In this article
GemStore team — written by the people who list and pack every stone.
Reviewed on
Amber is not a mineral at all. It is tree resin that has hardened over millions of years, and that history is exactly what the imitations lack. In Pakistan amber is sold as kehruba, and the pieces that cause buyers trouble are rarely glass: they are young resin called copal, pressed amber, or moulded plastic. Each fails at least one of the simple tests below.
Why amber is easy to fake
Amber is light, warm, soft and usually a honey to cognac colour. Plastic can match all of that at a glance, and copal is chemically close to amber because it is the same kind of resin, only a few thousand years old rather than millions. A seller does not have to lie outright; calling copal "amber" is enough. That is why a few physical checks matter more here than with almost any other stone.
Five checks, from gentlest to most telling
1. Weight and warmth in the hand
Amber is remarkably light for its size and never feels cold the way glass or stone does. A heavy, chilly piece is almost certainly glass. This check will not separate amber from plastic or copal, but it removes the crudest fakes straight away.
2. The saltwater float
Dissolve a generous amount of salt in a glass of water, roughly enough that no more will dissolve easily, and drop a loose, unset piece in. Genuine amber and copal both float in strong brine; most plastics and all glass sink. Rinse the stone in fresh water afterwards. Do not use this test on set amber, because the metal will pull it down.
3. Long-wave UV light
Under a long-wave UV torch, natural amber usually glows a milky blue, blue-white or soft green on its surface. Many plastics stay dull or glow evenly in a flat, artificial way. Pressed amber can show a patchy, grainy glow where small fragments were fused together.
4. Inclusions that make sense
Real amber often holds tiny bubbles, flecks of plant matter or swirl lines from the resin flowing. A perfect insect sitting dead centre in a flawless, cheap piece should make you suspicious, as should round bubbles that all look identical.
5. The solvent test that tells copal apart
A drop of acetone on an inconspicuous spot leaves amber unchanged but makes copal feel tacky within seconds. Because it can damage the surface, leave this to the seller or a lab rather than trying it on a stone you have not yet bought. We do not recommend the hot-needle test for the same reason.
Wearing amber once you own it
At 2 to 2.5 on the Mohs scale, kehruba scratches easily. It suits pendants, beads and earrings better than a ring that knocks against a desk all day. Keep it away from perfume, hair spray and alcohol-based sanitiser, wipe it with a soft damp cloth, and never put it in an ultrasonic cleaner.
Tradition and what we promise
Amber has been carried in folk tradition across Asia and Europe for warmth and vitality. Those are beliefs, not guaranteed effects. If you are buying on an astrologer's advice, settle the weight and metal with them first; our rashi guide lists the common pairings.
Buying kehruba from GemStore
We inspect every piece and photograph it on its own, so the amber in the listing is the amber that arrives. Ask for a certificate of authenticity if you want one, and pay only after opening the parcel with Cash on Delivery. See the amber collection, or look at cat's eye and kunzite. Urdu names for every stone are on our names page, and we deliver to Lahore, Karachi and every other city.
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