Pipe Stem...Amber or Bone?

[thomk64]

Howya Friends! Hoping someone can help. I was recently gifted with this pipe and was curious as to whether the stem is amber or bone. The pipe is stamped "Bruyere Garantie", which I know to mean "genuine briar'. With such a wealth of knowledge and experience by you all I was hoping that someone would be able to point me in the right direction.

 

[anotherbob]

I bet there is some way to tell by licking it. Seriously.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Looks like amber with a bone tenon. ?‍

 

[thomk64]

I bet there is some way to tell by licking it. Seriously.

Cheers! Bob, that doesn't sound as mad an idea as some would think.

 

[anotherbob]

Cheers! Bob, that doesn't sound as mad an idea as some would think.

I know that it's a good way to test if it's a fossil or just looks like one.

 

[warren]

If it is necessary to know for sure, a jeweler will ID it for you.

 

[renfield]

Looks more like amber with a bone fitment. It might be Bakelite if the pipe dates back to the early part of the 1900s, hard to tell.

One way to ID amber is to rub it vigorously with a cloth to heat it up. If you smell pine resin it’s amber. Alternatively, I’ve heated up a pin with a lighter and touched it to a hidden part of the stem. If it smells like pine it’s amber. Plastic will smell like burning plastic.

Proceed at your own risk, amber is fragile.

 

[02Knight]

Looks more like amber with a bone fitment. It might be Bakelite if the pipe dates back to the early part of the 1900s, hard to tell.

One way to ID amber is to rub it vigorously with a cloth to heat it up. If you smell pine resin it’s amber. Alternatively, I’ve heated up a pin with a lighter and touched it to a hidden part of the stem. If it smells like pine it’s amber. Plastic will smell like burning plastic.

Proceed at your own risk, amber is fragile.

Bone won't burn but any sort of most other materials will. I use the hot needle test on lots of stuff I buy.

 

[anotherbob]

so if you're a dragon you can lick it to find out.

 

[craig61a]

Amber does chip like what’s seen in the photos, then again so does Bakelite. The heated pin trick works, but Amber will float in water whereas Bakelite will sink.

Bruyere Guarantie pipes were not high end pipes, so I would assume the stem is Bakelite.

 

[weezell]

I would assume the stem is Bakelite.

Me thinks yes...

 

[craig61a]

Amber will float in saltwater... a cup of water and seven teaspoons of salt dissolved. Just looked up again.