Featured Amber Looky- Likey

I picked these up as they looked unusual.
Big chunky beads the biggest is 3cm, most of the rest are 2cm. I half thought they may be amber from the photo but they don’t float.
Any idea what they may be made of?
Not cold but cool to the touch and not stone heavy. Random sterling clasp on ratty nylon cord even though someone has bothered to knot between each bead.
All are slightly different and they don’t chink like ceramic or glass. Heavy plastic or Bakelite but I’m just guessing.
Any thoughts please?
Thankyou

 

Lol, a veritable sweet shop!
Yes these are polished but there are similarities. The question is can you polish fudge?!

 

I'm good at polishing it off.

 

Me too.....
Randomly I today also found out that I appear to be an ace shot at the Coconut Shy at our local fete. Who knew I would discover I can take the eye out of a gnat at 20 paces Now have two coconuts to use in a recipe.
Sorry that has to be the most random post but the kids were very proud of me!!

 

Did you test these for bakelite, if they're really heavy? Not all amber is light, and copal can weigh a bit. That's an old clasp, so I'd get out the baking soda and a q-tip and check it.

 

Will do!

 

And I'd do the UV test, just in case.
I love it, gorgeous beads whatever they are.

Good luck with the coconuts.

 

I've tested them and got a small amount of yellow off but I'm not convinced as they are filthy. I think I will unstring them and give them a good wash and then try again. I'm not convinced either that they are Tagua nut as they just don't feel right and the pictures I've found online don't show the striations (if that's the right word) that these beads have.
Edit- I've just discovered that I should have tested them in salt water- off to do it again!!

 

Thankyou. Run out of salt.........

 

Faturan, possibly. UV light is the only really reliable amber test.

 

Does Faturan react in the same way as Amber such as floating and UV?.

 

What tells you it's an old clasp?. and how old? (ish!). Thankyou

 

It certainly doesn't do the UV thing.

 

No, it doesn't. Faturan is Middle Eastern faux amber, also used in Turkey. It is a rather elusive faux type, information is rather misty. Some faturan is said to contain a bit of amber, and it is said to contain real frankincense. You are supposed to recognize it by the incense smell when warm. You can put your beads in a plastic bag in warm water to see if it smells of incense.

I have similar beads which are neither amber nor faturan. I suspect mine are a Chinese type of faux amber. But similar is not necessarily the same.

 

Just the way it's made. When you've seen enough old ones you start to recognize them. On second look it's not 30s, but it could easily be 60s.

 

Lol, it seems to be what people want it to be as no one is actually sure what it is!

 

Chunky, and cool knotsmanship!

 

Yes, Middle Eastern mystification. They love a good story. Well, who doesn't.