Gem library
Amber
Fossil resin, a capsule of time
Amber is neither a stone nor a mineral: it is fossilised conifer resin, hardened over tens of millions of years. It is also the material that gave electricity its name, and the only gem capable of enclosing whole animals.
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 2 – 2.5
- Density
- 1.05 – 1.10
- Crystal system
- Amorphous — no crystal structure
- Refractive index
- 1.539 – 1.545
- Cleavage
- None
Mineralogical identity
- Family
- Fossil organic matter (resin)
- Species
- Succinite (Baltic amber)
- Variety
- Baltic amber, Dominican (blue) amber, Burmese amber (burmite)
- Chemical formula
- C₁₀H₁₆O + succinic acid (up to 8 %)
- Crystal system
- Amorphous — no crystal structure
- Classification
- Organic gem
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Indicative price
- €1 – 100/g (exceptional inclusions: far beyond)
Etymology
From the Arabic anbar, which originally denoted ambergris from the sperm whale — hence the persistent confusion between the two substances. The Greek elektron, the name for amber, gave us «electricity».
Physical & optical properties
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 2 – 2.5
- Density
- 1.05 – 1.10
- Refractive index
- 1.539 – 1.545
- Birefringence
- None
- Cleavage
- None
- Fracture
- Conchoidal
- Lustre
- Resinous
- Diaphaneity
- Transparent to opaque
- UV fluorescence
- Strong blue-white
- Pleochroism
- None
- Colours
- yellow, honey, orange, brown, red, blue (Dominican)
Formation, geology & history
From resin to gem
A resin becomes amber through slow polymerisation: its molecules cross-link, its volatile components evaporate, and the material hardens over millions of years. Below that maturation threshold it is called copal — much softer, soluble in alcohol, and often wrongly sold as amber. Baltic amber, the most abundant, comes from Eocene conifer forests some 44 million years ago, whose resin accumulated in a delta and was then redistributed by the sea: it is still gathered on beaches after storms. Its density of 1.05 is barely above that of salt water, which is why it floats in a saturated brine — the best-known authenticity test.
Inclusions, archives of life
Amber is the only material that preserves organisms in three dimensions with microscopic detail: insects, spiders, flowers, feathers, water droplets, and even small vertebrates. Burmese burmite, 99 million years old, has yielded major discoveries — a feathered dinosaur tail, complete hatchlings, the earliest flowers — at the cost of ethical controversy over extraction conditions in Kachin State. Contrary to the myth sustained by fiction, DNA does not survive in amber: every extraction attempt has failed and the supposed successes of the 1990s proved to be contamination.
Electricity and history
Rubbed on cloth, amber attracts hair and small fragments: Thales of Miletus observed this in the sixth century BC, and the Greek word for amber, elektron, gave us electron, electricity, electronics. Commercially, the Amber Road linked the Baltic to the Mediterranean from the Bronze Age, and Baltic amber is found in Mycenaean and Egyptian tombs. The Amber Room of the Tsarskoye Selo palace, six tonnes of amber panels given to Peter the Great in 1716, vanished during the Second World War; a reconstruction was completed in 2003.
How to recognise it
- It floats in salt waterDissolve two spoons of salt in a glass of warm water: genuine amber floats or hangs mid-water, plastic and glass sink. A simple, non-destructive test.
- Electrification by rubbingRubbed vigorously on wool, amber attracts scraps of paper. Few materials do it so clearly.
- Pine smell on a hot pointIn a hidden area, a heated needle releases a conifer-resin smell. Plastic smells of chemical burning; copal also smells of resin but melts far faster.
Imitations, treatments & confusions
- CopalA young, insufficiently fossilised resin, very often sold as amber with large, clearly visible insects — too visible. It softens at 150 °C and dissolves in alcohol or acetone (test on a discreet spot).
- Plastic and synthetic resin (bakelite, celluloid)Sink in salt water, chemical smell on a hot point, often too regular, with aligned bubbles and insects suspiciously placed at the centre.
- Pressed amber (ambroid)Fragments of genuine amber remelted under pressure. Not a fake but a reconstituted material: you can see flow lines, elongated bubbles and over-regular disc-shaped «sun spangles».
Deposits & origins
Russia (Kaliningrad — 90 % of world production, 44-million-year-old Baltic amber), Poland, Lithuania, Dominican Republic (fluorescent blue amber), Burma (burmite, 99 million years old, the oldest with inclusions), Mexico (Chiapas), Lebanon
Care & precautions
- Lukewarm water and a soft cloth only. No detergent, no alcohol, no solvent: amber dissolves in acetone and ethanol.
- Extremely soft (hardness 2-2.5): it is scratched by sand, fingernails and other jewellery. Individual storage is essential.
- No perfume, hairspray or cosmetic: they attack the surface and dull it permanently.
- It fears sun, heat and dry air: it oxidises, browns and crazes. Antique amber can develop an irreversible opaque crust.
Traditions & crystal healing
- Chakras
- Solar plexus · sacral
- Zodiac signs
- Leo · Aquarius
- Element
- Fire
One of the most anciently worn amulet gems: tradition sees in it frozen solar light, warming and protective, and associates it particularly with children — amber teething necklaces are a very widespread popular use, but a dangerous one for infants because of the risk of choking and strangulation.
The virtues described here belong to tradition and cultural heritage. They are in no way medical advice and never replace a consultation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my amber is real?
The salt-water test: two spoons of salt in a glass of warm water — amber floats, plastic sinks. Complete it with electrification by rubbing and the pine smell from a heated needle in a hidden area.
Amber or copal?
Copal is a resin that is too young: it softens around 150 °C and dissolves in alcohol or acetone. It often contains large, very visible insects, which should raise suspicion.
Can DNA be extracted from an insect in amber?
No. Despite the fiction, every attempt has failed: DNA degrades within tens of thousands of years at most. The positive results of the 1990s proved to be modern contamination.