Question
Stone
Found this necklace at a thrift store, I am wondering what the main center stone may be. From the picture it is obviously tumbled and has a resinous to greasy luster. The darker colored areas are in the stone and are rough to the touch. I went to a gem shop and was told it was aqualite which it obviously isn't. Another dealer told me it was synthetic and popular as jewelry in the past, so I am certain it is real or synthetic and not plastic or resin. I also took a nail heated under a match as a test and the material did not melt.
AnswerIt is always difficult to do this from a picture, but let me give you some ideas. Your stone has the resemblance of milky / cloudy amber, especially given the darker colored impurities. Maybe fake or real, but here are three most likely possibilities for your stone: Amber, Copal or Plastic.
Amber: Fossilized tree resin from prehistoric times dating as far back as 320 million years.
Copal: Hardened modern tree sap from the copal tree (Protium copal)
There are some tests you can do to check for real vs. fake amber, if this is indeed your stone. A very good selection of those tests can be found here:
http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/trueamber.shtml
Give some of these tests a try. They may help you identify your stone.
