Amber is a fossil resin, a crystal of organic origin formed as a result of the freezing of resins of coniferous plants.
The Greeks used to call amber an electrolyte or "made by the sun." Homer worshipped the glow of amber. The Egyptians scrambled in tombs for the afterlife. Today's scientists have so much appreciated amber as a three-dimensional window with prehistoric ecosystems that have preserved in amber inclusions.
320 MLN
The oldest amber was formed in the Late Carbon Period (approximately 320 million years ago)
6 TONES
The amber room in Russia, donated to Peter the Great in 1716, was created from 6 tons of amber.
TIME CAPSULE
Thousands of extinct animal species and the most diverse plant types are found in amber.
FACTS
Organic, not mineral: fossilized resins
Chemical composition: C10H16O
Color: yellow, orange or brown
Refractive index: 1.540
Specific gravity: 1.08
Hardness on Mohs scale: 2.0 - 2.5
