Amber itself is formed from tree resin that, over thousands of years, fossilizes to produce first copal and then thousands or millions of years after that, amber. The sticky resin traps anything in its way, preserving it for millennia.





As it dries and hardens, the resin becomes copal, which is a greasy, clearish substance sometimes called (and is if you see it sold as amber) fake amber. Copal is a constant stage after the sticky resin that all amber goes through and can be as old as recent years to 20 million years old.

SEE ALSO: Sand grains under the microscope

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