The facts
What rumanite actually is
The species behind rumanite is fossil resin, Fossilised terpenoid resin, C, H, O with sulphur; it forms in the amorphous system.
Deep cherry-red to brown-black; the unusually dark colour comes from higher sulphur content and from thermal alteration in the host rock is responsible for the colour — and the chromophore, not the name, is what decides whether a colour is stable.
On the instruments it reads a refractive index of 1.538–1.543 and a specific gravity of about 1.05–1.12, with none; conchoidal fracture cleavage.
Where rumanite comes from
Commercial material comes from Colți, Buzău County, Romania and Sibiciu de Sus, Buzău, Romania.
Different localities give different colour and different clarity, and the trade prices them differently. We state which one.
How rumanite is treated
Untreated, but very commonly imitated: much 'Romanian amber' offered is heat-darkened Baltic amber or pressed amber. Genuine rumanite fluoresces differently from succinite and has a distinct infrared spectrum. The Colți deposit is largely exhausted.
We state the treatment on every stone, including when the honest answer is that it cannot be determined. A treatment disclosed is a fact; a treatment discovered later is a refund.
What rumanite is confused with
Watch for Baltic amber, Burmite, Heat-treated amber and Copal — these are what turn up sold under this name.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.538–1.543 and specific gravity 1.05–1.12 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What rumanite is used for
The trades that buy rumanite are jewellery, mineral collecting and carving and sculpture. They do not want the same thing, and they do not pay in the same unit.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat, by the specimen or by the block.
Durability and care
Hardness 2–2.5; cleavage none; conchoidal fracture. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What rumanite costs
Expect roughly Authenticated pieces 50–800 USD; museum-grade higher, depending on quality.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is rumanite treated, and how?
Untreated, but very commonly imitated: much 'Romanian amber' offered is heat-darkened Baltic amber or pressed amber. Genuine rumanite fluoresces differently from succinite and has a distinct infrared spectrum. The Colți deposit is largely exhausted.
Where does rumanite come from?
Colți, Buzău County, Romania and Sibiciu de Sus, Buzău, Romania. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is rumanite hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 2–2.5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does rumanite cost?
Indicatively Authenticated pieces 50–800 USD; museum-grade higher. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is rumanite confused with?
Most often Baltic amber, Burmite, Heat-treated amber and Copal. A refractive index of 1.538–1.543 and a specific gravity near 1.05–1.12 separate it quickly.
What is rumanite used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting and carving and sculpture. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for rumanite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about rumanite