Amber vs. Copal

I am no expert on Amber,but I do know that the difference
between Amber and Copal is in age of the material.The Amber is
much older and has had more time to petrify.The only
identification I know,having worked the two,is that Copal is
very brittle and unsuitable for lapidary work.There are several
good books on Amber that could give you a more gemoligical
answer.

                                          Mark Liccini
 LICCINI

Gemstone Rough Dealers since 1970 U.S.MAIL
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Hi Mark, To cite from one of these books: “A drop of ether on
copal causes it to become sticky, whereas on true amber no
reaction is noted.” cited from: Amber, The Golden Gem of the
Ages, by Patty C. Rice, Ph.D., ISBN 0-917004-22-1, Markus