We know that transparent amber is called amber, opaque amber is called beeswax, and transparent opaque amber is called golden honey. Beeswax is divided into old beeswax, new beeswax, white beeswax and white beeswax.

Usually a friend is asking whether amber is better than beeswax or beeswax is better than amber.

In essence, amber and beeswax are the same, there is not much difference, and they are classified according to different transparency. There is a difference in succinic acid content between the two, and the succinic acid content of beeswax is relatively high. As a jewel, her decoration and collection value are unique and indistinguishable.

Why are amber and beeswax opaque?

The succinic acid content of amber is generally between 3% and 8%, and a few of them exceed 8%. Succinic acid is the main factor affecting the transparency of amber. The higher the content of succinic acid in amber, the more opaque it is. Amber is transparent when the content of succinic acid is 3%-4%. When it exceeds 4%, amber will appear cloud-like translucent state; When it is close to 8%, amber begins to be opaque and forms the beeswax we see; When succinic acid exceeds 8%, it exists in the form of tiny bubbles. During the formation of beeswax, there are many tiny bubbles invisible to the naked eye (some are formed by succinic acid). Every time the light passes through the bubble, it will undergo refraction and attenuation, and the continuous attenuation is also an important reason for the opacity of beeswax.

Why do consumers prefer beeswax?

Because amber is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism, Buddhist believers and practitioners have been using amber for a long time, either as a vessel, as a gift to the Buddha or as a treasure. The popularity of amber has a lot to do with Buddhism, especially Tantric Buddhism attaches great importance to artifacts. Tantric sects prefer beeswax, so most Tibetans also prefer beeswax. In the Qing Dynasty, Tantric Buddhism was the state religion of China. At that time, the rulers transported a large number of beeswax products to Tibet for religious purposes. The Tibetan people have been using beeswax, and this inheritance has been continuing. Relatively speaking, they know amber better than people in other areas. When amber began to spread to a wider range and was influenced by Tibetans, consumers thought beeswax was better.

Why is the price of beeswax higher than that of amber?

If there is no difference between amber and beeswax, why is the price of beeswax higher than amber in the market?

Amber has been used for thousands of years in the country of origin of Baltic amber. During this period, there is no difference in the prices of amber and beeswax. Europeans never think that beeswax is more expensive than amber. In recent years, China has become the largest amber consumer in the world, accounting for 70% of the global amber consumption. Due to the preference of Chinese people for beeswax, the relationship between supply and demand determines the price deviation. When buying raw materials from Europeans, China people began to choose beeswax deliberately, and Europeans also raised the price of raw beeswax ore, which further led to the market price of beeswax being higher than amber.