariusz Nowak states in his article on "Amber - varieties, classifications and occurrences" in hes latest article, that reputedly, quote; "Forgeries made of copal, although they often imitate Baltic Amber perfectly, are easy to tell because as opposed to Baltic Amber they are soluble in e.g. acetone'' in fact they are the hardest to identify. In the last two years, a few modification methods for raw copal were invented, by pressure roasting in inert gas atmosphere or by pressing, which increase its resistance to solvents to almost that of Baltic Amber. Through repeated roasting, with ready-to-use technology provided by copal importers together with material batches sold, one can obtain full clarity (e.g. to make stones for intaglio gems) or milky, opaque material, or even the fashionable greenish tint - depending on what's required.
The low price of Colombian copal, which is a contemporary resin, on average 250 and sometimes less than 100 years old and gathered on the surface of the ground, encourages making purchases. In Colombia the price of 20-gram lumps ranges from a few to a dozen or so dollars per kilo. The Americans have preferential conditions in the access to this material (on-site selection, low transport cost, previous experience in treatment methods). Import to Poland by air exceeds the purchase price. We can only lose in this field.
It is in our interest to make a clear choice: either Amber or Copal. Introducing copal onto a common exhibition forum with Amber, a mineral which is more than 40 million years old and has a few thousand years of artistic tradition in culture, would belittle both the noble material and the cultural traditions.
Copal is not allowed at the specialist Amber fair at MTG SA. Trade visitors can get expert assistance in Identifying Baltic Amber in the Amber Jewelry they purchase, if necessary also by a quick IR Spectroscopy analysis.
The Experts Committee will inspect exhibition stands in this regard; any attempts to smuggle forgeries to AMBERMART will result in the immediate closing down of the stand.
Sincerely
Amber Artisans
About The Author
As a small business, both in our town and in the world, we are extremely focused on every customer. Quality is our #1 priority so that everyone who buys from us has a very successful and personal experience. We are working with natural genuine Baltic Amber and our craft is something we infuse in every sale we make. We want our customers to know how very important they are to us and that we care about every aspect of what we do. Amber is very personal to us. It's the treasure of our country. And it's the most powerful homeopathic remedy that we can give to each and every person who reaches out to us.