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Mineraloid · Mineraloid · Fossil Resins

Amber

~C₁₀H₁₆O + resin acids

Forty-million-year-old sunlight — fossilized pine resin with a static charge.

Hardness2–2.5
Crystal systemAmorphous
LusterResinous
Sp. gravity1.05–1.1
ClassMineraloid
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Amber specimen

Amber — Photo: Steven Lek · CC BY-SA 4.0

What is Amber?

Amber is fossilized tree resin — polymerized and oxidized over tens of millions of years until sticky sap becomes a warm, golden solid. It is not a mineral (no crystal structure, organic origin) but it has been traded like one since the Stone Age.

Greek children rubbing amber on fur noticed it attracted straw — elektron gave us 'electricity'. And the resin that trapped a Jurassic Park mosquito is real: Cretaceous amber preserves complete insects, flower parts, and feathered dinosaur tails.

In one sentence: Warm, light, electrostatic, sometimes with 100-million-year-old insects inside.

Physical Properties

The full data table is in the panel alongside. Here’s what those numbers actually mean.

Density. SG ~1.05 — floats in saturated brine; glass fakes sink.

Inclusions. Baltic amber (~44 Ma) holds thousands of insect species; Burmese amber (~99 Ma) preserves feathered dinosaurs.

Fluorescence. Long-wave UV brings a blue-green glow — a quick authenticity check.

What It’s Used For

GemstoneCut and polished for jewelry for 10,000+ years.
ScienceInclusions preserve Cretaceous insects, feathers, and even lizards in life-pose.
CautionFakes abound — plastic, copal, pressed ambroid. Saltwater and UV tests help.

How to Identify It

Warm, lightweight — floats in saturated salt waterStatic charge when rubbed (elektron — the root of 'electricity')Resinous luster, conchoidal chipsUV fluorescence blue-green
Looks like…But differs because…Quick test
CopalYounger subfossil resin — surface crazes with acetone dropAcetone
GlassMuch heavier, cold to the touch, no chargeWeight & feel

Where It’s Found

Notable localities for fine specimens:

Baltic coast (Kaliningrad), Russia Gdańsk coast, Poland Simojovel, Mexico Kachin, MyanmarOpen the locality map →