There are several tests that will help you to distinguish between real and fake amber. These tests must be done in case of emergency only because it is rather easy to determine the difference between them visually.

1. Put some drops of alcohol on the surface of the stone and wait till it evaporates. If the surface doesn’t become sticky and alcohol evaporates easily without leaving any spots on it, then you can be sure, the amber is real. If the surface sticks to your fingers and you see your fingerprints left on it, then this amber is definitely fake
2. The next test must be done very carefully, because there is a chance you can spoil the amber. Take a pin or a needle and carefully scratch the stone. If the amber is real it will be scratched, if not it will remain undamaged.
3. The following test is rather difficult and needs the right sense of smell. Heat, then slightly cool down a tip of a needle and press it against the stone. It will produce a puff of smoke, the smell of which will help to estimate the validity of the amber. The real amber smells like smudge, the fake one, on the contrary, has a sweet and pleasant smell.
4. Fill a medium size pot with water, add seven teaspoons of salt, let it dissolve in the water and stir every 30 minutes for several time. As the salt solution has a high gravity, the real amber stone will immediately come out and start floating on the surface of the water, while the fake one will go down and begin sinking.