Glossary Category: Mineral Chemistry

Fully fossilized tree resin that hardened through polymerization over millions of years.

Copal is young, partially fossilized tree resin that looks like amber but is much less mature and can be softer or more prone to damage.

Evaporite minerals form when salty water evaporates and leaves minerals behind, commonly producing collectible crystals like halite (rock salt) and gypsum.

Isotope analysis measures ratios of specific isotopes in a mineral, rock, or fossil material to help interpret origin, age context, or alteration history—useful for supporting provenance or formation claims when the right sample and method are used.