Copal
Organic gem
Also called Kauri gum
Take care.
- Sensitive to heat: Keep it away from heat and sudden changes of temperature, including hot lights and ultrasonic cleaners.
About it
Young tree resin not yet hardened into amber, and often sold as amber. A drop of acetone makes copal tacky while amber stays smooth; Colombia, Madagascar, and East Africa are sources.
- Type
- Organic gem
- Group
- Subfossil resin
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 1.5–2.5
- Specific gravity
- 1.03–1.1
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- resinous
- Crystal system
- Amorphous (no crystal structure)
- Colours
- pale yellow, yellow, orange
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- none; conchoidal fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.