Amber is fossilized tree resin, the material that flows beneath tree bark and protects the tree when its health is threatened by boring insects or heavy weather. Over several million years, the resin hardens, possibly trapping insect specimens inside, and becomes amber.Amber is typically a dark-brown to a pale-yellowish color, albeit interference of light with any bubbles trapped inside may result in green, blue, or violet overtones. Several ways of testing for genuine amber exist.
First, amber will float in a saturated salt water solution, while plastic imitations will sink. Second, amber, when burned, emanates a sweet, piney smell, while plastic imitations emit a strong, penetrating, and distinctively unpleasant smell.
Also, amber will not melt – it burns like incense, while plastic and poor quality amber, called copal, will melt. Finally, amber will chip and disintegrate into powder when cut, while plastic will form curled peelings or large chips.
Amber has never been synthesized. Amber’s clarity, however, may improve if it is boiled in rapeseed or linseed oil.
