Thanks Dave, very interesting. I have been to Oaxaca Mexico a few times and a friend has visited the Blom house and purchased amber from the locals. Around 11 years ago I bought two pieces at the market in Oaxaca (actually from an old man with a folding table outside the market). He held up rough pieces of Chiapas amber and burnt them with a cigerette lighter to demonstrate the characteristic piney smell. I bought two polished pieces that were identical in color to the real amber. As they each had large insect inclusions I figured $10.00 each was a safe gamble. When you go to Oaxaca now there is no end to the number of children selling large blocks of imitation amber with bugs, lizards, whatever. My pieces turned out to be fake too. No separation plane and very convincing, except to a hot point when plastic is evident. On one visit my friend asked the little boy selling "ambar" if he had one with a crocodile in it, he said "OK, tomorrow I'll bring it". Turns out they mix the resin in a container, stir in bugs, harden, break up the mass and polish it into pendants etc. Thanks for the article.
Yup, as the real, high grade amber becomes scarce at the 'Simojovel' mine area (I haven't seen any 'red' or 'green' for several years, the fakes are a jumping I keep hoping, but at least I have plenty of stock from past years to keep designing and working it...
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File comment: The largest piece of cherry red I ever carved and polished.
hi, kirk! nice red amber carving!! i went to see your site to admire your work, and the link doesn't work that is posted in your posts; had to leave off "gemstones." nice goods!!
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
Hi every one I am sure you can still get good red Amber, from the Simojovel area,One would probably have to spend some time up there at the right time of year when the local Maya are not working on the maize or coffee crop. All the fakes I have seen in Mexico have been polystyrene.All the holes have not been drilled , but burned through seems like a hot wire as been used. So this is a dead give away regards to beads. Not looked up the chemical composition of polystyrene regards to amber ?. The S.G. of polystyrene is in the same range as amber and it will float in a salt water solution. Both amber and polystyrene consist of carbon and hydrogen ( hydrocabon) It is no wonder people have a problem with polystyrene and amber
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
Hi Last month I spent over a week in Simojovel collecting amber. Got a few good pieces with interesting inclusions, and some good red amber. Not alot of amber around this time of year, it seem the local maya do more mining in the rain season. I am back in Simojovel in a few days time. Last year I missed out on a large perfect butterfly in amber, because I did not have the pesos on me at the time. Usually I am the only gringo in town which is good. Many of the local miners and traders in amber do not go to San Cristobal, were there are many specialized boutiques selling only amber, and also the venders at Santa domingo market One never knows what one may come across up in the Simojovel area
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
Hi Kirk it is not cold here in Simojovel, its in San Cristobal that it is cold in the mornings and evernings. I am staying at the hupespede just up from the plaza, pleasant room but no hot water. As I said meny of the miners and traders in amber do not go to San Cristobal, maybe too meny gringos for them. I was in one amber gallery and asked about the owner and they made a big isue that the owner was a Mexican lady.as meny of the amber shops and gallerys are owed by Italians, there are now so meny shops and gallerys selling amber in San Cristobal. I can remember when only one shop had a few pieces of amber. In the amber gallerys they have some amazing carvings, often of Mayan or Olmec dietys or figurines. It was Philippe Chatillon back in the early 1980s that started carving sculptures of Mayan or Olmeca dietys or figurines, he attaced green and purple humming bird feathers to craeate the plumaged headdress, very stunning pieces. There is a contest for the best carving sculpture in amber hold every year at the amber expo. Philippe used to usually win. Nowdays Pedro Malona, Picapiedro usually wins If I can find the right piece of amber will see if i can get Philippe or Pedro to make a sculpture for me A lot of problems here in Chiapas a lot of poor people. they do not get payed much working on the Coffee or Maize. though the Mayan people i buy the amber from seem to be doing ok
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
These are some pictures from my latest trip to Chiapas, Mexico. They are from the amber museum housed in the ex convent of De Le Merced, in San Cristobal.
The first photo of is of the Museum. The second is of Simojovel. The others are exhibits in the museum.
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am Posts: 6461 Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
Okay, I'm not a big fan of amber ... but I would certainly accept that jar if offered . I'd also gladly accept the beautiful clear skies in those photos. It's April 19 and it is snowing here in Minnesota . Will Spring never arrive ?!?
_________________ IIJA Registered Gemologist GIA Graduate Gemologist
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:06 am Posts: 418 Location: uk
Hi everyone,
Barbara: Its a perfume bottle. I too was very impressed with it as well.
Kurt: good to hear from you again. Every year in San Cristobal they have the amber exposition, now the amber artisans in Simojovel are puting on there own amber expo, whilst I was there they erected a large marquee that filled most of the plaza. There were about 30 or more local amber vendors who had booths. Its all coffee and amber in somojovel nowadays. The amber is still very much a cottage industry. The local Mayans digging and burrowing into the mountainside. What with all the social problems in Chiapas (and Simojovel is right in the centre of it) the amber mining is likely to remain very much a cottage industry.
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