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Comments

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  Frankie Carter March 5, 2013 at 2:53pm

  The following link might be helpful, Enid:-

  amberwholesale.com/guide-imitation-amber-your-amber-real-or-synthetic-fake-amber
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  Frankie Carter March 5, 2013 at 2:55pm

  Sorry, it doesn`t work. I don`t know why. Ah maybe it needs www. or http added
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  Frankie Carter March 5, 2013 at 2:58pm

  I find it as the top of the list when I google:-

  amberwholesale.com/guide
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  Edith D March 5, 2013 at 6:53pm

  Thanks for the link Frankie.  Here is the sort of information I was seeking from that website:

  "Bakelite, resolan and novalak are synthetic resins- phenoplasts. This type of material was formerly used most often in amber-imitating goods. These amber imitations were manufactured on a mass-scale between the two world wars in German factories in Prussia and in the Free City of Gdansk. It was there that the demand for amber was high, although people became poorer after the First World War. In the 1920’s amber-imitating goods, being cheaper, and therefore more popular, dominated the production of Staatliche Bernstein-Manufaktur Konigsberg – the biggest inter-war amber plant."

  I have no doubt that the above is this type of early 20th century plastic.  It is actually very pretty and has a beautiful patina.  The surface is covered with hairline cracks giving the beads a pleasing appearance.  I am not sure if this current configuration was meant as a necklace, or if this is simply the way the beads were displayed by the vendor.  It is rather clunky and heavy for a necklace in this configuration.
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  Frankie Carter March 5, 2013 at 7:45pm

  Good, Edith - I`m glad it helped.

  I understand that the first phenolic, bakelite and plastic etc. beads of this type have often now been much diluted - melted and mixed with modern plastics or what was available. Maybe you have some of the originals which would be more desirable and valuable.

  Anyway, what matters is if it pleases one.

  PS. You probably already know that bakelite has a characteristic clunk when two bits are knocked together. Also there`s an olfactory hot water test. I can never discern what I`m supposed from smells so I can`t ever tell!
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  Frankie Carter March 6, 2013 at 10:54am

  Beadparadise have some examples of these East African "amber" beadsin their online shop, Edith. They show German imported "amber" described as variously bakelite, celluloid and plant resin (do they mean what I would call copal I wonder?).
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  Edith D March 6, 2013 at 12:39pm

  Thanks Frankie:  I have seen photos of natural copal on line which is translucent.  I think the early plastics were being derived from natural resins, whereas nowadays they are probably all synthesized artificially.

  Here is another link

  http://www.beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&a...
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  Frankie Carter March 6, 2013 at 12:55pm

  Thanks for the link, Edith. Do you know what the plant resins mentioned would have been? Hardened tree sap before it becomes copal? Are there any other plants which would yield it? I would love to know what went into the make up of the almost mythical antique faturan amber.
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  Edith D March 6, 2013 at 1:57pm

  Well, I am not a chemist, but my understanding is that cellulose was a primary ingredient in many early plastics (hence the term "celluloid").  This is the structural material of the cell walls of plants, including trees.  It can be modified into polymeric chains using hydrocarbons of various types.

  I thought this site had a good outline of the early plastics.

  http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageL...
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  Joost Daalder March 6, 2013 at 3:46pm

  Edith, - I agree that this is an early form of plastic, almost certainly. It is clearly an "imitation" amber - certainly not (as good as) copal, leave alone true amber. Quite pleasing for what it is, though. So-called amber currently made (and indeed made during the last thirty years or so) in a variety of ways is far less attractive than this.