Judging quality
Copal softens and goes tacky under a drop of acetone where true amber resists it. Inclusions tend to be modern species, and the material crazes into fine surface cracks within a few years.
Organic
Copal
Young tree resin, typically a few thousand to a few million years old — geologically an amber in progress. Colombian copal is bright, glassy and often crowded with recent insect inclusions, which is why it is so frequently sold as amber.
Care
Extremely soft. Keep cool, avoid solvents entirely, store away from other stones.
History & lore
Copal has been burned as temple incense across Mesoamerica for millennia; the Nahuatl word copalli simply means incense.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Copal
- What is Copal?
- Young tree resin, typically a few thousand to a few million years old — geologically an amber in progress. Colombian copal is bright, glassy and often crowded with recent insect inclusions, which is why it is so frequently sold as amber.
- How hard is Copal and what is it made of?
- Copal is a Organic-family mineral with the composition Terpenoid resin. It crystallizes in the amorphous system and rates 1.5-2 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in golden, pale yellow, amber.
- Where does Copal come from?
- Notable localities for Copal include Colombia, Madagascar, East Africa.
- How do you tell good Copal from filler?
- Copal softens and goes tacky under a drop of acetone where true amber resists it. Inclusions tend to be modern species, and the material crazes into fine surface cracks within a few years.
- How do you care for Copal?
- Extremely soft. Keep cool, avoid solvents entirely, store away from other stones.
Related stones
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.