david.leffman
Amber Market, Tengchong (腾冲琥珀市场)
A tiny corner of the Tengchong wholesale amber market. Tengchong has long been a marketplace for Burmese gems and jade, though in the last decade amber has completely taken over. As the border is officially closed at the moment, presumably this is all smuggled in. The size of the trade has justified a direct daily flight from this remote corner of China all the way to Shenzhen, on the border with Hong Kong.
Buyers check that they're not getting a lump of coloured plastic by seeing if it floats in water and whether it fluoresces in UV light, though neither test is foolproof. Only sure way is to stick a hot pin into the trinket and seeing if it smells of burning plastic (in which case, it is plastic) - not encouraged.
Amber Market, Tengchong (腾冲琥珀市场)
A tiny corner of the Tengchong wholesale amber market. Tengchong has long been a marketplace for Burmese gems and jade, though in the last decade amber has completely taken over. As the border is officially closed at the moment, presumably this is all smuggled in. The size of the trade has justified a direct daily flight from this remote corner of China all the way to Shenzhen, on the border with Hong Kong.
Buyers check that they're not getting a lump of coloured plastic by seeing if it floats in water and whether it fluoresces in UV light, though neither test is foolproof. Only sure way is to stick a hot pin into the trinket and seeing if it smells of burning plastic (in which case, it is plastic) - not encouraged.