mineral

Amber

Fossilized Tree Resin (Generic formula roughly C10H16O)

Hardness: 2.0-2.5 on Mohs scale. Color: Honey-yellow to orange-brown. Luster: Resinous. Crystal structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific gravity: 1.05-1.10 (very light, floats in saltwater).

Hardness: 2
Color: Honey-yellow to orange-brown
Luster: Resinous

Identified March 21, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the polymerization of tree resin from extinct coniferous and angiosperm trees. Over millions of years, the resin undergoes heat and pressure, losing volatile components to become fossilized. Most deposits range from 30 to 90 million years old (Paleogene to Cretaceous).

Uses & applications

Primarily used in jewelry (beads, cabochons, pendants) and as a decorative gemstone. It is also of immense scientific value for paleontology because it traps and preserves organic inclusions such as insects, plant matter, and small vertebrates.

Geological facts

Amber is not a true mineral because it is organic and lacks a crystal structure. One of the most famous historical uses was the 'Amber Room' in Russia. The presence of 'sun spangles' (disc-like internal fractures) is a common feature in heated specimens.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its light weight and 'warm' feel compared to glass or stone. It can be tested by its ability to float in a saturated salt solution or by the 'hot needle test' (it emits a piney scent when touched with a hot pin). Found in coastal regions like the Baltic Sea and inland mines in the Dominican Republic.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

Nephrite Jade

Nephrite

Mineral/Rock

Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)

Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)

Metamorphic Rock

Green Apatite on Albite

Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]

mineral

Epidote

Epidote - Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)

mineral