What is the history of amber in China?

Amber is a fossil formed by resin of coniferous plants, with a history of at least 50 million years. In particular, a resin of Neogene pine amber pine, which flourished 20 million to 60 million years ago, deteriorated under the action of pressure and heat to form amber.

The oldest amber in the world, the product of about 300 million years ago, was found in Northumberland and Siberia, England.

Amber is one of the oldest decorations of human beings. Jewelry, beads and buttons made of amber in 3700 BC were found in Estonia, and treasures made of amber in 2600 BC were found in Egypt.

Amber is produced by resin and petrochemicals (polymer compounds) of Archaean trees buried underground. It takes millions of years for resin to be petrified. The best amber used to make gems is probably the product of tens of millions of years ago.

Kopal resin is a semi-fossil natural resin, which was produced from millions of years ago to modern times. Its nature and appearance are very similar to amber, but it is not as long as amber, and it is also called "recent resin". Physical properties are quite unstable and easy to melt when heated.

I. Shape

The shape of amber: cake-like, kidney-like, tumor-like, slender water-drop-like and other irregular shapes.

Second, color.

Common colors: orange, brown, brownish yellow, crimson.

Rare colors: light green, yellow, lavender

Third, classification

Classification name: Jin Po, Xuepo, Insect Slope, Xiangpo, Lingpo, Shipo, Huapo, Shuipo, Mingpo, Wapo, Beewax and Korean pine.

Fourth, maintenance

What amber is afraid of: low melting point, easy to melt, afraid of heat, afraid of exposure should not be placed in high temperature places. Amber is easy to dehydrate and crack when it is too dry. Amber is an organic substance, which is easily soluble in organic solvents, such as nail polish, alcohol, gasoline, kerosene, heavy liquid and so on. It is not suitable for putting in the dressing cabinet. Generally, it is not necessary to measure its density with heavy liquid, but to measure its refractive index with oil immersion method. Amber is fragile and has low hardness, so it is not suitable for external impact. Friction and scratches should be avoided to prevent scratches and breakage.

Five, my extra knowledge

Introduction to Amber: Amber is the resin of tertiary coniferous plants, which was buried underground by geological processes. After a long geological period, resin lost its volatile components and polymerized and solidified to form amber. Often accompanied by coal seams. Amber is a hydrocarbon containing succinic acid and amber resin. Its chemical composition is C 10H 16O, of which 79% is carbon, 10.5% is hydrogen, 10.5% is oxygen, and sometimes it contains a small amount of hydrogen sulfide.

Amber is an ancient jewelry material. As a gem, it has a history of nearly 6000 years. Decorations made of amber have been unearthed in many ancient tombs in China, Greece and Egypt. Women in ancient Rome had the habit of holding precious stones in their hands. The reason is that amber will give off a faint fragrance when heated at the temperature of the palm. The ancient Romans gave amber a very high value, and a small statue carved with amber was more valuable than a strong slave. Amber can also relieve pain and relieve shock. In some places, a string of amber is often hung on children's chests to ward off evil spirits and relieve shock.

organic gems

Amber, crystal clear and delicate in color, is very popular in the world. Legend has it that amber was changed from the tears of the ancient Greek goddess Helitis. In our country, amber is regarded as the change of the soul after the death of a tiger.

Amber is actually a petrochemical product of plant resin in geological age, and it is a well-preserved solid biological fossil. It is one of the organic gems.

Amber is amorphous and irregular, ranging in size from fine particles to chunks weighing several pounds. The raw materials have resin luster, and after polishing, they have resin luster to be close to glass luster. The hardness is only 2-2.5. It is easy to cut with a knife, with poor toughness and shell-like cracks. The specific gravity of transparent amber is about 1.05 ~ 1.09, while the specific gravity of turbid amber is as low as 1.0. The refractive index of amber does not change much, but it is usually close to 1.54, which can be as low as 1.539 and as high as 1.545. Because amber is an amorphous substance, it is isotropic, cleavage-free, multi-colored and refraction-free. According to the lack of toughness, powdery inclusion, oily luster, broken glass and lack of high polishing ability, it can be identified as fat amber. There are often inclusions in amber, such as insects, seeds and other foreign bodies, which are captured before turpentine hardens. Germans call amber a burning stone because it burns at a very low temperature. For this reason, amber is often used as hygienic incense.

Amber has rich colors, diverse patterns and strong or weak transparency. People give them many image names according to their different characteristics: Shipo, Huapo, Shuipo, Jin Po, Lingpo, Mingpo, Xiangpo and Xuepo. Among them, red blood beads are the most precious, followed by yellow transparent Jin Po, and goose yellow wax beads are the least.

In real life, amber has various uses. Amber is often processed into decorative handicrafts such as necklaces, collars, rings and knickknacks. People wear them on their bodies, saying that they can "calm the five internal organs, calm the soul and drive away ghosts and evil spirits." Some ethnic minorities in our country must put amber necklaces on their brides at weddings. They think amber can make the bride and groom feel harmonious and stay young forever. In interpersonal communication, amber ornaments are noble gifts for relatives and friends, and both parties will feel that they are worth a hundred times.

Amber can be used not only for decoration, but also for making medicines, dyes, spices and paints.

Amber is generally identified by its low specific gravity and hardness. In addition, its refractive index is also very special.

A useful test method is to put an unknown substance into a saturated salt solution. Amber will float in salt water, while most substances will sink. This test method is usually enough to distinguish amber from bakelite and many other plastics. Because the refractive index of bakelite is about 1.60, it is also a useful distinguishing index. When the small pieces are heated slowly, bakelite gives off a strong electric carbon sour taste, and celluloid gives off a camphor smell.

Amber is difficult to distinguish from some modern resins, such as styrene resin, shell turpentine, dama resin and so on. Styrene resin and shell turpentine were soaked in ether for 5-2 minutes, and then swelled and softened. In addition, it is much easier to melt styrene resin and shell turpentine with extremely hot needles than amber, but the difference is not big, and it needs to be compared with known amber. Ethyl acetate is needed to soften Dama resin.

In order to identify a carved amber, it is best to drop a small drop of ether in an imperceptible position and stay for a few minutes. If amber is corroded by ether, the ether will leave spots on its surface after volatilization. Because ether volatilizes very quickly, it is sometimes necessary to use a large drop of ether or make up this drop from time to time.

Amber is an organic colloid-turpentine, which flowed from the crack of pine bark thousands of years ago. After the crustal change, it was buried deep underground and gradually condensed into a natural fossil. Its interior often contains all kinds of insects, seeds and carbonized leaves, so it is called "Millennium Poria, Millennium Amber". Amber is mostly golden yellow in color, belonging to amorphous gemstones, and will not form crystal forms, and the original ore is massive. Compared with other precious stones, amber has a lighter specific gravity and lower hardness, but it is deeply loved by people because of its golden and bright color.

Noble works of art

There are about 100 kinds of amber in the world, among which amber produced in Baltic countries in Europe is the most famous. Denmark was the first country in the world to discover amber. Denmark ruled the Baltic countries in the14th century, when amber was circulated as money in the Nordic market. Today, amber produced in Russia accounts for 90% of the world's total output, of which Kaliningrad is the main producing area. In China, amber can only be found occasionally in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Fushun area in the northeast. Fushun amber is often accompanied by coal seams, mostly yellow and golden yellow.

Often contains insects, so the collection value is quite high.

In Europe, amber artworks are used to decorate palaces and houses and become a symbol of the status of furniture.

In ancient China, articles and decorations made of natural amber were not uncommon. Various amber beads, amber snuff bottles, amber bracelets, amber ornaments, amber bottles, etc. Become decorations and collectibles that dignitaries often wear and collect.

The collection is getting better and better.

In the past, amber works of art had a flat market in the international market, and there were few collectors. Until the mid-1980s, with the prevalence of religious relics market in Taiwan Province Province, amber began to be popular in Taiwan Province Province, Hongkong, Singapore, Japan and other regions. With the increase of collectors, its price has also risen all the way. In recent years, many European and American art lovers have also joined the auction team, making amber a new favorite in the collectible market, and the market price has hit record highs.

For biologists or geologists, the collection value of amber lies in its historical evolution; For collectors and investors, only amber with rare inclusions or plants can be regarded as a rare treasure to live in. At an art auction held in Taiwan Province Province during the period of 1992, a high-quality amber bead was finally sold for NT$120,000, which caused a sensation in the international art market. In recent years, there are other amber varieties with higher prices in the auction market in Southeast Asia: a18th century amber carved Buddha and lion ornament was sold for 27,600 pounds (about RMB350,000); An amber cowherd and weaver girl ornament in the late Qing Dynasty sold for 286,000 yuan. A17th century amber white wine portrait was sold at 12 10000 Hong Kong dollars. At present, the transaction rate and price of natural amber artworks auctioned at various large-scale auctions in China are lower than those of other jadeites. Generally, the transaction price of amber beads and bracelets in the Qing Dynasty is mostly between 20,000 and 50,000 yuan. In the collectible market, the transaction price of amber works of art is basically equivalent to this level. Due to the gap between domestic and foreign amber transaction prices, amber collectors in some Southeast Asian countries began to pay attention to and gradually entered the domestic auction market.

The domestic amber art collection is getting better and better.

How to distinguish authenticity?

With the continuous warming of amber art market, there are many imitations and imitations of amber in recent years. How to effectively identify amber?

The most direct way is to identify with eyes. The natural shapes of amber are mostly irregular shapes such as block, cake, kidney, tumor, slender water drop and so on. Real amber gives off a soft and warm luster;

And many synthetic products give people a cold feeling.

Amber goes through some processes that make it "imperfect" during its formation, and eventually it often contains bubbles, fragments and cracks. If every bead of an amber necklace is very similar and transparent, or the insects contained in amber are complete, it is suspicious. In addition, amber usually has beautiful lotus leaf scales, which have different effects from different angles; The scales and patterns in fake amber are mostly injection molding, and the transparency is not high. Scales emit dead light and lack aura. Seen from different angles, the scene has not changed much. The most common one on the market is red scales.

We can also identify the authenticity of amber according to the feel. Amber is a neutral gem, and it will not be too cold or too hot when touched by hand. Amber imitated with glass will feel cold.

In addition, ultraviolet irradiation is also a good identification method. Put amber under the money detector. If the fluorescence on it is light green, green, blue and white, it is genuine, and plastic amber will not change color.

Amber introduction

Amber is a traditional ornament worn by European aristocrats since ancient times, representing noble, classical and subtle beauty.

(1). Amber is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism, which is most suitable for offering to Buddhists. At the same time, it has powerful energy to ward off evil spirits and eliminate powerful negative energy. Wearing amber ornaments can ward off evil spirits and keep you safe. In ancient times, the West used it as an exorcism prop.

(2) Golden amber can make a fortune.

(3) Amber has always played a role in calming the nerves and calming the qi in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, and it can sterilize and avoid infectious diseases, so it will also be used as a fragrant ring or incense. Some people grind it into powder to stop nosebleeds, fire injuries or contusions, but it is said that the most effective thing is to prevent diseases of the throat and other respiratory organs, so it is often used as a pendant to hang near the throat chakra, which can also relieve fever and gastrointestinal discomfort, and even promote the activation of liver and kidney cells.

(4). Because of the formation and process of amber, it is considered to have a stable power from the mother of the earth, so it also has the function of reconciling men and women, yin and yang, making people feel more acute when thinking.

(5). Wearing in different parts has different other functions:

Eyebrow chakra-can help eliminate distractions and make people clearer and more confused;

Throat chakra-helps to strengthen communication skills, be more cheerful and considerate, and help others achieve great goals;

Heart chakra-let emotions find their true soul mate under the constraint of reason.

Amber, with its simple and solemn natural beauty, gentle and elegant, has become a stable treasure collected by dignitaries and a sacred object of Buddhists.

Amber is a prehistoric fossil of pine branches, which was formed 40 million to 60 million years ago. Amber is mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and a small amount of sulfur, with hardness of 2-3, specific gravity of 1.05- 1. 10, melting point of 150℃- 180℃ and ignition point of 250℃-370℃.

Amber is an organic gem, which can be used to make ornaments, handicrafts and so on. Amber is effective and can be used as medicine.

The origin of amber 40 million years ago, there was a large forest in northern Europe. At that time, the climate was warm and there were no humans. Resin drips from the ancestors of today's pine and fir trees. Those virgin forests were buried by silt deposits, so the resin has been preserved to this day. Many large areas in northern Europe have become the seabed, which is why most amber in the world is produced on the Baltic coast. Amber is mostly produced in Poland, Lithuania, Russia and other Baltic countries. Amber in these countries is golden and transparent in color, crystal clear in texture, good in quality and large in output. In addition, Dominica, Fushun, China, Myanmar and so on. There is also a small amount of amber with its own characteristics.

Types and characteristics of amber

According to the transparency of amber, it can be divided into transparent amber, opaque amber and flower amber in between. Opaque amber is traditionally called "secret wax", and we often encounter other names about amber:

Old honey-opaque amber, red and orange, indicating that the soil is very old.

Blood amber-transparent amber, indicating the age of the soil. The color is like the color of fine red wine.

Bone amber refers to white amber.

Amber has low hardness, light texture, astringency, jewel-like luster and crystal clear. Another feature of amber is that it contains particularly rich inclusions, such as insects, plants and minerals.

The charm of amber

Its color is subtle, its texture is warm and moist, and it has unparalleled affinity. Give people a serene and serene spiritual feeling. Every amber is unique, as if it were a masterpiece of nature thousands of years ago, just for this beautiful one to make life contact with you and become attached to you!

How to appreciate the beauty of amber

Amber, in addition to its gem style, the beauty of amber lies in its meaning and wisdom. For thousands of years, there have been countless literary praises for amber. Amber is the only living "living fossil". Under the carving of time, its color will be more ruddy and its texture will be more honey-y. With a piece of amber, you will see an unpredictable world.

The legend of amber

In Europe, amber has been regarded as a mascot since ancient times and is a part of European culture. People belonging to Leo, Pisces and Scorpio wear amber, because these constellations are related to amber, and amber is also the "birthday stone" of 1 1 month. The Amber Room symbolizes happiness and longevity. Amber ranks alongside gold, silver, pearls, corals, car canals and coloured glaze as the seven treasures of Buddhism.

therapeutic efficacy

Amber contains an ether oil, which can help the blood circulation of the skin, treat the soreness and tension of muscles and joints, and refresh the mind. In addition, amber contains smiling amber particles, which are easy to contact with the skin to form a protective film. It is a good beauty product.

Maintenance of amber

Amber, like pearls, corals and ivory, is an organic gem. Volatile and corrosive substances are not good for it, so you can gently wipe it with a wet cloth after use. Secondly, avoid storing it with hard jewelry to avoid friction damage. Normal wear and play will not cause harm.

Amber's English name is Amber, which comes from the Latin Ambrum, meaning "essence". Some people say that it comes from Arabic Anbar, which means "gum", because the Spanish call Arabic gum and amber buried in the ground amber. In ancient China, amber was regarded as a "tiger spirit".

Amber is the resin of tertiary coniferous plants, which was buried underground by geological processes. After a long geological period, resin lost its volatile components and polymerized and solidified to form amber. Often accompanied by coal seams. Amber is a hydrocarbon containing succinic acid and amber resin. Its chemical composition is C 10H 16O, of which 79% is carbon, 10.5% is hydrogen, 10.5% is oxygen, and sometimes it contains a small amount of hydrogen sulfide. The shape of amber is mostly pie-shaped, kidney-shaped, tumor-shaped, slender water-drop-shaped and other irregular shapes. It belongs to amorphous body. Most of the colors are yellow, orange, brown, brownish yellow or dark red, and light green, yellow and lavender varieties are extremely rare. Grease luster, transparent to translucent. The refractive index is 1.539- 1.545, multicolor. Hardness 2-3, density1.1-1.16g/cm3. Brittle, cleavage-free, conchoidal fracture. Amber is an organic substance, which softens when heated to 150℃ and melts at 250℃-300℃, giving off an aromatic rosin smell. Amber is soluble in alcohol. It usually contains insects, seeds and other inclusions.

Types and evaluation of amber. According to the different colors and characteristics of amber, the varieties of amber in China are Jin Po, Xuepo, Insect Po, Xiangpo, Lingpo, Shipo, Huapo, Shuipo, Mingpo, Wapo, beeswax, Korean pine, etc. Among them, Jin Po is a precious high-quality amber. The value of amber is not high now, unless it is antiques, exquisite works of art or contains biological remains. The economic value of amber depends on the purity, shape, size and color of insects. Strong and positive color, no impurities is better. Green and transparent red are the best colors. The most valuable variety is amber wrapped with insects, commonly known as "amber hidden bees", with clear insects, realistic shapes, large individuals and large numbers as the best. Mostly used to make beads, beads, sculptures, cigarette cases, health incense and so on.

Maintenance of amber. Amber has a low melting point, is easy to melt, and is afraid of heat and exposure. Amber products should avoid direct sunlight and should not be placed in high temperature places. Amber is easy to dehydrate and crack when it is too dry. Amber is an organic substance, which is easily soluble in organic solvents, such as nail polish, alcohol, gasoline, kerosene, heavy liquid and so on. It is not suitable for putting in the dressing cabinet. Generally, it is not necessary to measure its density with heavy liquid, but to measure its refractive index with oil immersion method. Amber is fragile and has low hardness, so it is not suitable for external impact. Friction and scratches should be avoided to prevent scratches and breakage.

Amber imitation and its identification. Imitations of amber are bakelite, plastic and glass imitation amber. Generally speaking, amber is distinguished according to its low density, high hardness and easy softening. When imitations such as amber are put into saturated salt solution, only amber can float, while imitations such as bakelite, plastic and glass imitation amber all sink into saturated salt water. Refractive index: bakelite 1.66, plastic 1.63, all higher than amber. When tested with a hot iron needle, amber gives off a loose fragrance, while bakelite and plastic give off a spicy taste. The most similar to amber is to suppress amber. Pressing amber is to gather small pieces of amber together, heat them at 200℃-250℃ to melt them, and then they will melt together after cooling. There are slender or flat bubbles with flowing structure, and turbid granular structure can be seen under the magnifying glass.

Amber is an ancient jewelry material. As a gem, it has a history of nearly 6000 years. Decorations made of amber have been unearthed in many ancient tombs in China, Greece and Egypt. Women in ancient Rome had the habit of holding precious stones in their hands. The reason is that amber will give off a faint fragrance when heated at the temperature of the palm. The ancient Romans gave amber a very high value, and a small statue carved with amber was more valuable than a strong slave. Amber can also relieve pain and relieve shock. In some places, a string of amber is often hung on children's chests to ward off evil spirits and relieve shock.

Amber often appears in coal seams and is associated with coal concentrate. Fushun amber is mainly produced in tertiary coal seams containing amber in the early Cenozoic, especially in Baltic countries in Europe, and it is produced in other countries such as North America, the United States, India, New Zealand and Myanmar. Amber from China is produced in Fushun, Liaoning and Nanyang, Henan. Amber produced in Fushun is yellow to golden yellow, and often contains insects. It is a very precious variety with a beautiful appearance. The quality of amber produced in Nanyang is poor, so it can only be used as medicine and made into pressed amber. Distinguish amber from real amber.

Natural amber is light in texture and floats in saturated salt water. However, burning or rubbing hard will give off fragrance. Amber room is a "astringent" substance, and no two pieces of amber are exactly the same. It is suggested that consumers should not give up the opportunity to appreciate amber because of the problem of authenticity, and may wish to strengthen their understanding of amber.

Amber is deeply loved by people because of its simple and solemn natural beauty, and is known as "the treasure of ancient history". Why do you say that? It turns out that the generation of amber is very strange-

Amber is a turpentine fossil more than 50 million years ago. In this petrochemical plant resin, amber is often wrapped in plant debris and various ancient animals. In the honey-like color, you can often find the wings of a fly or a small beetle, which is clearly visible. It can be described as varied and colorful.

The earliest country to find amber in history is Denmark, and the largest amber mine found is located in Russia. The types of amber are distinguished according to the place of origin, and are divided into:

Baltic amber-produced in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and other Baltic countries. Golden and transparent color, crystal texture, good quality and large output.

China amber-generally contains many impurities, and its color is mostly dark brown. Dominican amber-light yellow and transparent in color, with cloud-like blue, green and purple luster and many impurities.

According to the difference of transparency, there are:

Old honey-indicates opaque amber with long soil time, red and orange.

Blood amber-indicates transparent amber that has been in soil for a long time. The color is like the color of fine red wine.

Bone amber refers to white amber.

According to the transparency of amber, it can be divided into transparent amber, opaque amber and flower amber in between, and opaque amber is traditionally called "beeswax"; Amber can be divided into blood pool, flower pearl, insect pearl, bone pearl and so on.

1. How did amber form fossils?

Amber, popularly speaking, is a kind of plant resin, similar to what we often call "rosin". Made of plants (mostly trees with wooden structure) at a certain temperature. Of course, the temperature is usually very high to make them secrete viscous or colloidal liquid secretions. After long-term burial, the secretion gradually lost its volatile components, and then oxidized and consolidated, gradually forming resin fossils. This kind of fossil seems to have no stone texture of rock, but it has also gone through all the processes of underground burial and fossil formation for millions to millions of years. We call them special fossils-organic fossils, and there are similar coals. Because of this, it is essentially different from modern natural resin.

2. How did the insects in amber survive?

Amber is classified according to color and packaging inside. There are many kinds of amber. Common colors are golden yellow, chestnut and purple. And the types of inclusions are mostly insects, plants and so on. Amber fossils with insects are relatively rare and precious, and we call them "insects". So, how did the insects in amber survive? This is a complicated and coincidental process. First of all, the sticky resin flowed down the trunk and did not solidify immediately. At this time, insects are flying around here. Unfortunately, insects inadvertently stuck to the resin during the unintentional flight. Then the resin on the trunk flowed down along the previous route, and the insects failed to escape the secretion. Finally, they became insects in the Pearl River. Later, after geological action, the early trees were buried in the ground, and even the resin of organic matter was buried in the ground. After thousands of years of changes, amber is what we see today.

3. Where is the amber in the world?

Amber can gather together to form an amber deposit, which is transported by running water. Because the density of amber is relatively small, it is easy to move all of it to small lakes or depressions with relatively low terrain and relatively closed environment. Where amber is concentrated in the world, there are polo turtles 1 turtle? 0% can be used to make jewelry. The thickness of amber layer in Kaliningrad, Russia is 3 meters. In addition, Romania, Canada, Mexico and other places also produce amber. Amber in Fushun Coalfield, Liaoning Province, China is of excellent quality and abundant, and contains many insects and plant fossils, which was formed in the Early Tertiary.

At present, the provinces producing amber in China are Liaoning, Henan and Yunnan. Amber in Fushun, Liaoning Province is mainly produced in tertiary coal seams and coexists with coal and jade. Its composition is similar to that of amber along the Baltic Sea, and it is transparent and translucent, with blood red, golden yellow, honey yellow, brown yellow, yellow white and other colors. According to their color characteristics, they are called Sherpa, Jin Po, Xiangpo, Lingpo, Shipo and beeswax. A small amount of precious amber containing insects or plants was also found in this producing area.

Amber in Xixia County, Henan Province is mainly distributed in gray-green fine sandstone and gray-black fine sandstone of Upper Cretaceous, with a distribution area of nearly 600km2. Amber is produced in the stratum in the form of tumor and nest, and the output of each nest ranges from several kilograms to dozens of kilograms. Amber varies in size from tens of centimeters, with yellow, brownish yellow and black. Translucent and transparent, with occasional insect inclusions, most of which contain sandstone, calcite and timely inclusions. In the past, amber in this area was mainly used as a medicinal resource. After 1953, it began to be used as a handicraft, and now its annual output is thousands of kilograms. 1980, a large amber weighing 5.8kg was collected. There are records of amber production in Baoshan, Yongping, Yunnan. At present, amber in Lijiang and other counties is mainly produced in tertiary coal-bearing strata in Yingjiang, with the size of 1 ~ 4 cm, waxy yellow and translucent, and there is no large-scale mining at present.

Amber, crystal clear and delicate in color, is very popular in the world. Legend has it that amber was changed from the tears of the ancient Greek goddess Helitis. In our country, amber is regarded as the change of the soul after the death of a tiger.

Amber is actually a petrochemical product of plant resin in geological age. It is a turpentine fossil 40 million years ago and a well-preserved solid biological fossil. Its main components are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and a small amount of sulfur, its hardness is 2-3, its specific gravity is 1.05- 1. 1, its melting point is 150c- 180c, and its ignition point is 250c-375c. Amber, pearl and coral are three organic gems.

Amber is amorphous and irregular, ranging in size from fine particles to chunks weighing several pounds. The raw materials have resin luster, and after polishing, they have resin luster to be close to glass luster. The hardness is only 2-2.5. It is easy to cut with a knife, with poor toughness and shell-like cracks.

The specific gravity of transparent amber is about 1.05 ~ 1.09, while the specific gravity of turbid amber is as low as 1.0. The refractive index of amber does not change much, but it is usually close to 1.54, which can be as low as 1.539 and as high as 1.545. Because amber is an amorphous substance, it is isotropic, cleavage-free, multi-colored and refraction-free. According to the lack of toughness, powdery inclusion, oily luster, broken glass and lack of high polishing ability, it can be identified as fat amber. There are often inclusions in amber, such as insects, seeds and other foreign bodies, which are captured before turpentine hardens. Germans call amber a burning stone because it burns at a very low temperature.