Rock Identifier
Yellow-orange amber (Fossilized tree resin; amber is an organic mineraloid, not a true mineral) — fossil
fossil

Yellow-orange amber

Fossilized tree resin; amber is an organic mineraloid, not a true mineral

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Translucent honey-yellow, resinous luster, amorphous structure, and Mohs hardness about 2–2.5; light and relatively soft. The small, rounded piece may be polished or naturally worn, and cannot be confirmed from appearance alone.

Identified More fossil →
Explore Yellow-orange amber in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

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

App StoreGoogle Play

Physical properties

Translucent honey-yellow, resinous luster, amorphous structure, and Mohs hardness about 2–2.5; light and relatively soft. The small, rounded piece may be polished or naturally worn, and cannot be confirmed from appearance alone.

Formation & geological history

Ancient plant resin buried in sediment and gradually hardened through polymerization and oxidation; amber deposits range from Cretaceous to Cenozoic age.

Uses & applications

Used for beads, jewelry, ornaments, and scientific study of inclusions; most common pieces are inexpensive decorative material.

Geological facts

Amber can preserve insects, plant fragments, and air bubbles, though no inclusion is apparent here.

Field identification & locations

Warmth, low weight, and electrostatic attraction after rubbing can help distinguish amber; also sold as copal or imitation resin, so testing or provenance is needed. Major deposits occur around the Baltic Sea and in the Dominican Republic, Myanmar, and Mexico.

More like this

Other fossil specimens

Probable fossil-bearing rock or mineral concretion (Unidentified carbonate-rich concretion with a possible fossil inclusion) — fossil

Probable fossil-bearing rock or mineral concretion

Unidentified carbonate-rich concretion with a possible fossil inclusion

fossil
Likely fossil oyster shell (Fossilized bivalve shell; exact species cannot be identified from the image) — fossil

Likely fossil oyster shell

Fossilized bivalve shell; exact species cannot be identified from the image

fossil
Crinoid Stem Fossil in Matrix (Phylum Echinodermata, Class Crinoidea) — fossil

Crinoid Stem Fossil in Matrix

Phylum Echinodermata, Class Crinoidea

fossil
Fossiliferous limestone (likely a crinoidal or shell-fragment limestone) (Bioclastic limestone, composed chiefly of calcite (CaCO₃)) — sedimentary

Fossiliferous limestone (likely a crinoidal or shell-fragment limestone)

Bioclastic limestone, composed chiefly of calcite (CaCO₃)

sedimentary
Porous limestone pebble (Calcite-rich limestone (primarily CaCO₃); exact identification is uncertain from the image) — sedimentary

Porous limestone pebble

Calcite-rich limestone (primarily CaCO₃); exact identification is uncertain from the image

sedimentary
Weathered fossil bone fragment (identification uncertain) (Fossilized bone; exact taxon and mineral composition cannot be determined from the image) — fossil

Weathered fossil bone fragment (identification uncertain)

Fossilized bone; exact taxon and mineral composition cannot be determined from the image

fossil